Independence day flies update!

Happy Fourth folks!  We've been lucky enough to have some great tiers donate some flies to us this year.  We wanted to feature two of the tiers in this post Aileen Nishimura Ellis (mkflies.com) and Pat Cohen (gotbronze).  Aileen's flies have been featured in Hatches, kype magazine, and bloodknot.  Pat was recently interviewed by The Drake, and is recognized by many as one of the best deer hair tiers out there.  Like I said, we're lucky to have gotten flies from both of these two and some lucky bass hole is going to bring them home. 

Aileen sent us a selection of very fishable streamers and floaters, a sample of which is shown here.  Whoever wins this set is going to have the whole water column covered.  Pat sent us a collection of art in the form of deer hair.  I've tried to capture the flies, but pics just don't do them justice. Below the photos is an interview that Pat was kind enough to give to Brian.  11 days to the Pickle people!  Better start pre-fishing.

    

Where are you from, and how long have you been tying?
My first five years were spent in Bayside, NY.  We moved upstate at that point and I have lived in Cobleskill, NY for the past 30 years.  I have been tying flies since January of 2009.  I started fly fishing in 2008. 

   

Whats the average time to tie one of your deerheair bugs?
My deer hair bugs take anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours depending on what I am making and what I'm making it for. The Punk Rockers for example take about 1 1/2 hours. The Hummingbird that I make takes about 2 1/2.  The little mice take about 30 minutes. It just depends on how complicated the stacking and trimming is going to be.

What are your secret home waters and go-to flies?
My secret home waters....hmmmmm.....my go to fly....well it depends on conditions and time of year I suppose. Summer months I am a top water nut.  My Hot Butt Toad is a go to for bass bugging and pickerel picking, my Sili Craw and Fleeing Bucktail are smallie killers.  The Munch is a go to for walleye and just about everything else, especially with murky water. The Carp 'n Crunch is my go to brown lining fly.  Man, so many flies.  So many fish.  I can't pick just one.


What publications/seminars have you been involved in?
I have tied at The Fly Fishing Show, The Fly Tying Symposium, Goldstocks Sporting Goods Fly Tyers Cabin Fever, Cortland Outdoor Day, SUNY Cobleskill Wildlife festival, Trout Unlimited and a few other demos.  I have had the good fortune of being in The Drake, on a bunch of websites, NY Outdoor News, and the Schenectady Gazette.  I just wrote my first step by step article for a magazine called Fly and Tie, it should be available next month. 


How did you hear about the DPC, and what are your thoughts on bass tournaments?
You crazy Vermonters notified me of the DPC.  I think a flies only bass tournament rocks.  Tehre are only a few events like this happening around the country.  It is great to see that people are starting to look at us warm water fly anglers a little more seriously.  Move over trout bums, the warm water guys have arrived.  And yes, we can catch that with a fly.  I wish I could make it to the DPC, work keeps getting in the way of fishing for sure.