I began fly fishing and fly tying almost twenty years ago, shortly after I met my husband, Chris Reeves. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start fishing. – We were living in Chile at the time and went on two long road trips around the south of Chile and Argentina. My first flies were therefore a Woolly Bugger and a Prince Nymph. I’m ashamed to say I can’t remember if I caught fish on them, but it didn’t matter – I was hooked on both (not the flies, the fishing and the tying). So much so, that on the last trip in Argentina, I had to be dragged out of the river by my wader shoulder straps, still trying for one more cast.
Back in the UK, I had no time for fly tying at home, but when Chris was invited to tie at fly shows, I developed the knack of squeezing an extra chair between him and his neighbour, so I could set up my own vice and tie some of the flies I could see around me. There must have been enough complaints from his neighbours as I started to get invitations to shows as an official tyer.
One way or another, I still don’t get to do that much fly tying, so I like to think that I am still demonstrate quite well that you don’t need years of practice and experience to tie flies that will catch you fish. I often help Chris at shows with beginners and improvers.
I am really looking forward to meeting you all at the show.
