Video: Keeping the Ancient—and Secretive—Art of Fly Tying Alive
Master fly tyer and alum Scott Biron meticulously creates flies by hand
Keeping the Ancient—and Secretive—Art of Fly Tying Alive
Keeping the Ancient—and Secretive—Art of Fly Tying Alive
They come in patterns of brilliant reds and yellows, aqua blues, and soft grays and have evocative names, like Commander, Brookie’s Regret, and Gray Ghost. We’re talking about the flies that Scott Biron meticulously creates by hand to be used in fly fishing—and each one is as colorful, intricate, and unique as any painted canvas.
“Fly fishing and fly tying are ancient arts,” says Biron (Wheelock’79), who retired in 2017 after 20 years in physical education and coaching and is now a master fly tyer. “References to fly fishing appear as early as 200 AD. In the United States, there are references to Native Americans tying feathers to hooks that were fashioned out of bone.”
These days, fly tyers still use feathers—along with synthetic and natural materials like animal hair and fur, thread, and wire—in their flies, which are meant to imitate the various insects that fish like to eat.
It’s a secretive art, Biron says, and fly tyers have been known to take their patterns to the grave.
But Biron is working to keep the tradition alive. The New London, N.H., resident learned to tie flies and fly fish in the 1960s; in 2017, he was awarded a New Hampshire Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant to study fly tying. Today, he’s a fly-tying instructor for New Hampshire Fish and Game, and he teaches classes, writes, speaks, and conducts demonstrations around the world.
“There are so many of these historic fly tyers,” he says, “and a lot of this history was passed down [by] word of mouth. So, I’ve tried to go back and recreate their patterns and really educate people about them before no one remembers any of it.”
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