How did you discover Fly Anglers Online?
To make a short story long, when I was kid growing up each year my dad would take the family to the Sports and Boat show at the Cow Palace in Daly City, CA. Back then he worked for the Marine division of Apelco (Applied Electronics). He sold shortwave radios, radars and other electronic equipment to boaters. Apelco was an exhibitor at the show and my dad was one of the salesmen who ran the booth. While he worked, my mom would take us kids around to the various exhibits. This kept us occupied, but more importantly, kept us away from the expensive equipment in my dad?s booth. Mom knew that dials and buttons were a temptation no child could resist and keeping us on the move meant less chance of damage.
One year, while walking through the fishing and hunting hall I saw an exhibition on fly tying. I had never seen such a thing, let alone knew of the sport of fly fishing. As my mom began to move us along, I begged with her to let me stay. She agreed and for the next 3 or 4 hours I watched intently as the tyers spun their creations. What I saw that day was forever etched in my brain, though it was decades before I gave it a try.
About 30 years ago I was getting a haircut at a barber that I had been going to for a number of years. Across from his shop was a new store that had just opened. To my amazement it was a fly fishing shop! My mind reeled back to the day I first saw the fly tying exhibition at the Sports and Boat show. I went in and emerged a couple of hours later with a tying kit. When I got the kit home I carefully removed the content and examined each item. The tying book that was included was sparsely worded and the few pictures contained within were not much better. Disappointed, I carefully repacked and closed the box not to open it again for 25 years.
About 5 years ago I was going through some of my boxes in storage and opened one that contained the tying kit. This time I would not put it away, but instead looked for a fly fishing shop in my area that had lessons. The class I signed up for was poorly organized and I became somewhat disenchanted. Instead of giving up I turned to the internet for help. In my search I came upon Al Campbell?s fly tying series back in 2002. The series taught me so much and the ability to contact Al by email or bb made the lessons all the more valuable, not to mention the excellent help and encouragement I got from the folks on FAOL.
Since then I have discovered the other treasures FAOL offers. Besides fly tying I now enjoy fly fishing ? about 4 years now. There is nothing like catching fish on your own creation.
The short story, a Yahoo search on fly tying came up with Al?s fly tying series on Fly Anglers Online.
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