Ronn Lucas, Sr. is a master of his craft and has become an icon in Northwest Fly tying circles. Ronn is known for his artistic and exacting talents in dressing Speys and Atlantic Salmon flies, but he is just as fine a tyer of Steelhead and trout fies. Ronn provides exert advise and instruction as a writer for FAOL at How
to Dress Salmon Flies. I recommend visiting it if you are interested in learning from a master, but you can see some beautiful examples of his art here, many of them, his own creations. Ronn says about himself:
I was born in 1944 in Portland
Oregon, USA where I have lived for the most part. I have been a Dental
Technician for the better part of 40 years and, self employed for over 30 of
those years. Close and precision work is no stranger to me and, I was
blessed with "good hands" that have allowed me to create many things with
some degree of competence. I tied my first flies in the mid fifties in my
pre-teen years without a vise, bobbins or any of the tools and materials we
now enjoy. I didn?t even fish then but saw a lady tying in a large dept.
store commercially. I was amazed at what she did with bits of fur, feathers
and steel. I hung out there watching her for hours at every chance I could.
She taught me the basics of tying and even gave me some of her hooks and
materials to tie with.
My father wasn?t an outdoors person so, I didn?t have any early chances to
go fishing until I could make my way there on my own. Most of my fishing was
with bait and hardware but I still have some of my first flies and through
my fishing life, did use flies from time to time until about 20 or so years
ago when I pretty much switched to fly fishing exclusively. Also, during my
middle years, I got entirely away from tying flies. That changed when my
brother gave me a tying vise for a birthday gift. That began an obsession
for tying and collecting materials and, I haven?t looked back since. During
those years, I have collected many wonderful rare and hard to get materials
that I saved for "special tying".
Up until very recently, my tying was almost exclusively for Trout with some
Salmon & Steelhead tying mixed in. I have always
liked to tinker with established methods, styles and materials and tie only
when I want to and, for the pleasure it gives. My tying is almost a complete
experience for me and, I would probably do it even if I could no longer
fish. I have always looked at the Classic Atlantic Salmon Flies and Spey
Flies as works of art rather than merely "fishing lures". I?ve also envied
the Tyers who create them and the skills needed to tie them. So, with all of the materials I have and, age becoming a factor, I started
tying these wonderful flies this year (2000). I look at the materials as my
"paint" and, the hook as my "canvas". I don?t enjoy copying something
although I will. It?s creating something of my own (not that it?s never
been done before) that I enjoy. Some flies I tie only one of, and others many, just to get it "right". It doesn?t matter to me if a fishing fly takes
ten minutes to tie or ten hours, it?s the complete experience that I like.
I have developed several materials that I sell and, with a friend, have
begun to breed some of the rare Pheasants that are used in tying the
Atlantic?s. I am always happy to hear from other Tyers and, to pass on what
knowledge I may have to those who follow. It?s by passing on our knowledge
of tying that will preserve the heritage that was given to us that the
traditions and creativity will continue.
Happy Trails!
Ronn
rlucas@cybcon.com
