Ryan Houston

Ryan's Flies

	#193 Picric Partridge - Ryan Houston

Ryan's Biography
My name is Ryan Houston. I am a Veterinary surgeon working in Co. Fermanagh in Northern Ireland but if I didn't have to work I would spend all day fishing and tying flies. I grew up fishing the river lagan and we had an active competetion scene that forced me to become innovative in my fishing and fly tying. I won the ITFFA national rivers championship and represented Ireland at age 20 then 2 years later I repeated that success. After that the demands of the job on my time meant less time for fishing and more for tying. I started entering tying competitions and started winning them. I attribute the success to my interest in classic tying teaching extreme discipline and control of materials. Through classics I came to tie streamers and I won a gold medal at the Mustad Scandinavian Open for my April Snow, in the streamer category.

I like applying techniques and concepts from other branches of tying into my streamers hence my "look" may not always be classic "Carrie", but whatever the fly turns out like its that way because I wanted to do it that way and I guess thats what matters in the end.

I dont just tie streamers to look at either as the river near me now has a spawning run of large lough trout that can grow to 12lbs. I have been pioneering streamer fishing for them here and have a few converts. Cant say we have landed any monsters yet but a couple of salmon were welcome surprises on the streamers. I think a long term relationship with the long fly lies ahead. You can visit Ryan's site at Ryan Houston Fly Tying