Some days on the water lead to more than just fish.
One evening, while checking on a local creek where I enjoy fly fishing for smallmouth bass, I ran into one of the former owners of a sporting goods store. As we talked, he asked my name. When I told him, he immediately recognized it from the annual fly-tying expos where I had been invited to demonstrate as a guest fly tier.
Those invitations came because of my friend, Bob Mead.
Bob is one of the most respected fly tiers in the country. His incredible creations have been featured in books and magazines for decades, and he is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of the realistic fly-tying movement. His famous Praying Mantis pattern is known by fly tiers around the world, but his talent doesn't stop there. Bob has created amazingly lifelike spiders that were even used as props on a television show, along with countless other realistic insects that look as though they could crawl right off the tying bench.
I had the privilege of tying alongside Bob at several annual fly-tying expos and at The Fly Fishing Shows over the years. Standing beside someone of his talent and reputation was always an honor, but what I've appreciated most is the person behind the vise.
Bob has always been generous with his knowledge, welcoming to other tiers, and passionate about sharing the art of fly tying with others. Those qualities have made as much of an impression on me as his remarkable flies.
Running into someone who remembered those events brought back a lot of great memories and reminded me just how small and connected the fly-fishing community really is.
It's friendships like these, built around a shared love of fishing, craftsmanship, and the outdoors, that have shaped my journey and continue to inspire what RSO Outdoors is all about.