COMMENTARY

John Betts

The cover on our most recent issue; beyond its normal excellence in both concept and execution, may serve a purpose other than that which is most immediate and obvious. Unless noted otherwise the assumption could be made that the background was some variety of material available in sheet form for use on flies like the one shown. Judith Dunham's two books were the first major works in my experience to display flies against non-traditional backgrounds - e.g. Hans deGroot's work on top of a glass of Scottish whiskey and again over empty bottles.

Relaxing the grip of traditional backgrounds made up of blue, some other color or something Sylvan, has allowed this viewer to regard flies from another perspective. Each quarter The Salmon Flyer originates from a non-traditional source and provides a different point from which to view the subject.

I did not enter the last challenge, (last year's Michel's Challenge - Ed.) quite sure that my proficiency is easily the clumsiest to be found in the entire membership of one hundred and eleven. Compounding my technical deficiency is, what is in all likelihood, the worst of any stock of tying materials. By the next issue some of that - the entering part - will change.

A fascinating aspect of the first challenge was the variety of technique to be found in the submissions. All the tyers had the same instructions, same deadline, worked independently and started with a hook. The differences would have been apparent to the most naive of the uninitiated. This is one of the advantages of a blind challenge not found in "competitions" (the latter are the most deplorable of reasons to do one's best. Who would have won and by what criteria?).

Had all but one of those flies been destroyed before they were seen and all being the first examples of that dressing, the survivor would have been declared "definitive". The same could have been said had fortune smiled and not frowned on any one of the others. Given the lack of similarity and equal chances of any one surviving, what do we use to determine "definitive" and therefore the direction of orthodoxy? Orthodoxy in this case would be determined by chance or default and that is not sufficient. Are the standard fly fishing/tying publications the way to be travelled and the path we should take, or are they instead just other avenues of approach? If this is so, then our publication is as valid as theirs. Did they freely choose their way or did they go there because of a lack of conviction. "Fly Fisherman" was unique and original as the "Fly Tyer". The joiner has only recently emerged from the doldrums with a new art director. The old "Fly 'Tyer" has changed for the better - foundering being the only alternative - and became a lively, energetic youngster. It has also traded its unique (and now lethal) format for one that bears a greater resemblance to the rest of the family. To survive as something that management wanted to get bigger, larger revenues were essential. I don't see that getting bigger has ever been part of The Salmon Flyer's reason for existing. Increasing the overhead and therefore the break-even point just isn't necessary for our continued existence.

Though a very minor player in an industry that grows larger by the hour, I often hear about someone "stealing" someone else's ideas, livelihood and immortality. Granted it does happen but a lot less than one would imagine. Even though the ingredients may be the same, the mark of an individual on his or her work cannot be duplicated by others - e.g. the last "challenge" and our magazine. Individuality is diluted when one begins to assume some of the trappings of tradition for no clear reason beyond cashing in on it, and even then the job will only be approximate.

The Salmon Flyer is far and away my favorite publication. If it reaches the end of its natural life in October, I shall be grateful for all that has been given me and I will sorely miss its future. I type poorly and do not possess a computer. I am, however, a good folder. If someone can provide the pieces I'll be glad to do the pasting, folding, stapling and sending. This I'll do as long as the circulation doesn't go much over 200 and the size remains the same or nearly so. From there on I'll need help.

Our publication stands before a background of what others do. No one runs it in the sense that there is a management team. No one is bustling about "upping revenues" and possibly taking on work which might otherwise be of no interest. What we don't need on our inside cover is a four color masterpiece of the latest graphite to the Nth Super Belchfire Masterpiece that comes in 12 interchangeable sections for all known line weights - and some not yet thought of. We do what we do with very little money and have a surplus of that.

I belong to a small tying group - The Cotinga Club - here in Denver. We meet about once a month and it's something I look forward to a great deal - so much so that I show up for meetings that haven't been scheduled. This is one place in my life where the strictures of conventional wisdom and administration don't exist. Again, no one runs it, it just sort of runs itself. As I've said I'm a terrible tyer with poor resources. For me the value is in being able to belong and tie with people who are really good and a pleasure to be with.

My vote for The Salmon Flyer is for it to stay as it is. People who are interested in Salmon fly tying will find their way to us, and do so at a rate we can absorb without risking what is unique to us. I can get regular magazines without any trouble. For The Salmon Flyer I'm going to have to be willing to go to extra trouble to get it as it is.

I belonged the the Fly Dressers Guild and United Fly Tyers. Why do we need to be affiliated with anyone? Would that be preferable? For me, preferable is not always being like or with anyone else.

For nearly ten years I have been going to Fly Fair in Holland. This really is a tent show. In 1986 I was the only American there and the only one tying. The wind blew so hard that the tent had to be restaked with a truck. In 1992 there were 40 tyers. This year there will be something like 60. There was a suggestion, by an American, that it be moved from a pasture by the river to someplace "important" where it would be visited by 10,000 people in 3 days rather than 2000 in two days. Happily the idea disappeared during a very sudden silence. it now has an opening dinner for about 200. In 1986 there was none. At the end of that event twelve of us were seated around a table in a very old room. The room was full of windows and streams of wonderful evening light. No wonder Vermeer painted the way he did. The tent is now erected by professionals who know how to do it.

Lots of big names are invited today and it's definitely a production that is very fashionable to be invited to. Much of the charm of the crazy crooked floor and flapping tent walls is gone. The people who run it and first befriended me are still there. What was started by four people in a car now has regular meetings.

Good ideas grow because they are good. In that process they will probably loose some of their charm and innocence. Both are rare in the best of circumstances. Making The Salmon Flyer a conventional production would slowly drain its charm and savage the innocence of people who made it successful. Let's just keep it as it is for as long as we can and let the "big boys" of the magazine world let us be.