The Flies of William Lovelace

The name strikes true for Oregon fly tyer and fly fisherman William Lovelace who obviously has a great love for tying and a passion for the art of putting together the materials of fur and feathers. Bill is a bit modest about his ability as a tyer, but you will see from his flies that he is very talented indeed. I think that we are all very fortunate to have him as one of the newest contributors to Salmonfly.Net, not only for his ability to tie beautiful and useful flies, but also for his ability to teach the art to others. You will see what I mean. Read on about what Bill has to say about himself, but don't miss the opportunity to view his flies.

I honestly can’t tell you whether I started to learn to fish or learn to walk first. This early 50’s picture can give you an idea of my fishing roots. I have been fortunate to grow up in a place like Oregon which lends itself to great opportunities for a fly fisher. I started tying trout flies in 1959 when I was about ten years old. My real introduction to Steelhead flies came just after college in 1973 when I purchased a 9 foot 9 Wt. Custom Fenwick 4 piece fiberglass steelhead outfit from Cascade Tackle Company in Roseburg, Oregon. It came ready for the North Umpqua right down to the Skunk (Polar Bear) on the end of the leader. A year and one small steelhead later I was working back again in Eastern Oregon, fishing mainly for trout near my hometown. Dams on the rivers have long blocked steelhead from my home waters but every so often I get a chance to chase steelhead in other Oregon rivers.

In the mid 80’s I was fortunate enough to start visiting Dave McNeese’s fly shop in Salem, Oregon while seeing my in-laws. This led to a renewed interest in the art of steelhead flies and a growing supply of excellent tying materials. Some of my early steelhead inspiration came out of my limited time there with Dave, John Shewey and other Flyfishers. This fine steelhead tradition (showcasing talented tyers and fine materials) is carried on in the same place today by Rich Youngers.

But if I had to say where I have gotten the most inspiration, it has been at numerous fly tying Expos here in the Pacific Northwest. I have been like a kid in a candy factory attending the NW Flytyers Expo here in Oregon since 1997. The first time I watched David Barlow tie an Orange Heron (& he gave me a Carron) I was really hooked on expanding my knowledge of Traditional Salmon and contemporary Steelhead flies. I owe most of my tyers inspiration to watching and talking with amazing people like McNeese , Shewey, Youngers, Barlow, Alec Jackson, Dr. David Burns, Harry Lemire, 2 Jeff Smiths, and others too numerous to mention in Oregon and Idaho shows. Most of my flies are tied to throw but tying for show can enable you to learn so much no matter what side of the table you are sitting on.

After 50 years of fly-fishing, each day I enjoy learning more about the sport and the art of fly-tying. After enjoying this site for many years it is a pleasure to become a part of it. The net is an incredible aid for fly-tying that my wildest dreams couldn’t have pictured 50 years ago.

Happy feather bending!

William Lovelace

Submitted - December 2014

		Delfur Fancy Spey	Glen Grant Spey
Submitted September 11, 2011
	Carey Special	CDL Soft Hackle	CP&O Soft Hackle	Fiery Brown Variant
		Rusty Bum Variant

Prior Submissions

Green Butt Skunk Series

The Green Butt Skunk was originated by the late Dan Callaghan for Oregon's North Umpqua and has been one of the most widely used of all Steelhead flies for all Northwest rivers. Bill tied the following variations of the popular fly to teach how varying the materials and tying techniques for the same fly can change its properties and uses for different conditions. Click on the picture to bring you to the 12 flies in this series.

Arctic Angel Series

Bill writes about this series of flies, "I am calling this series of flies Arctic Angels due to their primary ingredients Arctic Fox wings and bodies and tails made out of Angelina fibers otherwise known to tiers as Ice Dubbing." Click on the individual flies for the recipe.

Spade Series

Traditional Steelhead Flies

Bill's Fly Box Marabou Series

All That Glitters is Not Gold Series

More Steelhead Flies

You can find many more of the flies of William Lovelace in his articles and presentations for this site:

"What Can I Say About These Blondes"

"A Day on Puget Sound, Sea-Run Cutthroat, and Salt Water Flies"

"Favorite Flies for Pink Salmon"

Tube Flies on a Tube Steak Budget!

Favorite Flies, Fly Shops, and Rivers

The Electric Soft Hackle

My Doubles for the Rogue River