The following people have graciously promised their time, experience and skills in helping us become better tiers. These mentors are at your disposal for questions, confidential critiques, discussions on flytying, and general hands-on or online assistance.
Please feel free to PM them (click on their name for profile page) and initiate contact. In return, all that is required is a willingness to learn and a bit of effort on your part.
Mark Mercer
I've been tying about 30 years, I think? I've tied just about everything and tied commercially for about 9 years, small time just a few shops, mostly tied stillwater, steelhead and saltwater. Became interested in Spey and Dee flies at that time, I sold and fished them for steelhead and later got into the classic salmon flies. I've tied a few intruder type flies but don't really chase steel anymore so I've not tied a lot of newer patterns for them.
I'll help anyone who thinks I could help them, I would mostly be interested helping online but a face to face might be possible as well, I live in Port Orchard.
Bill Warner
1. How long have you been tying? I've been tying since about 1958. My ability was flat until I had a class about 1985-1990 and then things took an exponential jump. Now I can handle most flies but don't have the patience for salmon flies.
2. What style / type of flies are you interested in mentoring on? I'm mostly a sunken fly fisher so would be interested in mentoring nymphs, wet flies, soft hackles and emergers. I am also versed in dry flies but don't fish them much. Remember 85% of a fishes diet is below the surface.
3. What experience level of tier are you willing to mentor? (1 - 10, 1 being a complete beginner) I could mentor a beginner or early-intermediate but think once a person is a journeyman intermediate he/she is at my level.
4. How are you willing to mentor? (face-to-face, online, both) I can mentor face-to-face, on the water or online. This may require a blindfold to ensure secrecy of local public lakes.
5. If face-to-face, where to do you live? I'm in Moses Lake over in Grant county and have a lot of reasonably close local lakes to access. Also near Rocky Ford which I fished over 30 times in 2012 and caught fish there most trips.
6. Short paragraph about your tying experience. I'm basically self taught but had a couple of lessons about 25 years into my experience. The lessons caused me to destroy my earlier creations. I'd use the Drunken Dragon SBS as an example. Also my Mother's Day Caddis in the 2013 soft hackle swap. Those are two fly types listed above. Nymphs and soft hackles. I also do a fair amount of chironomids and have participated in previous swaps.
Richard Olmstead
1. How long have you been tying? - About 12-13 years
2. What style / type of flies are you interested in mentoring on? - I tie trout flies mainly; both still and moving water. Dries, nymphs, softhackles, streamers, are what I tie most, for fresh water mostly.
3. What experience level of tier are you willing to mentor? (1 - 10, 1 being a complete beginner) - Anyone with more than moderate skills probably won't be looking for a mentor, so I'll say 1-5)
4. How are you willing to mentor? (face-to-face, online, both) - both
5. If face-to-face, where to do you live? - Lake Forest Park, north King Co.
6. Short paragraph about your tying experience.
I started tying by taking a class at my local fly shop about 12-13 years ago. I have tied all manner of flies, including salmon and steelhead for fresh and saltwater, but no longer fish or tie for them. So, now I mostly fish for trout in both streams and lakes and tie a broad range of patterns, both imitative and attractor. I participate in a group that meets once a month to share patterns and tie flies together.
Eric Hanson
1. How long have you been tying? - About 10 years
2. What style / type of flies are you interested in mentoring on? - I tie pretty much anything but have a fondness for streamers.
3. What experience level of tier are you willing to mentor? (1 - 10, 1 being a complete beginner) - Anyone who thinks I can teach them something. You're never good enough not to learn.
4. How are you willing to mentor? (face-to-face, online, both) - both
5. If face-to-face, where to do you live? - Hansville, North Kitsap
6. Short paragraph about your tying experience.
I started tying when I lived in the UK even before I knew how to fly fish. I had a friend who would basically buy me materials in exchange for flies. When I moved back to the states to MT, I half heartedly got into flyfishing but still kept tying. When I moved to SD, the flyfishing bug took hold and I was fishing every chance I could get, both stillwater and rivers. I then moved to WA and started my foray into saltwater flyfishing. I dabble in custom fly tying and used to do every swap I could. I'm basically self taught but have a sharp razor handy at all times.
Please feel free to PM them (click on their name for profile page) and initiate contact. In return, all that is required is a willingness to learn and a bit of effort on your part.
Mark Mercer
I've been tying about 30 years, I think? I've tied just about everything and tied commercially for about 9 years, small time just a few shops, mostly tied stillwater, steelhead and saltwater. Became interested in Spey and Dee flies at that time, I sold and fished them for steelhead and later got into the classic salmon flies. I've tied a few intruder type flies but don't really chase steel anymore so I've not tied a lot of newer patterns for them.
I'll help anyone who thinks I could help them, I would mostly be interested helping online but a face to face might be possible as well, I live in Port Orchard.
Bill Warner
1. How long have you been tying? I've been tying since about 1958. My ability was flat until I had a class about 1985-1990 and then things took an exponential jump. Now I can handle most flies but don't have the patience for salmon flies.
2. What style / type of flies are you interested in mentoring on? I'm mostly a sunken fly fisher so would be interested in mentoring nymphs, wet flies, soft hackles and emergers. I am also versed in dry flies but don't fish them much. Remember 85% of a fishes diet is below the surface.
3. What experience level of tier are you willing to mentor? (1 - 10, 1 being a complete beginner) I could mentor a beginner or early-intermediate but think once a person is a journeyman intermediate he/she is at my level.
4. How are you willing to mentor? (face-to-face, online, both) I can mentor face-to-face, on the water or online. This may require a blindfold to ensure secrecy of local public lakes.
5. If face-to-face, where to do you live? I'm in Moses Lake over in Grant county and have a lot of reasonably close local lakes to access. Also near Rocky Ford which I fished over 30 times in 2012 and caught fish there most trips.
6. Short paragraph about your tying experience. I'm basically self taught but had a couple of lessons about 25 years into my experience. The lessons caused me to destroy my earlier creations. I'd use the Drunken Dragon SBS as an example. Also my Mother's Day Caddis in the 2013 soft hackle swap. Those are two fly types listed above. Nymphs and soft hackles. I also do a fair amount of chironomids and have participated in previous swaps.
Richard Olmstead
1. How long have you been tying? - About 12-13 years
2. What style / type of flies are you interested in mentoring on? - I tie trout flies mainly; both still and moving water. Dries, nymphs, softhackles, streamers, are what I tie most, for fresh water mostly.
3. What experience level of tier are you willing to mentor? (1 - 10, 1 being a complete beginner) - Anyone with more than moderate skills probably won't be looking for a mentor, so I'll say 1-5)
4. How are you willing to mentor? (face-to-face, online, both) - both
5. If face-to-face, where to do you live? - Lake Forest Park, north King Co.
6. Short paragraph about your tying experience.
I started tying by taking a class at my local fly shop about 12-13 years ago. I have tied all manner of flies, including salmon and steelhead for fresh and saltwater, but no longer fish or tie for them. So, now I mostly fish for trout in both streams and lakes and tie a broad range of patterns, both imitative and attractor. I participate in a group that meets once a month to share patterns and tie flies together.
Eric Hanson
1. How long have you been tying? - About 10 years
2. What style / type of flies are you interested in mentoring on? - I tie pretty much anything but have a fondness for streamers.
3. What experience level of tier are you willing to mentor? (1 - 10, 1 being a complete beginner) - Anyone who thinks I can teach them something. You're never good enough not to learn.
4. How are you willing to mentor? (face-to-face, online, both) - both
5. If face-to-face, where to do you live? - Hansville, North Kitsap
6. Short paragraph about your tying experience.
I started tying when I lived in the UK even before I knew how to fly fish. I had a friend who would basically buy me materials in exchange for flies. When I moved back to the states to MT, I half heartedly got into flyfishing but still kept tying. When I moved to SD, the flyfishing bug took hold and I was fishing every chance I could get, both stillwater and rivers. I then moved to WA and started my foray into saltwater flyfishing. I dabble in custom fly tying and used to do every swap I could. I'm basically self taught but have a sharp razor handy at all times.