Hidy and Flymph Presentation Recap

This past weekend Lance Hidy held an event at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum. This new presentation included information about the relationship between Pete Hidy, James Leisenring and Rube Cross. Rube Cross was a well known fly tyer that conversed with Leisenring and Hidy quite often.

I want to thank William David Anderson, Ray Tucker, and Adam Rieger for getting some photos at the presentation for me. I greatly appreciate it. Unfortunately I was not able to attend the event myself.

I do know that Lance Hidy is working on a new book about Flymphs as well. So I can't wait for that!

The first eight photos were taken by Ray Tucker. The photos following that were taken by Adam Rieger. Enjoy the photos!

View of presentation from tier's row.

Lance mentioning today's Flymph resources.

Leisenring's Iron Blue Wingless

John Shaner giving a lecture about Vince Marinaro wet flies.

The Marinaro wet flies from John Shaner's collection.

Ray Tucker, Carl Sanders, and William Anderson in tier's row.

(left: William Anderson) Lance Hidy was selling his large format Pete Hidy fly photos, so friends were helping him display them at the museum.

Carl Sanders and William Anderson relaxing at the cabin nearby.

Lance Hidy giving his lecture.

Lance showing a photo of The Creel which was the journal of the Fly Fisher's Club of Oregon. The Creel was founded by Pete Hidy and lasted from 1961 to 1982.

Lance discussing the publication of the book, The Art of Tying the Wet Fly.

Carl Sanders' tying station.

Richard Lodge is writing a new book about Rube Cross titled The Rise of the Neversinker Fly Tier Rube Cross. Richard said it will be available this summer.

Richard Lodge

Pete Hidy & The Flymph Presentation

This special program will be presented by Lance Hidy, son of Pete, at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum, Saturday, May 18th, 2024. Read on for more details. Lance posted this on Facebook.

"It starts in the morning, around 10:30, and we plan to end at 2:30 so there is time to go fishing.

"There will be a lot about the connection between Pete Hidy, Reuben Cross, and Jim Leisenring.

"It is little-known that Rube Cross, legendary dry-fly master, liked the wet fly work that Hidy and Leisenring were doing enough to introduce Pete to his editor at Dodd, Mead, and set the wheels in motion for the publication of THE ART OF TYING THE WET FLY. He even wrote the introduction to it. Were it not for Cross, the Leisenring book would never have been published.
 

"Reuben Cross was a revered figure in my house while I was growing up. Cross's books were lined up on the shelf over Pete Hidy's tying bench.

"My talk will also cover Pete Hidy's fishing career, and the story of how he coined the word flymph, and worked hard to promote the idea through journal articles and books.

"I hear that Creekside Cabins may have one unit still available, and there are motel rooms and Airbnbs available in Roscoe and Livingston Manor.
 

"Here's the program schedule."
 

Pete Hidy and the Flymph
Saturday, May 18,
Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum
Livingston Manor, NY

If you plan to attend please RSVP on the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum website.

• 10:30 AM–12:00 PM—Flymph Tying Roundtable
• 11:30 AM—John Shaner: “Vince Marinaro Spider Flies”
• 1:00–1:15 PM—Author Richard Lodge, about his soon-to-be-published Reuben Cross biography
• 1:15–2:00 PM—Lance Hidy: ”Pete Hidy’s Friendships with Jim Leisenring and Reuben Cross.”
• 2:00–2:30 PM—Panel Discussion

Clark Dubbing Block Demonstration

 

William Anderson demonstrates how to use a Clark Spinning Block. The video shows how to prepare the silk thread with wax, use tweezers for sparse placement of dubbing and the twisting process. You can also just place the dubbing with your fingers.

James Leisenring spun dubbing loops on his trouser leg. After The Art of Tying the Wet Fly was published in 1941, a pupil of Leisenring, Richard G. Clark, decided the technique that Leisenring used was important enough to design a tool to help make it easier and neat. This is when the Clark Spinning Block was created.