Imposters - The Flies We Fish And The Fish They Catch
Skip Morris
Fly Fisher/Fly Tier/Author
★ ★ ★ ★ ★Skip and Carol Ann Morris are well known in the fly fishing world and they have stories to tell... Their latest book Imposters takes us on a trip of colorful fly fishing experiences blending stories, insights, history and instruction all based on those imposters at the end of our lines. Join us on what will be a fun as well as enlightening episode as they share those experiences with us.
Just a few of the questions asked and answered during the interview:
- How did the idea come about for you book Imposters and how did you decide to work together on it?
- The title of the book is Imposters. At the most basic level, what are we really asking a fish to believe when we put an artificial fly in front of it?
- Could you provide some insight into how flies which appear to represent nothing in nature seem to catch fish like crazy?
- Fly tiers can become obsessed with making a fly look exactly like the insect they're imitating. How much does anatomical accuracy really matter to the fish?
- The two of you checked the dimensions of your fly drawings with a draftsman's divider so the tails, wings, hackles, thoraxes, and other components would have correct proportions. Why was that level of accuracy important to you, and how difficult is it to draw a fly accurately enough that a fly tier could actually learn from the illustration?
- Do you find that when drawing a fly it forces you to notice details about its proportions, materials, or construction that even the person tying it might overlook?
- In "The Promise, the Beaver, and the Branch," an apparently insignificant piece of water turns out to be much better than you expected. What can that experience teach us about learning to read water without prejudging it?
- Your chapter-opening illustrations don't simply show flies; they often combine the fly with fish, insects, anglers, wildlife, or scenes from the essay. For example, the opening illustration for "The Promise, the Beaver, and the Branch" brings together the trout, beaver, insect, branch, and fly. How do you decide which elements of Skip's story should become the visual story?
- Carol Anne because you're illustrating something Skip knows intimately as both a tier and fisherman, what is the collaboration like? Does Skip ever look over your shoulder and say, "That hackle is too long," or do you have artistic veto power?
- I am a new fly tyer, what pattern is a good start for me for an imposter pattern?
- The Guest Box includes everything from chironomid pupae to Booby Flies and your Predator. Is it more useful for an angler to organize a fly box around specific insects or around how and where the flies will be fished?
- Carol Ann you've spent a lot of time fishing with Skip as well as illustrating his books. Has being an artist changed the way you observe things when you're on the water—the insects, fish, light, vegetation, or other details that the rest of us might walk right past?
- How should an angler change the fly and presentation when trout appear to be taking insects trapped in or just below the surface film?
