The Artisans
Meet Our Tiers
36 artisan fly tiers across 10 American fishing regions. Hall of Famers, Orvis Signature Tyers, published authors, and regional legends — every one hand-tying flies for the waters they call home.
Showing 36 tiers
Jonathan Farmer
Midnight Sun Custom Flies
Anchorage, AK
Jonathan ties over 120 flies per week from his bench in Anchorage, each one designed for the specific runs and species of Alaska's untamed rivers. Featured in Fish Alaska Magazine and Flylords.
Brad Elfers
Alaska Fly Fishing Goods
Juneau, AK
AFFG carries the largest Alaska-specific fly selection anywhere — because Brad believes the patterns should be as wild as the water they're fished on.
John Kreft
RiverKeeper Flies
Sisters, OR
Fifty years on the Metolius River. Over 200 patterns. John was recognized by American Fly Fishing magazine as a master at the bench — and he shows no signs of slowing down.
Michael Bennett
Pacific Fly Fishers
Mill Creek, WA
Twenty-plus years designing guide-tested patterns for the Pacific Northwest's most demanding waters. Every PFF Custom Fly starts with a conversation about where you fish.
Ben Hintz
Ben Hintz Fly Tying
Portland, OR
A product designer by trade and a steelhead addict by choice. Ben's winter Spey patterns blend engineering precision with the soul of Pacific Northwest fly culture.
Chris Krueger
Rocky Mountain Fly Design
Fort Collins, CO
Chris ties every fly to order from his bench in Fort Collins — no factory batches, no imported hooks. His signature series and transparent pricing ($2.50–$4 per fly) have earned a loyal following.
Andy Carlson
Bitterroot Anglers
Hamilton, MT
Andy's Purple Haze pattern went national through Montana Fly Company — but his best work stays tied to the Bitterroot Valley he calls home.
Satoshi Yamamoto
Lefty Angler & Flies
Livingston, MT
A published author and pro staff tier for Regal Vise and Whiting Farms, Satoshi approaches fly tying with scientific precision. His spring creek close imitations are works of technical art.
Colorado Fly Supply
Colorado Fly Supply
Colorado
Guide-curated assortments built for Colorado's world-class trout waters. Already proven across Etsy and their own storefront — marketplace-experienced from day one.
Nick Vlahos
Sandbar Flies
Louisiana
Orvis Signature Tier. Fulling Mill designer. Nick's redfish flies are born in the Louisiana marsh and tested on fish that don't suffer fools. His multi-channel presence has made Sandbar Flies a Gulf Coast institution.
Steven & Alan Kulcak
Sight Cast Fishing Co.
Houston, TX
Since 2012, Sight Cast has grown from a two-man operation into a wholesale force — flies, apparel, and materials, all built for the Texas inshore angler.
Dr. Kevin Burdette
Forgotten Coast Fly Co.
Apalachicola, FL
A PhD geologist turned fly tier. Kevin already curates multiple artisan tyers through his Forgotten Coast Fly Co. — brick-and-mortar meets online, with a deep commitment to the Florida Panhandle fly scene.
Josh Smitherman
Josh Smitherman
Round Rock, TX
Umpqua Signature Tyer and instructor at Living Waters Fly Fishing. Josh bridges the gap between Gulf Coast salt and Texas Hill Country freshwater like nobody else.
Kevin Howell
Davidson River Outfitters
Pisgah Forest, NC
Third-generation tier. 2006 Fly Fishing Masters World Champion. Southern Fly Fishing Hall of Fame inductee. Umpqua Signature Tyer. Five published books. Kevin's patterns carry the knowledge of three lifetimes spent on the Davidson River.
Harry Murray
Murray's Fly Shop
Edinburg, VA
Sixty-three years in business. Seventeen books. Over 30,000 flies in stock. Harry Murray is less a fly tier and more a living encyclopedia of Appalachian fly fishing.
Chris Perot
Focus Fly Co.
Charleston, SC
Charleston's Lowcountry is Chris's home water. His redfish patterns are designed for the flats and marshes that define South Carolina's saltwater fly scene.
Drew Chicone
Salty Fly Tying
Fort Myers, FL
2023 Fly Tyer of the Year. Two-time IFTD Best in Show. Umpqua Signature Tyer. Three published books. Drew Chicone is the standard by which American saltwater fly tying is measured.
Dan Johnson
Custom Saltwater Flies
Camden, ME
A retired teacher based in Camden, Maine. Demand exceeds supply — the mark of a true craftsman. Dan's made-to-order saltwater flies are wholesaled through Salt Fly Pro and trusted by serious anglers.
Capt. Paul Fisicaro
Strip Strike Charters
Marathon, FL Keys
Twenty-six years guiding the Florida Keys. His Strong Arm Crab pattern is a Keys original, designed for the permit and bonefish flats he knows by heart.
Dave Skok
The Angling Company
Boston, MA
Dave ties 'working art' — each fly is a one-of-a-kind creation exclusive to The Angling Company. His saltwater patterns bridge the gap between functional tool and collectible craft.
Ben Whalley
Ben Whalley Fishing
Portland, ME
Full-time tier since 2022. Scientific Anglers ambassador. Ben's striper flies have been featured in Down East Magazine — all tied in Maine.
Joe Fox & Kelly Buchta
Dette Flies
Livingston Manor, NY
The oldest family fly tying lineage in America, since 1928. Dette Flies is the Catskill Mountains in thread and feather — nearly a century of tradition tied into every pattern.
Alan Caolo
Alan Caolo
Massachusetts
Thirty-plus years tying for New England's salt. Alan's Magic Squid pattern has fooled more false albacore than most anglers will ever cast to.
Isaac Niblack & Rowan Confrey
New England Fly Company
Portland, ME
Every fly tied in-house. No offshoring. No exceptions. Founded by Isaac Niblack and Rowan Confrey, the New England Fly Company's anti-factory ethos matches the waters they tie for — wild, independent, and genuine.
Greg Schultz
Schultz Outfitters
Ypsilanti, MI
Resident fly tying expert at Schultz Outfitters (founded by Mike Schultz, 2003). Orvis Fly Tier of the Year (2008). Greg's steelhead, trout, and smallmouth patterns are trusted across Michigan's Great Lakes tributaries.
Tony Sandrone
Nightmare Musky Flies
Great Lakes Region
A two-person artisan operation with proprietary materials and premium pricing that musky anglers gladly pay. Tony's flies are nightmares for fish and dreams for predator hunters.
Dan & Jenn Donovan
Musky Fool
Waunakee, WI
R.L. Winston ambassadors. Featured on the Wet Fly Swing podcast. The Donovans live and breathe musky — and their flies prove it every day on Wisconsin's trophy waters.
Dan Pribanic
Chagrin River Outfitters
Chagrin Falls, OH
Eighteen-plus years on Ohio's Steelhead Alley. Dan's patterns are refined through deep knowledge of Ohio's Lake Erie tributaries and surrounding waters.
Mat Wagner
Driftless Angler
Viroqua, WI
Twenty-plus years as the Driftless region's authority. Featured in The Drake and Chicago Magazine. Mat's patterns are as quietly effective as the spring creeks they're designed for.
Rich Osthoff
Rich Osthoff
Western WI
Three published books and a lifetime on the Driftless spring creeks. Rich ties commercially through Rainy's Flies — patterns born from methodical observation and patient innovation.
B. Smolinski
Lund's Fly Shop & Misfit Fly Co.
River Falls, WI
Over 2,000 flies in stock at any time. Featured in The Drake's 'Fly Shop Friday' series. The Misfit Fly Co. name says it all — patterns that break the mold and catch fish.
John Rohmer
Arizona Fly Fishing / Riverborn Flies
AZ White Mountains
Forty-plus year career. Invented Simi Seal dubbing. Co-author of fly tying reference books. John's influence on American fly tying extends far beyond the Southwest he calls home.
Kris Bare
AZ Fly Shop
Phoenix, AZ
Shop manager at the only fly shop in Phoenix (founded by Chris Rich). Carp Rally founder. Featured on the Wet Fly Swing podcast. Kris is Phoenix's leading urban carp and canal fly fishing advocate.
Taylor Streit
Taos Fly Shop
Taos, NM
Fifty-year legend. Published author. Catskill-trained but desert-hardened. Taylor's patterns for the Rio Grande, San Juan, and Pecos rivers carry half a century of Southwest wisdom.
Tyler Vanosdell
Mission Bay Fly Fishing Co.
San Diego, CA
Sandy Moret school graduate turned SoCal surf specialist. Tyler's corbina and halibut patterns are designed for a fishery that most fly anglers don't even know exists.
Phil Rowley
Stillwater Fly Fishing Store
Edmonton, AB, Canada
Phil invented the Balanced Leech — an internationally recognized pattern for stillwater fishing. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, he co-owns Stillwater Fly Fishing Store with Brian Chan and is a leading authority on chironomid and stillwater techniques worldwide.