Gulf Coast Texas Known Tyers

[striblue]

Joe Branham and I (John Morin) have a book contract with Wild River Press and Tom Pero out of Washington State. Tom is also the Publisher of "Fish And Fly" Magazine... The book we are working on with a October 05 first draft due date will be "Classic Saltwater Flies"... We have the country covered and Bahamas and have about 50 tyers signed on... The Book will be a History of the Saltwater fly, then the "old" classics and then the so called "new" classics... This third section is where I need some leads from Texas and the Gulf Coast. We have tyers from Lou Tabory, Jack gartside, Dick Brown, Bob Popovics, Puglisi, Skok, Abrames, Sedotti, Blados, Blanton.etc, etc...and many others. I have been interviewing people like Al Brewster, Stev Raymond out in Washington, Bill Catherwood and still ahve to do Russ Chatham and Stu Apte....Lefty Kreh is helping us with leads and flies as is Ken Bay who wrote a threashold book in 1972. I have contracted a person by the name of Scott Sparrow who fishes for red Fish and other species off the Texas coast... I hope to get leads from him. We need to know the names and contact information for tyers who have tied or are tying popular , effective flies that are go to flies for that geographic area... If you can assist with leads we would appreciate it. If you can , just PM me and I will forward to you my e-mail. Thanks

[Animal Chris]

John and Joe,

Greg published a book in 2001 "Texas Saltwater Classics", with the foreward by Lefty Kreh. Published byu Texas Fish and Game Publishing Co., LLC. Their website is www.fishgame.com . This is a kind of Who's Who and What's What for the Texas Coast. Each fly has very descriptive instructions, photos of each step along with a bio of the fly itself. It's a great book.

Another good source is coming up on February 5 in Houston. The Texas Fly Fishers of Houston is holding it's annual Fly Tying Festival. Last year we had several of the tyers featured in the book among the tyers at the festival.

Also, check out the current issue of the Gulf Coast Connections (a local fishing magazine), Casey Smartt, the fly fishing editor, features 9 local shrimp patterns. For a copy, contact Capt. Everett Johnson, GCC Editor and Publisher, at gulfcoastconnections@earthlink.net.

[striblue]

Thanks Chris..I will follow up...

[Sagebrush]

John,

Feel like I met you in another life : )

I've seen the book mentioned above, haven't had time to read it. In my neck of the woods, materials and flies uniquely developed for Texas are "Sparse" relative to the parts you hail from. [I hear you have big silver beasts with racing stripes. I've similarly heard of a mythic place whose name roughly translated means "where the water runs greatly". Sounds pretty cool.]

One impressive thing is the current state record trout I believe was caught on a fly, and the individual who caught him makes a habit out of catching really big trout. His name does not stick with me.

I've met some avid tiers and guides. While an increasing popular sport, the fly fisher looks a bit more unusual then I'd like. We've had a kayak boom over the past few years or more. Ultra shallow waters make fly fishing and kayaking increasingly popular as fish and fisherman try avoid undue pressure.

So how is 2005 shaping up.

SB