My name is Jim Ford and I’m a hopelessly obsessed angler. I’ve been fishing since the 1950s. I’ve fished small streams for trout. I’ve trolled offshore for pelagic giants. And I’ve fished pretty much everything in between, in the United States and abroad. Most of the species I’ve caught, I’ve caught on flies. The first tarpon I ever caught, I caught on a fly. That was a milestone event for a teenaged kid in south Florida in the early sixties.
I enjoy fishing with my levelwind reels, and I always have fun when I’m throwing my light or ultralight spinning rigs. But my preferred method of angling is with the fly rod. Catching bass and sunfish on my 2 weight rod is a hoot! Redfish and trout on my 5 weight or my 7 weight are what I live for. And a big jack or bull red on my 10 weight off the jetties will give me sore muscles and great memories that last a long time.
As much as I enjoy fishing and catching fish with my fly rods, the experience just isn’t complete unless I use flies that I’ve tied myself. Tying flies is an obsession in itself, and whenever I get bored at home I invariably end up at the vise. I’ve never been a technical tier; I tie whatever I feel will catch fish, and I make no effort to exactly duplicate standard patterns. After all, tying flies should be as much fun as fishing them, and I follow my whims when I tie my flies. I enjoy myself. Because that’s what it’s really all about, isn’t it? |
