Fly tying demonstrations

This activity will take place in a special fly tying mall.  An opportunity to watch some of Scotland’s best fly tyers in action and to ask questions. Come along and see how it is done.

Junior Come and Try

A feature of this marquee this year will include a junior come and try where youngster will get an opportunity to design and make their own fly or lure under the supervision of a professional.  A daily prize will be given to the junior who is judged to have made the most fishable looking fly of any style.  This prize is also sponsored by Fish Pal.

This year we are anticipating 8 -10 tyers over the weekend and the names include:

Peter McCallum

I’ve been fly tying now for over 50 years originally living in central Scotland my first love is fishing for wild brown trout and tying flies for them.

Having started fishing on the river Clyde and its tributaries I have a passion for Clyde style patterns, their sparse dressings make them effective for picky trout. I also enjoy fishing in the north west of Scotland in lochs and tying flies which work there, as well as for salmon on my local rivers.

I have tyed for many years at the game fair as well as other fly fairs.

Graham Forbes

I started fishing aged 14 on the river Eden in Fife for wild brownies. Moving to Inverness with work opened my eyes to salmon fishing and I now enjoy nothing better than fishing my favourite salmon beats on the river Thurso.

I have tyed flies for nearly 40 years and love nothing better than spending a winters evening pottering at the vice. I have a passion for tying salmon flies.

2022 saw me go back to trout fishing and fly fishing for pike is on my list for the future.

Conan Fyvie

I have fished for wild trout since I was 5 years old…Thanks to my late dad who passed on his love of the sport.

When fly fishing came along it was traditional Loch style… Tripping the Bob fly from the boat in a nice wave.

Wet and dry flies are my favourite flies to work on although in the last ten years or so this has developed into predator patterns for pike and salt water species.

Allan Liddle

In Allan’s words – ‘I’m of an age when most boys went fishing in the summer holidays from school and I simply stuck with it.’

Initially Allan started with bait but soon progressed to fly fishing around the age of 12.  After moving north to Moray from Edinburgh area at the age of 20 Allan bought his first tying kit a Veniard Deluxe Kit. Since that Christmas he hasn’t looked back.

Allan fishes regularly on rivers, dry, nymph, wet and streamer for trout (occasionally grayling), occasionally salmon / sea trout as well as salt water: sea trout in estuaries and open sea.

Being surrounded by wild lochs: wild trout on all methods from dry through wet fly and sunk line tactics for wild brown trout, salmon and sea trout on boat, bank and float tube.

Allan also fly fishes for pike on occasion.  Stillwaters for stocked fish is another style of fly fishing he does regularly covering all methods from boat and bank.

Bart Reitsma

My name is Bart Reitsma. I have been introduced to fly fishing and fly tying in the early 90s. It has never let me go.

I am an all-rounder and fish in many countries, but also in the Netherlands, for roach, ide, pike and perch. If possible, I look for running water, trout and grayling are my favourites.

When tying flies, I like variety and will tye almost anything. I especially like tying functional flies. Flies that catch fish and are easy to tye.

I enjoy doing tying demos at fairs and when visiting clubs. I’m not sure yet what I want to show you, but I think I will certainly show you how to twist and hackle different materials.

Archie Ferguson

Former Scottish Anglers National Association (SANA) President, founding Director of Angling Scotland Ltd, international angler with multiple caps and occasional angling author, Archie has been fly fishing and fly tying from the age of thirteen.

His passion for the sport grows daily, and he prides himself in the notion that he still knows too little to give up learning just yet.

Melvyn Wood

The fly-fishing bug engulfed me about twenty-five years ago when I was in my mid-thirties and like many other fly anglers from the industrial north of England, I started my journey on small stocked still waters, fishing for rainbow trout. My fly tying started at this juncture, tying lures and buzzers. I soon became involved in the competition scene which changed my interest to large still waters, fishing lough style. I was lucky enough to be a member of the 2002 England lough style team. In 2001 I was invited to fish in Ireland. This event changed my life.

I now have a great love for Ireland, its people, its wild brownies and the sea trout. I have fished all over Ireland from Carrane in Kerry, Corrib and Inagh in Mayo, Sheelin in Cavan and Arrow in Sligo. Whenever I fish in Ireland, I never want to come home and incorporate a lot of Irish style and blend colours in to my flies which are now often influenced by the Irish style. I also fish all over Scotland from Perthshire to the Outer Hebrides and Orkney. I have also salmon fished in Norway.

As far as the fly tying goes, I tye all types of flies. From classic salmon flies – which I have a love hate relationship with – to the simplest of lures. My passion is for tying lough flies in the Irish style. I am also a member of two branches of the fly dressers guild – Pendle and Leeds and in Leeds I also teach the beginners class which is something I really enjoy.

I was also involved in my local Rivers Trust Board and set up the invertebrate monitoring section which hosted seventy members at its peak. I am also a Riverfly trainer and have trained over one hundred volunteers.

Ken Oliver

Former Scottish International Angler Ken has many ‘caps’ as well as a host of other major competition success over the years.

A qualified Instructor, coach and guide, Ken has a wealth of knowledge and experience within fly fishing and fly tying.

Ken has demonstrated at many shows and has appeared at the Scottish Game Fair many times in the past.