Maria Wimmer, Germany

According to my mother, my “hunting instinct” started at an early age. Supposedly, the goldfish were suddenly no longer in the minigolf pool, but I was all wet. At the age of 10, the matter of a youth fishing licence and club was addressed and fishing was legalised. Arguably a step that had to be taken, because most of my way to school went along a stream 😉 Since then, fishing has never left me and has been my constant companion. How did I get into fly tying: I think I was about 11/12 years old ….an older club member was sitting on the bench at the clubhouse smoking his pipe and winding feathers and wire around a hook with a grim face (he couldn’t see so well any more). My curiosity was piqued because I couldn’t imagine what he was trying to catch with those funny hooks?? I then got over myself and cautiously asked my questions. I think that was when the foundation stone for fly tying was laid for me. First experiments with coloured threads/wool swiped from my aunt and the coloured feathers from the shooting range at the folk festival in combination with worm hooks resulted in – I call it politely – unique specimens and did not lead to any noteworthy catching success. At that time I also didn’t have a fly rod, only a carp fishing rod. At the age of 15 and with good grades at school, I was allowed to attend a fly tying course by Thomas Wölfle in Munich. That was the last straw in my fly-tying fever. After that, there was no holding back and money to buy the first fly rod was saved to try out everything via fly tying and fishing; or who has ever drilled an eel on a nymph with a fly rod? By working part-time in a fishing shop in Munich, I was able to deepen my knowledge and make many contacts and later give courses. Trying out and combining materials with testing on the water has its own charm, and I also enjoy passing on knowledge and tricks to like-minded people. During my time as a youth leader in the fishing club, I was able to pass on all kinds of knowledge to the kids, from turning over stones and identifying insects, to tying imitations and casting, and even without a fly rod, many a predator was outwitted with a self-tied streamer on a light spinning rod. I have been asked to tie various patterns at events or fairs and also to train youth leaders for the fishing association. For years, we had an open fly-tying table in Munich, but unfortunately Corona put it to sleep.