My fly tying career has very humble beginnings. It was 1973; I was in the 6th grade, was at a friend’s house, after school, and he was tying flies. His dad had taken him to the Orvis fly fishing school, in Vermont, a few years earlier and in my eyes, he was a really good fly tier. He showed me how to tie a size #14 Black Gnat. Eager to try my hand at it, I sat down and gave it my best shot. Result...... it was hurtin’ for certain! The tail was wrapped 1/4 of the way around the bend in the hook, the white goose quill wings were split and one side was wider than the other. The hackle collar had about 15 fibers sticking up and the all the rest of the materials were tied in with my newly learned half-hitch knot. The eye of the hook was nowhere to be found, but I didn’t care, that fly was beautiful in my eyes. I was hooked and my fly tying career was born!
My first vise was a retrofitted Pin Wrench I swiped from my Dad, a Rolex watchmaker. My buddy gave me a bobbin and some hackle; I chased my sisters Samoyed Husky around for an hour to get some dubbing and upon securing some, I told myself I was now officially a “fly tier”! From time to time, just for comic relief, I will pull out the “CLUNKERS” box and look at some of those early flies…man, better than the comedy channel. But I never stopped tying.
After tying standard patterns for years, I decided around 2000 to start branching out and letting my creative juices flow…and flow they did. I started messing around with different materials and products and before long, my Softex Squid was a reality…and it was very well received by the general public.
About three years after developing the squid, I was invited to tie at a Tiers Expo, which was hosted by my local fly shop. It was there that I had the privilege to meet and tie with Bob Mead and Dave Brandt. It was a GREAT weekend of tying and cracking jokes. Bob and Dave liked my work enough to invite me “into the family”. I was honored. With their guidance, my talent as a realistic tier, continued to develop and in 2003, I was invited to tie at the International Fly Tying Symposium. It was truly an amazing experience. I met world class tiers from all over and Fly Tyer Magazine approached me and wanted to write an article about my squid. I remember when the article came out and I saw my name in print, it was a very surreal and gratifying moment. Today, I’m fortunate enough to be invited to tie at shows all over the Northeast.
With the success of the squid, all I could think about was creating more and different realistic flies. I gathered sample photos and attached them to my profile plate and started to “create”. I finally hit on and perfected the woven body that can be seen in my Sandworm. The weaving allowed for a lifelike segmented body which added to the realism of the fly. My Shrimp, Crabs, and bait fish patterns soon followed. Wanting to try my hand at freshwater realistic flies, I gathered more sample photos and worked long and hard perfecting my Nymphs, Mayflies and Caddis.
I’m a “custom” tier; totally devoted to providing you with a top quality product; one that you are proud to give as a gift or showcase in your home, office or tying room.
I’m always looking for a new challenge, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for, please feel free to contact me and let’s see what I can come up for you. timwohland@aol.com
I am truly a blessed man and could not have “designed” things any better… I do what I love and you folks continue to give me nods of approval. Thanks for taking the time to get to know me a little better…
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