Category Archives: Fly fishing show

This past weekend I was at the Three Rivers Fly Fishing Show in Fort Wayne, Indiana, tying. I had a great time hanging out with friends and chatting with everyone. There were many fly tyers on hand, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to walk around and try to get some decent photos of what other tyers were tying.

This Saturday, April 1st, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is the 2017 Three River Fly Fishing and Fly Tying Show. I’ll be there tying along side my good friend, Todd Schotts of Grizzly Flies. There will be vendors from around the midwest and many fly tiers on hand. Plus several warmwater presentations, because we do a lot of that kind of fishing here in Indiana!
Trout are not left out, many fly fishers are coming down from Michigan and will be at the show. So it should be a good one.
Stop by the FrankenFly table and talk fishing and flies with me. I hope to see you there!
For all of the details, check out the Three Rivers Fly Fishers website.

-Paul

I just got back last night from another terrific show at the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo in Warren, Michigan, which is on the outskirts of Detroit. I go every year, but this year was probably the best show I’ve had. I had a lot of FrankenFly readers coming up to my booth and chatting, watching me tie, and checking out the flies.

To note, I got to chat with Bill Spicer of the TV series, The New Fly Fisher, who was interested in me tying him some bugs. I walked around and talked with George Daniel who was great and will be sending me a little something to post up on FrankenFly from him. This is the first time I’ve met Chuck Furminsky who started the infamous “The Fly Fishing Show” that is now all over the place. Oh and I got to meet Ryan Keene and check out his art. Real nice guy and great artist!

I love this show because I have so many friends that are there. It’s always a lot of fun to catch up with everyone and cut up.

Last but not least I want to give a shout out to David Humphries of River Traditions. David made some awesome fly boxes for me including an etched streamer box that I’ll be posting about later. (I kept the first one for myself, haha!) Plus, David made more bottle opener, fish key chains printed with “FrankenFly” right there on the spot at the show. Thank you David!

I walked around like I usually do and tried to get some photos. I had limited time, so I wasn’t able to capture everyone I wanted, but here are some for you guys to check out. I stole two from Brian Kozminski of True North Trout too.

I am once again honored to be a Featured Guest Tyer at the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo this weekend, March 11th and 12th, in Warren, Michigan. This show is one of the best, if not THE best, fly fishing shows in the Midwest. To quote Ed Sullivan, “It’s going to be a really big show!” So make plans to head up and stop by and be sure to visit the FrankenFly table. I’ll be there!
See my previous post on more details of the show. See below to see the expanded list of Featured Tyers for this year’s show.
Thanks and I hope to see you there!
-Paul

Captain Anthony Mule’ shop pro at Riverview Fly Shop in St. Clair, MI, started fly fishing in the canals behind his parent’s cottage on St. John’s Marsh at an the early age of 8. He taught himself how to tie flies with his father’s vise and salt water materials at the age of 12. He brings his young, fresh perspective to the fly tying community. He’s been self-taught at the art of fly tying and is not afraid to try new material and combine traditional patterns to come up with new patterns to expand the fly fisherman’s repertoire. His goal is to become a licensed guide and become a guide to foster more awareness of the fly fisherman outside of the traditional trout fishing and into the vast opportunities offered on the St. Clair waterways. This came one step closer this January 2017 when he became a licensed captain.

Chuck Furimsky visited the Midwest Fly Fishing Show at Southfield, Michigan, about 28 years ago. He enjoyed it so much, he returned to Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Pa., where he owned a retail shop that carried all leather goods. So speaking with the owner of the resort Chuck got permission to start his own fly show at the resort’s exhibit hall and patterned it after his experience at Southfield. It was an instant success and the start of a long future and many additional shows, from starting in Denver& ending in Lancaster Pa; many shows in between, with the largest show being in Somerset, NJ. Another great show creation of Chuck is the world’s largest show exclusively for tiers who attend from everywhere, including many overseas countries. That show is called the International Fly Tying Symposium and is sponsored by Fly Tyer magazine, and takes place the weekend before Thanksgiving in Somerset, N.J. His true passion was fly fishing and he was a student in George Harvey’s fly fishing credited class at Penn State. His tying is fostered by his 42 years in owning and working in his leather business. “I don’t know anyone here and only one person I met in England that ties flies with leather,” joked Chuck. You just have to stop by his table to see the patterns for trout, bass, all salt water fish, and his latest patterns he ties with his leather Turbo Tails, great for Pike, Muskie, Bass, and Walleye. 

John Satkowski resides in Toledo, Ohio, where he fishes for all fish that swim in the rivers and lakes of southeastern Michigan and northwest Ohio. An artist, fly tying demonstrator, and fly tying instructor, John shares his love of fly tying and fishing as often as he can. For the last fifteen years, he has focused on unlocking the secrets of smallmouth bass, carp, trout, and northern pike on the fly, chasing after them in the rivers and lakes of the Wolverine state and the glory waters of Montana. John is also an accomplished realistic tier and always tries to add a little realistic flare to his patterns. John is a pro tier for Flymen Fishing Company and a commercial tier for Rainy’s flies with patterns ranging from dry flies, nymphs, steelhead, streamers, and flies for the salt. John’s patterns often use creative fly materials and unconventional tying styles.

Hunter Hayes is Co-Owner/Guide at Wildwood Anglers in Ohio and is one of the many prodigies of the late deer hair master, Chris Helm. He started tying when he was 7 years old, and started tying with Chris when he was 13. His deer hair creations are more masters of artwork than fishing flies. Besides deer hair Hunter slings bobbins for all types of flies at his vise, from Warmwater, Trout, Steelhead, Salmon, and for Maumee Flies. You can contact Hunter at his email at

Steve Wascher caught his first Trout at the age of 3 ½, on a DRY FLY!! Steve is a third generation tier from Greenhurst, NY; and received basic instructions and guidance from his father; along with his grandmother in regards to tying. Steve is a well rounded tier, and enjoys all aspects of the art of fly tying; from creating a unique nymph, wet flies for steelhead, or his famed deer hair bugs for those Warmwater surprises. Besides tying Steve guides during the summer months for a wide range of Warmwater species and he enjoys writing articles as well; which have appeared along with his flies in Hatches Magazine, American Angler, and Mid-Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide. Steve is on the Pro Staff of Dyna King Vises; plus many others.

Jerry Regan; a 3^rd generation fly tyer; is one of the true keepers of Michigan’s Fly Fishing History; along with being one of the best commercial fly tiers in the business. Just like Trout Unlimited, Jerry was born along the fabled Trout Waters of the Au Sable River near Grayling. As a kid he learned fly tying and fishing from Michigan’s Genuine Legends like Earl Madsen and Ernie Borcher. One thing unique for the patterns Jerry ties, he has never went with synthetics that have flooded the market place, but have stuck with the original materials that were used.

Alan “Al” Ritt grew up here in Michigan where his passion for fishing was born. In the early 80’s while living in Northern California, just after he started tying flies, he started fly fishing. In 1989 he moved to Northern Front Range of Colorado (Longmont) where he and his wife Diana reside. He is currently on the Pro-staff of Whiting Farms, PEAK Fishing, Flymen Fishing Company, Performance Flies, Clear Goo Glue, Fishing for a Cause, Performance Flies, Pro Sportfisher, Diiachi Hooks, and a fly designer for Montana Fly Company. Al is on the board of IFFF Fly Tying Governors and is also a guide on Colorado and Sylvan Dale Ranch just outside of Loveland. Besides with everything above, along with his articles in various magazines, he also published a book, “25 Best Most Versatile Flies”. Alan’s web site is: www.alrittflies.com

Paul Beel is owner/writer and fly tyer of the website and fly tying business Frankenfly (www.frankenfly.com). His passion of fishing was from watching his grandfather create homemade lures as a kid. He felt he could continue in his grandfather’s footsteps as a fly tyer. Paul’s tying specializes in Modern Streamers and Classic Michigan Dry Flies. And he enjoys fishing for Bass and Trout. He is a Commercial Fly Tyer for Gates Au Sable Lodge and Fly Shop; he is on the Regal Vise Pro Staff, Partridge of Redditch Pro Team, Engrico Puglisi Pro Staff, and Deer Creek Pro Staff. And his Patterns have been picked up by Orvis to be sold nationwide. You can contact Paul at www. www.frankenfly.com

Dennis Potter started tying over 30 years ago before fishing on the Ausable River in Northern Michigan. He has spent 4 seasons at the Gates Ausable Lodge as a Fly Fishing Instructor and he still enjoys teaching fly tying instruction. His fly designs are fished extensively and with great success throughout the U.S. Dennis does have various Fly Tying Videos on the market and he is the owner of Riverhouse Fly Company. You will be able to find him tying at the show, with his well known high resolution video tying Demo show. Dennis’s web site is: www.riverhouseflyco.com .

Mike Schmidt is owner & Fly Tyer for Angler’s Choice Flies, based out of New Smyrna Beach, Florida; which started out from encouragement and influence from his dad. His fly tying consists of Winged Wet, Warmwater, Coldwater, and Saltwater patterns. Some of the accomplishment’s of Mike, would consist of Orvis Fly Designer, Contract and Fly Tying Instructor for Mad River Outfitters, Signature Tyer for JagFly Company/Steelhead Alley, and has articles published in Hatches on line magazine. Mike’s web site is: www.anglerschoiceflies.com .

Eli Berant grew up and lives in Michigan, so he has been surrounded by big water all his life. After getting his first fly tying kit at the age of 15,  fly fishing and fly tying has been a passion of his ever since. Even though he really likes the “traditional” fly fishing experience; he has taken the concepts of the huge saltwater flies and began to apply them to his exploits here back in the big waters in Michigan. If you are interested in “Big Flies” for Lake Trout, Musky, Bass, or whatever will consume them, you can order these flies at Great Lakes Fly (www.greatlakesfly.com).

Todd A. Schotts is a production fly tier through Grizzly Flies by Schottsie, and creator of Michigan Bobbin Slingers (fly tyers) on Facebook. He is a very active member of the Michigan Fly Fishing Club, where he writes the “Fly of the Month” featured column and contributes other articles to the clubs newsletter, chairs and helps out with various outings, schools, and events. He has had 2 of his flies appear in Eastern Fly Fishing Magazine in 2 different featured articles back in 2015.His passion is being a Bass Bum, (chasing Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass in his Kayak); but also enjoys chasing Trout, or whatever will take a fly. Some of his patterns can be seen in Painted Trout located in Dexter, MI and coming soon Red Fox Outfitters in Fenton, MI. You can contact him at [email protected]

Presented by the Michigan Fly Fishing Club

Something for every fly angler at 2017’s Midwest Fly Fishing Expo

http://midwestflyfishingexpo.com/

If variety is the spice of life, the lineup for 2017’s edition of the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo offers an intoxicating blend – from a native Michigander who made his name in Greater Yellowstone to a steelheader who chases chrome from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Northwest. The Expo is scheduled for Saturday, March 11, and Sunday, March 12.

“We’re pleased to have Craig Mathews, Rick Kustich, George Daniel and Landon Mayer headlining the Expo,” said Expo Chairman Jim Telinda. “We pride ourselves on bringing to Greater Detroit some of the sport’s most talented anglers. This year – our 40^th annual Expo — is no exception. We’re especially pleased because this year’s cast is so education focused. Each excels in his own way in helping their fellow anglers become better.”

This year’s Expo headliners offer something for everyone, but the Expo is much more than the headliners.

“Are you interested in fly tiers who specialize in traditional Michigan patterns or those who create exceptionally realistic flies? We have them. Are you looking for tiers who are innovators or create flies for toothy species like pike and musky? We have them. Are you looking for a new venue to cast your flies? We’ve got travel specialists who will help get you to the destination of your dreams. If you’re a fan of angling literature or artwork, we’ve got specialists in those areas, too. If you only need to restock your supplies for the upcoming fly fishing season, we’ve got outfitters who’ll be happy to help you,” Telinda said.

The show will feature dozens of free seminars about fly fishing techniques, fly tying and fly fishing locales and will bring together more than 100 exhibitors, including dozens of tiers, rod builders, artists, guides, outfitters and conservation organizations. “We’ve got exhibitors from every corner of the country,” Telinda said. “While many of our exhibitors hail from Michigan and Ohio, we’ve also got outfitters, guides, artisans and artists from places like Washington State, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Connecticut and Maine, as well as several from Ontario,” he said.

The annual Expo is the oldest all-fly fishing show east of the Mississippi and is hosted by the Livonia-based Michigan Fly Fishing Club. The Macomb Community College Sports & Expo Center is located at 14500 E. 12 Mile Rd. in Warren. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $10 per person; boys and girls age 16 and under are free. Two-day tickets are $15. Parking is free.

See below for more information about the Expo’s featured presenters.

Craig Mathews, Montana:

Native Michigander Craig Mathews is a Michigan State University criminal justice grad who moved from Grand Rapids to West Yellowstone, MT, in 1979. The rest is history. In West Yellowstone, where he served as the town’s police chief, he and wife Jackie opened Blue Ribbon Flies (BRF) in 1980. While the Mathews sold BRF to long-time employee Cam Coffin in 2014, Craig will continue working with the shop. An innovative and prolific fly tier, Craig still ties 750-1,000 dozen flies each year.

As proprietors of BRF, Craig and Jackie have won numerous conservation awards for their environmental activities — the “Protector of Yellowstone National Park Award,” presented by Yellowstone National Park; “Business Conservationist of the Year,” presented independently by The Nature Conservancy and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition; and the “Lee Wulff Award,” presented by the International Fly Fishing Federation (IFFF). Fly Rod & Reel Magazine named Craig its “World Angler of the Year” in 2005. The Madison River Foundation honored him as a “Guardian of the Madison” in 2009 and Trout Unlimited named him its “Stream Champion” in 2011.

Craig has authored or co-authored nine important books on fishing. His latest, “Simple Fly-Fishing for Tenkara and Rod and Reel,” co-authored with Patagonia Inc. founder Yvon Chouinard, was published in 2014. The book has won two prestigious awards, the Banff Mountain Guidebook of the Year and the National Outdoor Book Award for a guidebook and instructional quality.

Craig recently completed a book project with Yale University, “The Artist’s Guide to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,” which is scheduled to be released in December.

Craig co-founded 1% for the Planet an alliance of businesses donating 1% of their gross sales to researched and approved conservation causes. To date, 1% for the Planet has donated more than $150 million to conservation and environmental programs.

Craig and Jackie both enjoy dry fly fishing for wild and native trout in Yellowstone country. Their favorite streams are the Madison and Firehole rivers. They have enjoyed winter fishing for bonefish and permit for more than 30 years in Belize, Mexico and the Bahamas. They also enjoy fishing in Chile and Argentina for trout as well as British Columbia for steelhead.

“The best thing about living in Yellowstone country and Montana and being in the fly fishing business for over 38 years are the people we work with and those friends we meet daily in the shop, as well as the wild trout and wild place we live in. We have always felt that giving back go the public resources we use to make a good living is not only the right thing to do but necessary to protect, preserve and enhance wild trout, wildlife and wild places for future generations to enjoy. That is how we modeled the BRF business ethic,” Craig said.

Rick Kustich, New York:

Rick began fly fishing more than 40 years ago on the lakes and streams of upstate New York. Since then he has traveled extensively to experience the finest fly fishing throughout North America and beyond but continues to find that some of the best fishing often exists in his own backyard – western New York, where he currently lives.

Rick spends a significant amount of time on the water each year and has developed a special passion for trout, musky and steelhead fishing in the Great Lakes and Northwest.

His writings and photos have appeared in numerous national and regional publications, including Fly Fisherman magazine. He is the author of “Hunting Musky with a Fly,” “Advanced Fly Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead;” and “Reflections on the Water,” a collection of essays. He is featured in the DVD “Tube Flies for Steelhead.”

George Daniel, Pennsylvania:

George Daniel has been a fly fishing student all his life. He began fly fishing at the age of six in Potter County, PA, a remote region filled with wilderness and beautiful brook trout. By age 14, George’s family had relocated to Pennsylvania’s limestone region, which was home to the state’s best and best-known trout fisheries. By the age of 17, George was traveling throughout the state, seeking lessons from expert anglers. By age 21, George had learned from the best anglers in the region, including his mentor, Joe Humphreys.

Out of curiosity, George began entering local and national fly fishing competitions. Not long after, he earned a spot on Fly Fishing Team USA and remained on the team for seven seasons. Also during that time, George became a member of the coaching staff for US Youth Fly Fishing. He served two years as head coach.

As a member of the national fly fishing team, George won back-to-back US National Championships and placed in the top five in the 2006 World Fly Fishing Championship.

Eventually, the competition circuit took its toll, and George retired at age 32 to spend more time travelling with his family and to focus on fly fishing education. 

George is a former manager of the TCO State College Fly Shop in central Pennsylvania and now owns and operates Livin On The Fly LLC, a guide/educational service company located near State College. George remains involved with the US Youth Fly Fishing Team and writes and conducts fly fishing clinics and presentations across the country. He recently became a contributing editor for Fly Fisherman magazine. His first book, “Dynamic Nymphing,” has become a best seller, and his second book, “Strip-Set,” was released in 2015. George lives along the banks of his favorite trout stream with his wife, Amidea, and their two children.

Landon Mayer, Colorado:

Landon Mayer’s angling career has been fueled by an addiction to pursuing large trout with small flies and lightweight fly fishing equipment. He enthusiastically teaches and demonstrates his techniques and on-river knowledge to fellow anglers and has developed innovative strategies for sighting, hooking, and landing selective trout.

He shares these tips and secrets in his books “101 Trout Tips: A Guide’s Secrets, Tactics and Techniques,” “Colorado’s Best Fly Fishing,” “Sight Fishing for Trout,” and “How to Catch the Biggest Trout of Your Life.” He also co-stars with noted fly tier John Barr in to two DVDs: “Landing the Trout of Your Life” and “Weapons of Bass Production.”

Mayer is a contributing writer for Fly Fisherman and High Country Angler magazines. He also has been featured in such magazines as Fly Rod & Reel, American Angler, Southwest Fly Fishing, Field & Stream, and Fish & Fly.

As an ambassador in the fly fishing industry, Mayer represents several lines including Simms Fly Fishing apparel and is a fly designer for Umpqua Feather Merchants. He is also an advisory team member for Simms, Ross, Abel, Scientific Angler, Smith Optics, Fish Pond, Yeti, Winston Fly Rods, and Casio Pro Trek watches.

Mayer guides in Colorado full time on the South Platte River. He resides with his wife, Michelle, and their four children in Florissant, CO.

I had a really great time at the Greater Cincinnati Fly Fishing Show on Saturday. I actually love this show! The people have a lot of interest and they come up and want to talk and ask questions. I was very busy, but tried to get some photos. I wish I would have gotten more, but below is what I grabbed. I did go out and grab a couple of photos from some vendors that were there, that I didn’t have time to get a photo of.

Things to note.
CF River Products, who make spectacular nets, had a new product on display. They were hanging lights that were a wooden boat. Beautiful! You can see a photo below of them.

Temple Fork Outfitters had their new packs on display. I was VERY impressed by these packs. The quality was amazing and the price was great too. I took a photo of one of the smaller packs, but there were many others. Trust me, check these babies out! I’ll be getting one myself.

I got to see in up close for the first time, the new rafts by Smith Fly. Wow, these are nice boats. You can see just how well they are built when you see them in person. I wasn’t able to get a good photo of the one they had there, but you can see photos of them at Smith Fly. The photos do not do them justice though.

Mad River Outfitters were at the show as usual. Owner, Brian Flechsig and his staff run a really nice shop. Very friendly and knowledgeable. If you are heading to Ohio or wanting to grab something online, check these guys out!

The North Branch Outing Club was there and represented by head guide, Chris Lessway. I’m up in Michigan a lot and I’m surprised when someone hasn’t heard of the North Branch Outing Club. I’ll do a little better feature on this coming in the future, but Henry Ford and Thomas Edison were a member of this club that began in 1916. These days, the NBOC is a bed & breakfast, guide service, and fly shop that sits right on the Au Sable River in Michigan. I love this place! Be sure to check it out.

I hope you enjoy the photos!

-Paul