Wayne Samson Interview!

This is an interview with Wayne Samson. I met Wayne while doing fly fishing shows and I always have a great time when I am next to him and Glenn at a show. Wayne learned his deer hair skills from the legendary Chris Helm. He writes about this below. Enjoy!
-Paul

Hi Wayne, I will start with the normal, obvious question. How did you get started in fly fishing and fly tying?

Hello Paul, I was fortunate to come from a family that enjoyed fishing. Having a boat for many years, we fished Lake Erie quite often for walleye and perch. Growing up just a couple of miles from the Maumee River, spending summers either there or the numerous farm ponds in the area, exposed me to all types of warm water fish. It was a trip to my Aunt and Uncle’s house that exposed me for the first time to fly fishing. Seeing my Uncle’s fly boxes and fishing gear started a curiosity that really took off after receiving a fly-tying kit for Christmas one year from my parents. I had access to a ten-acre lake literally right behind the place I had been renting. I would tie flies and “test” them out as often as possible.

I know you learned deer hair techniques from the legendary Chris Helm. Can you tell us how you met Chris and how you began doing that? Also, what did you learn from Chris?

Meeting Chris would change not only my fly tying but also change the course of my life. I met Chris when a local place I purchased materials from was having a one-day fly tying class. I immediately signed up and took a one on one class with Chris. That grew into a friendship that would continue for decades. Chris had a weekly fly-tying class and I would be a part of those from the beginning of meeting him. I went from taking them to teaching them. Also, Chris would bring in a couple of tiers a year for workshops, so I was exposed to all types of flies, techniques and personalities over the years. The question is, what didn’t Chris teach me…. through him and his shop I learned almost everything I use daily in my tying.

What species do you chase after these days?

Anything that swims…. I still enjoy fishing warm water for bass. I also get to play in saltwater for snook and redfish every year. My favorite these days are trout though. I spent an amazing week in the greater Yellowstone Area this past summer chasing trout. Most often I can be found in the hills of Pennsylvania, plying the waters for brook trout…. there is something about small intimate streams that really lets me escape.

What are some of the flies you have been tying recently?

Lately I have been tying flies for a few friends for steelhead, along with some trout stuff. I have a few bass bugs I need to get done before too long. I am always all over the board with what I am working on.

Do you tie flies for customers or shops or just for yourself?

After tying a few dozen or so of one fly I tend to get burned out. For that reason, I haven’t tied for any shops in quite some time and I wouldn’t consider myself a “commercial” type of tier. I do however tie custom orders for individuals. To me that is fun and very rewarding. I get to have interaction with the actual individual planning to use the flies. And, I get quite a bit of follow-up contact letting me know how the flies worked!

Are you available to teach tying classes?

I am available for classes. As I mentioned above, I used to teach quite a few of Chris Helm’s classes- both beginner and advanced. Today I teach a number of different ways: I have been associated with Glenn River Fly Company LTD (www.glennriver.com) for well over a decade. Through the company, Glenn and I teach all levels of tying for small groups and fly-fishing clubs. What makes us different is we both teach, together. Well, I teach the tying and Glenn runs his mouth and passes out materials! We also work with our local fly shop, Wildwood Anglers (www.wildwoodanglers.com) where we teach “beginner” classes and also “intermediate” pop up classes. Lastly, I am available to do one-on-one sessions. Often this is the best way for me to help someone struggling with a technique or style of pattern.

Do you have a favorite fly rod?

My favorite rod for fishing small streams is a Douglas Upstream 3766 which is a six-piece 3 weight. I also have a handful of glass rods I enjoy along with a few bamboo rods I have built. When it comes to throwing bass flies, I like to use a McFarland Tailwind in a 7 weight. The McFarland does double duty jumping into the saltwater game.

What type of setup do you like to use for fishing trout and bass?

I am throwing either a 3 or 4 weight for trout. I have a few Hardy reels, which they discontinued, loaded with Rio Gold fly lines. My leaders tend to change with conditions but start off in the 9 foot to a 5x or 6x tippet. My bass setup is a 7 weight Rio in a bass taper fly line loaded onto a Vosseler reel. I also carry a spool loaded with an intermediate sink tip line. I tend to fish a 9 foot to 2x tippet leader, which also changes with the situation, but is a good starting point.

If someone was interested in improving their deer hair tying, what would you recommend they do?

Nothing will ever beat one-on-one instruction. With that being said, and this goes across the board, practice, practice, practice. I see it a lot in general tying as well as deer hair. It takes a lot of trying to get proficient. Deer hair is a natural material and that means each and every piece is different. Learning what it does and how it acts when tied on a hook takes practice and patience. There is plenty of instruction on the internet along with videos and books, still the best way to speed up the learning curve is to get some in person instruction. I would like to mention that Chris Helm (as well as both Chris & I) did a number of deer hair specific tying videos, a few years back. These are still a great way to watch and learn specific techniques at an individual pace. Contact me if you have trouble locating such videos as we can get them for you through Glenn River Fly Co LTD.

What type of fly-tying vise do you use?

I have a couple of Dyna King vises I use but my mainstay vise is a LAW, Lawrence Waldron.

Do you have a favorite pair of scissors or bobbin you use? Are there any other tools that you like to use at the fly-tying bench?

I have several pairs of scissors on my bench. My favorite is the Solingen German Hair scissors- it’s hard to beat the quality and consistency of a high-end pair of scissors. I use the “mag” Rite bobbin for deer hair (the ability to set the “drag” is important) and the Tiemco ceramic bobbin (because I can change spools fast and spin my thread) for all my other tying. The Fugly packer from Pat Cohen is an important tool on the bench when doing deer hair.

Do you normally use razor blades to shape your deer hair bass bugs?

I do my initial trimming with a sharp pair of scissors then my final shaping with a double edge razor blade. It is worth noting, for as sharp as a razor blade is, they dull very quickly. I tend to use a new blade every two or three bass bugs.

Besides deer hair flies, what other flies do you enjoy tying?

I just flat out enjoy tying. When I first started tying flies, I wanted to tie every fly I had seen. Quickly I learned that’s an impossible feat, so I decided I wanted to learn all the techniques I could so in the end I had the ability to tie anything I wanted. I currently tie all sorts of trout flies from dry, wet to euro-nymph styles. I dabble in classic salmon flies and saltwater flies as well.

I noticed you post about Precision Fly & Tackle and Wildwood Anglers. What is your relationship with these two shops?

Wildwood Anglers is my local shop and is owned by Brad Dunkle- a young, energetic guy. Glenn and I have been running Brad’s “beginner” and “pop-up” fly-tying classes since the shop opened. It’s a small but fantastic shop and Brad goes out of his way to try to help people. Precision Fly & Tackle is owned by a friend of mine and is one of my favorite areas to fish. Justin and his family are world class and his shop is nothing short of that. This is a must stop if you are in the area.

What hooks do you use for your bass poppers?

I like the Ahrex Predator hooks, the Aberdeen PR330 and the Trout Predator TP610. The Gamakatsu B10S has been a mainstay for me as well.

Thank you Wayne, I appreciate you taking the time to do this interview!
You can contact Wayne at his email address [email protected] , or directly on Facebook.
His Instagram is @wetflysam2213
-Paul