Category: Meet the Tyers

Bryan Smith is an Arizona native and has been flyfishing in and around the state for the past 15 years.  Drawn to the sport by the thought of designing his own lures to catch fish, he started tying flies 13 years ago.  He landed his first fish on a fly rod at the lower Salt River in the mid 90’s and instantly switched gears from conventional bass fishing into becoming a trout bum.  He teamed up with Travis about 6 years ago and the two have hammered out many innovative patterns and techniques for  larger Arizona trout.  He mostly ties trout patterns, however recently started tying some warm water minnow based patterns for the desert lakes and rivers.  Daryl convinced him to start tying commercially last year and he’s been at it ever since…..although you sometimes have to push him to deliver them and not fill up his own boxes.

If you happen to bump into him on the water, don’t hesitate to bug him about what patterns and techinques might be taking fish.

Daryl White has been fishing Arizona’s waters for 35 years and flyfishing them for the past twenty.  He began fly tying around the same time.  He enjoys fishing some of the “out of the way” waters around Arizona’s back country.  He also fishes a lot of the waters around Arizona….harrassing fish in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada and Montana.  In the winter months you can find him plying the warm waters of Arizona for bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish, carp, suckers, stripers and anything else that swims.  He ties many of our simi seal leech patterns and has developed a minnow pattern that has proven very effective for all species of fish, the DW Minnow.  Look for DW on the water.  If he’s around…you’ll know it.

Jimmy K. Crain was born in Phoenix, AZ and has been fishing since the day he could hold a rod.  In fact for his birthday, as a kid, he requested to spend a week in the White Mountains.  Whether or not it was fishing in the White’s or fishing one of the many bass tournaments he fishes, Jimmy always loved to fish.  But around 2005-2006 a true obsession began.  His friend, Greg invited him to go fly fishing.  On his first trip he was hooked.  Three months later Jimmy received his first fly tying kit.  After watching Jimmy tie flies with Gary Hitterman every Thursday night, Mike McLaughlin decided to ask Jimmy to tie flies for AZ Flyfishing.  When he’s not working or fishing, he’s tying up flies or dreaming up new flies to catch more fish.  Jimmy’s favorite place to fish now days is in the Rim country.  If you run into him in that area, feel free to pick his brain.

Tim Oliver is an Ohio native who cut his teeth fishing for bass and walleye with conventional gear.  In 1985 he moved West to go to grad school at ASU and has never looked back.  In 1990 he purchased his first fly rod, a Sage RPL 6 wt. and was hooked.  Being the crafty type, he also started tying his own flies and building fly rods.  Being a fast learner, his flies got noticed by some of the local fly shop owners and they convinced him to tie some of the local lake patterns that were not available from the large commercial companies.  Tim really enjoys cold water fisheries where he can fish for his beloved trout.  Through the years, Tim has honed his tying skills and has tied thousands of flies.  Tim is an accomplished nymph fisherman and can hold his own on the many lakes around Arizona and across the West.  Tim’s philosophy on flies is that they should be simple to tie and simple to fish.  He enjoys sharing his knowledge of fly tying and fishing and regularly gives away flies to other fishermen he comes across.  Tim has traveled all this country fishing for trout and steelhead.  If you come across Tim out there on a stream or lake, don’t forget to say hi and ask what is working.

John previously was part owner of AZ Fly Fishing.  A long time Arizonan, he has been fishing Arizona’s waters for over 45 years.  He is currently actively involved and serves as the president of a new non profit organization, the White Mountain Lakes Foundation.  This foundation was formed for the sole purpose of improving the trout fishing waters of the White Mountains of Arizona.

His knowledge of the state’s cold and warm water fisheries has proven helpful to many fishers that seek advice on our local fishing. His book, AZ Trout Streams and their Hatches, which he co-wrote with Charles Meck, has been a guideline for beginner and advanced fishers plying our waters for trout.
He has been in the flyfishing industry since 1983 either as a contract tyer, a guide, a shop owner or now as a fly designer and fulltime manufacturer of fly tying materials.  A contract tyer for Riverborn Flies, his flies and materials are sold all over the world and are some of the more popular flies used in Arizona’s bass and trout waters.

John now runs an online retail business selling his flies and materials at www.azflyfishing.net.  You can reach him by e mailing him at that site.  He is more than happy to talk fishing and flies any time.