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.
That’s a good story. I found FAOL when I decided to give furled leaders a shot. I was looking for information on how to make them and ended up on FAOL.
I did it the same way you did. I had been flyfishing about 15 years, when I decided I really needed to start flytying. After buying a few books on the subject and fumbling around for a while, I finally went online trying to find more information, especially on flies that were easier to tie. Thus, I ran across Al Campbell’s flytying articles, and this led me to explore further. Now, unless I am out of town, I rarely miss a night of logging on to see what is happening in the world of FAOL.
I typed "Fly tying " into google and it had a title Fly tying for begginers on FAOL which took me to the Al Campbell series on beggining fly tying. Viola! I was here.
I was on a duckhunting forum and decided to look at the fishing area. I looked at crappie and then trout. I was reading the comments and someone mentioned this webb site so I went to it and liked it so I signed up. This is where I have learned a lot about trout fishing.
I was looking for information on fishing Spearfish Creek in the Black Hills. Did an search and came up with Al Campbells article on Spearfish Canyon. Probably still one of the finest articles I have ever read on that area… and after a dozen or more trips I have taken to that area after reading Al’s article, I consider it one of my ‘home’ waters.
I was searching for articles on fly fishing for bluegills. Being a “rookie” fly fisherman, I was apprehensive about posting my totally ignorant questions, but figured, “What the heck!” & registered here. “Oldman” Bob Dial contacted me & helped me a great deal in our posts, phone conversations, & personal meetings. He shared his vast knowledge & we developed a very close friendship. Bob passed away a little over a year ago, and I miss him terribly, but his legacy of knowledge, kindness, & sharing lives on through the others on this site.
Registering here has been one of the best things I have ever done.
Mike
A guy my dad used to work with did a fly of the week (don’t remember the fly and never knew the guys name) and my dad told me to check it out. As per usual it took me at least 6 mos to get around to it and when I did I couldn’t forget the name because it didn’t make any sense to me. My dad said to go to fly-angler-son-line.com. It wasn’t until I typed it in till it dawned on me and made so much more sense. After that I was hooked.
Was looking for instructions on tying a Carey; Googled (it’s a verb and a noun!) Carey and flytying and, poof, their I was!
Must say I didn’t expect as much as I found. Other on line fly sites are woefully lacking content. Hats off to all mods and contributors - I shall visit here for many years to come.
Keep up the GREAT work - even from Poulsbo good things come forth. :lol:
Like most of the others, I did a web search on fly tying when I got started fly fishing again. I had tied and fly fished all through graduate school but stopped thirty years ago when I took up big lake bass fishing. When I decided to go back to the long rod, I found that lots of new stuff had been added including Wooley Buggers, Gurgles Pops, Stimulators, EHCs, CDC feather, beadheads, biots and best of all graphite rods. FAOL got me back up to speed fast. 8T
There was once a small unsophisticated simple fly fishing site know as FBN, Fly fishing Broadcast Network. JC and LF were occasional hosts along with a few other nice folks. That site went the way of “poof” but I maintained contact with one of the members ( slic, who usually is in Chat Room)who later told me about FAOL.I did stay on the sidelines for about 5 years just soakin up the light without registering and as they say, “the rest is…”. I’m loyal by nature and haven’t felt the need to venture elsewhere.
Some folks mention this site in emails on another list. I came to it, loved the information on it.
Now my wife says that my ramblings make folks think I know something.
I picked up a fly rod for the first time early last summer. Had always been intrigued, but never fished in this manner. A buddy stuck the fly rod in my hand, showed me proper casting and I was hooked. However, I didn’t have any info beyond the basics and needed to feed my head a bit. A Google search popped up all the usual suspects, but FAOL seemed to have the most comprehensive beginners’ guide and I just kind of stuck with it. Don’t even bother much looking other places now.
I will make a short story long by starting from the distal component of the fly cast. I was googling fly patterns, fly leader design, fly line tapers, fly rod building, but not fly reels. Though I got a lot of hits from other sites on this or that topic, I always got one or more hits on FAOL. I generalized that FAOL could be the “one stop” fly fishing site. Since I have added to my favorites, I have not been disappointed.
So now I have told you how I found it and why I kept it.
When I decided to go back to the long rod, I found that lots of new stuff had been added including Wooley Buggers, Gurgles Pops, Stimulators, EHCs, CDC feather, beadheads, biots and best of all graphite rods. FAOL got me back up to speed fast. 8T