Hardy Benthin, Germany

Hardy Benthin
Hardy Benthin, Germany

I was born in 1966 in Zehdenick an der Havel. It all started when I was 7. My father regularly took me fishing and showed me how to catch perch and roach with worms. From then on, I was hooked on fishing. A few years later, I discovered spin fishing for myself until I came into contact with fly fishing for the first time at the age of 15. This kind of fishing fascinated me from the beginning because with no other fishing method do you have this “direct link” to the fish. And so fly fishing became my passion. Since 1982 I have been fishing successfully with flies in fresh and salt water and during this time I have gained a lot of experience at home and abroad.

In 1992 I started tying flies. The first steps were a bit bumpy, but soon usable patterns were created. In 1993, I met George Guther, a very well-known and successful fly tyer from the USA, at a trade fair. We became friends and fished a lot together for pike and umpire. He showed me some techniques and tricks that helped me to improve my patterns decisively. Due to the lack of suitable salmonid waters, I mainly fish for predatory fish. So my main focus is on tying streamers. My patterns are created in practice while fishing. Mostly based on classic flies, such as “Lefty`s Deceiver” In over 35 years of fly fishing and 30 years of fly tying, I have learned what makes a successful fly pattern. And so, over time, I developed my own streamer series and saltwater flies. At the 1st Open German Fly Tying Championships I was able to achieve a 3rd place in the streamer category, and a 4th place in the nymph category. At the 2nd Open German Fly Tying Championship I won 1st place in the streamer category and 6th place in the nymph category. At the “MUSTAD SCANDINAVIAN OPEN” 2012, my streamer and saltwater patterns both placed in 6th place.