Who comes to mind when you think of fly tying celebs?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Did I mention that we are having a big fly tying event at Kiene's American Fly Fishing Company in Sacramento on October 15, 2016, Saturday, with about 20 good fly tiers and Henry Hoffman, who pretty much started the raising of genetic chicken for hackles.

[Lance Gray]

Bill you will get a kick out of this.

Denton during WW2 was in the air force. He was LT at first then retired as a Captain. His first assignment was to teach bomber gunners how to shoot at and hit other aircraft during bombing runs. So he took them out and taught them how to trap shoot and then he taught them to skeet shoot and then he put in the airplane and had them shoot at moving targets. The targets were guys in a trench with a big balloon running down the trench as they fired at the balloon. Then he took them up in the plane to shoot. They didn't give live targets until they actually where in battle.

Great Man! Yes part of the greatest generation.

Good Lance...

I knew Denton Hill too because he was a serious fly fisher and fly tier but was also very involved in the motorcycle world of the Greatest Generation. He was friends with Sacramento's old Harley dealer, Armando Magri.

Denton was connected with Fishing International travel in Santa Rosa so he took Armado to many nice exotic destinations fly fishing.

.

[aaron]

I never realized Quigley's reach until I left CA, his bugs are still probably some of the most popular in the Northern Rockies over any other individual tier and work just about everywhere. Rene Harrop belongs on the list. Hogan listed a lot of younger guys doing cool stuff. Hard to leave Mike Mercer of the list as well.

[flyfshrmn]

Hey Bill,

For guys who are both celebrities and have truly influenced the sport: John Barr, Charlie Craven, and Kelly Galloup, all of them both creative and innovative tiers whose flies and the techniques for fishing them have changed how we fish. I would also add Norm Norlander to the list, not so much for his tying skills, but for his creation and perfection of the NorVise.

bg

[Bruce Slightom]

I think of Sid Glasso who introduced spey style flies to the west coast. Jerry French used the Glasso's flies for inspiration to come up with the Intruder. The Intruder changed steelhead flies dramatically.

[Mr T]

Joe Kimsey tied some very effective flies for the upper sac for sure.

[Hogan Brown]

aaron...good call man Quigley and Mercer are masters and are/were super humble guys that are/were willing to share their knowledge, ideas, and skills with anyone.

[pgw]

Polly Rosborough & Cal Bird...I had the honor to know both and learn from each of them. At one of the Ed Rice Shows (ISE) that was held in SF in the mid 80s, Polly "ordered" me to sit at his booth and tie flies while he found a restroom, when he came back he was upset that I hadn't tied at least a dozen so he left to walk around leaving me with orders to tie enough flies for him to sell.

[Carl Blackledge]

I knew Polly in the late 80's and early 90's when he lived in a trailer across the street from Judy's little fly shop on the Williamson river in southern Oregon, soon after he died, Bob Quigley moved into Judy's up stairs apartment and tied flies and fished. Talk about the old days.

Carl Blackledge

[SpecialK]

Two guys I have learned from at shows that are amazing tiers are Wayne Luallen and Steven Fernandez. Wayne Luallen's techniques are flawless. Both are very patient teachers as well. Oh, and nice guys too.

Mike Lawson is another that has not yet been mentioned.