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Swedish tyer Petru Dima has been fly fishing for Atlantic Salmon and other fish in the North Atlantic since he was a young child. He has a passion for it and a passion for tying the flies to catch them. It is derived from a deep respect for the fish and the art of tying. The first time I saw one of his flies I couldn't believe it. It was a beautiful creation but at the same time rugged. It looked like it could really take fish. But what made it truly unique was the body. Petru had developed a braiding technique that adds both beauty and strength. Petru will tell you that it looks difficult (and it does), but he says it really is not. He ties his flies for fishing, and they work. The braided body adds durability that outlasts other flies and can take the beating of repeated strikes. I asked Petru to send a short bio and this is what he said.

I started fishing very early in life. I became a member of a local sport fishing club when I was 8 years old. Now I have children twice as old. In Sweden I fly fish for sea trout, salmon, pike, brown trout, grayling, and perch ... but if I must pick one fishing style, it is for Atlantic salmon. It is my favorite, not because is easy, on the contrary, because is hard and unpredictable. Each year I wait with anxiety for the time when these wonderful fish are coming up the Norwegian rivers. In the winter, I am preparing my flies for my trips to the Norwegian rivers for Salmon or to the Swedish Baltic for sea trout or salmon. All winter I am dreaming of the summer time and planning my trips to new or known fishing waters.

My new method to tie salmon fly body is simple but for an outsider it locks complicated. To braid is not something new and revolutionary, but the application is new. I had spent years testing several other methods, but in the last winter, one evening in front of my computer, the word "Braiding" came to me. I started to do some searches on the Internet and I found some information. The next day, I started to test. Yes! It was working and the results were not too bad. So I needed just to improve the technique. Now you can see here some results of my struggle to learn the secrets of braiding. The bodywork is very nice, and after this season I found that they are very strong as well.

Each time I tie a fly with this method, I get new ideas about new ways to combine colors, materials and braiding techniques. It is a very creative way to spend free time because it is dark half of the year here in Scandinavia. I am tying my these flies not to show off. They are fishing flies. But I like to fish with nice flies. Is a way to pay respect for these fantastic fishes from the North Atlantic Sea. It is my way to tie salmon flies!

All the best to you,
Petru
braided-flies@swipnet.se