Interview with realistic fly tier Fred Hannie Chris Schatte Fred, thank you for doing this interview with Fly Tiers Anonymous. A very diverse group of fly tiers and fly anglers. Thank you for including pictures for this interview! 1. To begin, could you give us some bio information on yourself? I am a dental technician by trade . I own a lab that produces full and partial dentures . Its a rewarding profession , we help people regain their smiles. Its my day job and I think it has a lot to do with how I approach fly tying. I was born and still reside in Lake Charles , La. where there is no shortage of fresh and saltwater fishing opportunities . I am a member of the IFFF Fly Tying Group and currently serve as a board member of the Gulf Coast Council of the IFFF . My flies have been feature in numerous magazines most notably the cover of Fly Tyer Magazine last Autumn. 2. As an artist, could you describe to us how you turn what you see into what you produce from your vise? I learned most of the techniques I use today from my late friend David Martin. He came up with these techniques in an attempt to tie realistic flies commercially . Its different than tying standard flies just as Atlantic salmon flies differ from Catskills dry flies. Just a different skill set. Not necessarily harder , just different . With the techniques I use I know how I will handle each part of the fly before I even start. 3. Could you give us your definition of fly tying? My definition of fly tying might surprise you. The frog that made the made the magazine cover, in my opinion is not a fly. It is a fly rod lure. In my opinion it is a lure that can be cast by a fly rod. A fly (once again , my opinion ) is bulk materials i.e.(hair,feathers,etc) tied to a hook for the purpose of catching fish with fly tackle. I dont believe fly tying is using pre made molded parts or epoxy to build and sculpt bug parts. I can mold and I can sculpt, but I dont call it fly tying. To me its a challenge to adhere to accepted fly tying practices and see just how far you can take it. 4. How did you become interested in fly fishing? I got interested in fly fishing watching two old men using popping bugs for bluegills and having a blast. It was by no means a scene from A river runs through it but these guys really worked that bed of bluegills over . 5. What is your favorite water to fish? I dont know if I can narrow it down to one favorite water to fish. I am very blessed to have a large stocked pond in my back yard. Its serves as my testing ground for new flies. I do love shallow water fishing though, whether its in a freshwater marsh for bass or a saltwater marsh for redfish. Clear shallow water tests all of your angling skills, boat positioning,presentation of the fly and so much more. It can be very rewarding or extremely frustrating. 6. Could you give us a step by step of tying a realistic fly? Please see pictures You will need a size # 20 straight eye hook ,6/0 white thread , flexible head cement , permanent markers and sizes 40,17 and 6 lb test monofilament. With the hook in the vise tie on with the white thread at the back 1/3 of the hook. Starting at the bend of the hook tie on a short piece of 40 lb mono. This will make up the abdomen and it will take up 2/3 of the hook from the bend to the eye. Notice I used a longer piece than needed for ease of handling. To each side of the 40 lb mono tie in 2 equal pieces of 17 lb mono to either side and wrap with thread. Color the thread for the abdomen and coat with flexible head cement. Tie in three pieces of 6 lb mono for the ant legs. Make sure to leave room between the legs and the eye of the hook for the ant’s head. Build up the head with thread wraps to about half the size you want the finished head. Add a piece of 6lb test to each side of the head for antennae. Finish building the head and color with permanent marker and coat with head cement. Whip finish and heat kink the legs into a natural pose using a warm bodkin or needle. 7. What is your favorite fly to tie? Of all the flies I tie I enjoy tying honey bees the most. I just really like bees. I catch more fish on other flies (especially my grass shrimp) but there is something about honey bees I cant explain . 8. Your cover photo on Fly Tyer Magazine of last Fall, could you give us some background on this? The editor of the magazine had contacted me and asked if I could do an article with a bunch of photos of the frog he had seen for the summer edition. He then followed that email with another informing me I had less than a week for the contents of the article to reach him. So the article was done at break neck speed and was shipped overnight to arrive in time. The summer edition came and there was no frog article. There were also no response to phone calls or emails. I thought that my writing skills or photography must not have been of magazine quality and they had passed on the article. My life away from fly tying had gotten extremely busy over the next few months and I hadnt thought about the article too much , when I got a congratulatory email from a friend in North Carolina about making the cover. Shortly after I was contacted by the magazine to sign a contract for the article. I was taken by surprise to say the least. Fred, thank you for taking the time for this interview. We appreciate your time! https://facebook/fred.hannie?fref=ts&ref=br_tf Check out Freds web site here: realisticflytying.net/index.html
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 01:30:27 +0000
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