By Mike Kesselring
Horde of the Flies…The Fly Hoarder…The Fly Collector…Those are just a few of the nicknames I have collected from admirers of my hobby.
I love to setup and present my huge fly collection like show and tell time in school. More than that, I love to talk about my collection and tell a bit of history on the ever-changing, creative art of trout flies.
I have been living in Bryson City, North Carolina since 1975. But this is not where my love of fly-fishing began. My first fly fishing experiences were in 1966 at the age of 15. At the time, my father was stationed on the Pacific coast of Washington state at a small Air Force Norad Station on Cape Flattery inside the Makah Indian Reservation. Riding my bicycle to the nearby Wa’atch River that emptied into the Pacific Ocean, I fished for ocean-run steelhead and pacific salmon with some of the most beautiful salmon flies of the day. It was those flies that got me started collecting, but it would take a few years before my newfound hobby really took off.
Starting in the 1980’s most of my flyfishing has been in the wild streams and blue line creeks of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. My favorite type of flyfishing is with traditional Smoky Mountain dry fly patterns, especially when I am going after those scrappy, voracious native Brook trout. There is something magical about a hungry trout breaking the surface and watching it eat my fly in a swirl of cold, clear water.
I have been collecting flies for over 35 years. My signature quote is “I’ve never tied a fly except to the end of my tippet.” I also like to brag that I have more flies than many fly shops. I figure I have over 13,000 flies now. It takes over 50-8”x12” plastic organizer trays to carry them all. To display them, it takes four – 8’ tables to do it justice.
My collection keeps growing because I can’t help but pick up more flies whenever I travel and I am always on the lookout for new and interesting patterns. Sometimes, old and antique flies end up in my care by generous tiers and fly fishers. Because I am always buying and acquiring flies, it takes about a week every few months to merge the new additions into my ever-growing collection. Besides flies, my collection includes a lot of old fly boxes and nearly three hundred books on flies and flyfishing.
One thing that fascinates me is how fly-tying materials have changed over the centuries, evolving from nearly all-natural materials to an ever-expanding variety of synthetic products. And, I am always amused by how the same fly can have a dozen different names and a dozen different flies can have the same name.
Because my collection grew so fast in the early years of collecting, I couldn’t keep up with cataloging where they came from and who tied them. So, I gave up trying to write it all down even though I am a bit OCD (Organized Collecting Dude). What I have done, instead, is to keep them categorized by size, color, style and type. When laid out across four 8’ tables, my fly collection makes an impressive and colorful sight that has to be seen to believed and, of course, enjoyed.
If your group or event would like to have me bring my collection to be featured as your program or to do a presentation at your meeting or activity, I would be more than happy to show it off. Just call me at 828-736-6929 or email me at mikesseL59@gmail.com to set something up. Donations of flies are always appreciated and will be given a good home.
If we ever meet, for goodness sake, don’t ask about my rod and reel collections, unless you really want to.
Mike Kesselring is the volunteer coordinator for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. He owns Point to Point Shuttle Service based in Bryson City. His fly collection is legendary.