I was born into a fanatical fly fishing family and raised in the small town of Dalbeattie in Southwest Scotland. I started fishing with the proverbial garden cane, piece of wool and bent pin, catching Eels in the town water, the Barr burn. From there it was a natural and expected progression to fly fishing. I fished for Salmon, Trout and Sea Trout in the local Rivers, Urr, Nith and Annan, and many lochs and reservoirs in the region, and farther a field when I got older. Work, or rather the lack of it led me to where I am now, Basingstoke in England.
I started tying flies, to be honest I don’t know when, I think I’ve always tied. My first influences were the traditional Scottish wet flies, then with the introduction of the fly tying magazines I started tying the modern style of fly. In the early 1990’s I was to meet the man who influenced my fly tying more than anybody, my great friend Barrie Cook. He taught me to tie modern nymphs and dry’s for Stillwater’s and more importantly how to fish them more effectively.
In 2000 I moved to Basingstoke and discovered and fell in love with Chalk streams.
The flies I have selected are a mix of some of my favourites and a few of my own, which I hope you will enjoy.