The Art Of Fly Tying... In Hand!

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Photo by Ryan Taylor

I was super stoked when Ryan approached me about building a custom tool wallet. I had been wanting to design one for a while and this was the perfect excuse to get that project started. What made this collaboration even more special is the fact the Ryan ties his flies in hand! He wanted a wallet that could hold the essential tools for travelling and tying flies on the river. Ryan started to tie flies in hand around 6 years ago, he got into it by watching one of his influencers Jin. He thought it was the coolest thing and loved the challenge.

Here are a couple tips from Ryan for tying in hand :

Take your time, don't rush. It can take multiple sitting to tie a fly this way.
Use really good wax.
Choose a simple pattern to start

Ryan Taylor's biography

Born in southern Ontario, Ryan Taylor has been chasing local fish for more than 20 years. It was on a family trip to Newfoundland where Ryan first had the good fortune to fish for Atlantic salmon. The experience captured his imagination. This king of migratory fish, the time-honored traditions, epic scenery and beautiful flies all appealed to him in a way that changed everything. From that moment onward, fly fishing was “it” for Ryan. The obsession had taken hold. He had to learn everything he could about these fish. This curiosity quickly combined with his innate artistic abilities and obsessive attention to detail before blossoming into an almost religious zeal for tying salmon flies. The colour, complexity and elegance of these flies called out to Ryan's creativity and artistry to create works of fly tying art.

Ryan specializes in Spey fishing while taking every opportunity he can to further hone his craft. He's constantly improving his abilities in casting, reading water and understanding the fish he's chasing. Most important to him is the experience of being in nature and sharing the experience with friends on the water.