The item in my mailbox those many years ago arrived in a plain brown wrapper. Its contents were of a different nature entirely.
The fly box that Dave Whitlock sent for no apparent reason other than charity contained the most dazzling array of streamers one could imagine, including the three pictured here.
That they were tied by the man often regarded as the nation’s most talented fly-fisher added considerable cachet to a collection that I have kept like diamonds. Whitlock, who will demonstrate his mastery for spinning deer hair and other tying tricks at The Fly Fishing Show next weekend, has accumulated a staggering list of credits during a long lifetime of innovation.
He has written four books and co-authored several others, along with so many magazine articles he long ago lost count. The Oklahoma native popularized the concept of fly-fishing for alternative species, notably those in warm water. He also invented the Whitlock-Vibert Box System, an egg incubator that facilitates the introduction of wild salmonids into unique habitats.
But it is his artistic achievements, both in fly-tying and illustrations, that earn him particular note.
With Umpqua Feather Merchants, Whitlock was the first to participate in a contract tying arrangement; his signature patterns have become standards of the industry.
Show goers will see his skill on display in the Fly Tying Theater at 1:15 p.m. Friday and 1:45 p.m. Saturday.
Charlie Meyers, The Denver Post
