I went to the fly fishing show in Summerset, NJ last weekend and sat through some seminars by some of the best tiers in the country. As a beginner, I am so enthusiastic to watch and learn. Walking around the show, buying supplies and knowingly spending more money than my wife would forgive me for, I saw this 14 year old self taught fly fisherman/tier named Tradd Little at work. If there is such a thing as a prodigy in this sport, this is the picture of one.
When I got to his table he was demonstrating a particular fly for another interested passerby. The other gentleman asked Tradd if his flies were for sale on his web site and he simply said no. He said “they’re just pictures…art”. The man told him that he could make so much money selling but Tradd gave him a shy look and shrugged his shoulders. I loved that. As a person with PTSD, that kind of innocence is what makes me proud to have served this country. I only see that in children an dogs for the most part these days.
After looking at Tradds website (traddsflies.com), I saw that he had links to a lot of other pages. I hope he is at least getting free materials if not a paycheck from these companies. Either way, I highly recommend that you visit this young boy’s site to be impressed. His flies are so realistic! It’s beyond what my words can explain. That’s for sure.
