Daniel Dufour - Amqui, Quebec
 |
| Daniel
Dufour & La Variée |
 |
|
When the
salmon are in season and Daniel Dufour wants to test a new fly
from his vise, he heads for the nearby Matapedia River. But
that’s just for working flies, since few of Dufour’s
artistic, feather-wing patterns ever see water. Most of those
creations, such as La Variée, are destined for exhibition
or private collections. Although Dufour began tying flies in
1971, it wasn’t until 1986 that he sent his first fly to
the FQSA Salmon Fly Tying World Championship. A year later he
had his first gold medal, and seven more medals have since followed.
In recognition of his extraordinary skills, the FQSA made Dufour
its first—and to date only—Grand Master in 1995. Interestingly,
his artistic use of feathers is not restricted to conventional
flies. Dufour has also crafted a cross, an airplane and what
may be the world’s largest feathered fly—a three-foot-long,
nine-pound creation. From this master of the vise, you never
know what to expect.
Rob
Solo - Corner Brook, Newfoundland
 |
| Hair
Hackle Black Cosseboom |
|
Tying on
one of guide Rob Solo’s salmon patterns instantly instills
confidence, particularly when casting to the big kahunas of
Newfoundland’s Humber River. These flies, after all, have
landed hundreds of salmon topping 20 pounds. A fly-fisherman
since age eight and a tier by the time he turned 14, Solo has
been gathering kudos for his expertise
at the vise for more than two decades. In 1991, for example,
he was named the Atlantic Salmon Federation’s Fly-tier
of the Year, but perhaps the biggest honour came four years
later when he was inducted into the FQSA’s Hall of Fame
as a Master Tyer. Solo, 43, has also hosted an award-winning
television program on fly fishing, and he’s been commissioned
to create commemorative flies for Canadian Airlines and the
Newfoundland government, among others. A Solo favourite is his
innovative Hair Hackle Black Cosseboom, which uses hair for
the hackle instead of the traditional feather. It’s perfectly
proportioned, durable and effective—the trademarks that
make Solo the master he is.
|
