The Artistic flies of Mark Romero

[willowhead]

Yo guys.....this thread is going to be a simple slide show (so-to-speak), of my flies, which are hybreds of a fashion. All are original artistic flies (designs), that come from a combination of wets, (over sized psychadelic soft hackles) Salmon (specially Spey) flies, Streamers, and all whatever else has influenced me over the years......but it all started with soft hackles. i'll tye on just about any hook as long as i like the way it looks.....even bait hooks. i very often use beads in the bodies of my flies, and i almost always mutil color my heads and eyes.....using a wide varity of materials for my eyes.....anything from Dacron fly line backing to antique Violin or Ukulele string gut.
This is a free-thinking approach, based on well grounded techniques and fundemental applications. i spent 30 years plus in the music business and music was bout the only world i knew for the majority of my life. So the flies are to a VERY large degree totally improvised, and now known as Jazz Flies.
i spend a lot of serious time trying to best "Match" each and every hook with the "Best" possible bead combination i can find, within the limitations of the hooks and beads i have to work with. Great pains have been taken to as best i can, perfectly match a bead and hook. So let's get started..... .....just keep scrollin'.....and remember, this is about ART, not fishin'.....other than to fish for the hearts & souls of men AND women, through art.

[willowhead]

Fly i donated to an On-line aution to help raise money for the British Columbia Steelhead Society.....hook is a Sprite 5/0 XXL.

[willowhead]

Very simple and inexpensive glass bead..........the cost of a hook and or bead should NEVER determin (even though the best hooks and beads DO inspire), the outcome of a good fly.....work of art. Always give it your best shoot, no matter.

[willowhead]

Recent fly i did along with two others that i was asked to tye for a plate to be auctioned at this year's One Fly Tournament in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Pretty simple soft hackle on a Daiichi Alec Jackson Spey.....my friend Bud Frasca (President of the FFF Western Rocky Mountain Council asked me to tye the flies when we were at the FFF International Conclave in West Yellowstone, Montana in Aug. A tornado came right through town while i was tying this fly.....what an experience. The roof of the Best Western Hotel was completely torn off amough other things happened during the event. But was going to be fishing in the One Fly just two weeks later.....it was an honor to be asked.

[willowhead]

Another i did for that same plate.

[willowhead]

fly i did at the FFF International Conclave in Loveland, Colorado last year ('09).....
Alec Jackson "Blued-Black" Spey hook..... 1.5/0

[willowhead]

Couple flies i tyed as close to identical as i ever do..... We were asked for two the same.....one for the plate (to be auctioned the following year), and one for the guy who makes the plates. This was also in Loveland, CO. at the FFF I.C. in '09.

[willowhead]

This one's tyed on an antique blind eye bait hook.....i took off the snelled gut and used it for the eye. Found a bunch of these hooks at a local antique tackle shop in Bull Shoals, Arkansas.....just over the damn from where our place in Lakeview is. Guy has alllllllll kinna "Cool STUFF" in there. The bead in this dressing is a see through copper bead.......pics not to hot though.....sorry bout that.

[willowhead]

Here's another fly tyed on one of those same hooks.....just so you can see the point/barb Mo Better.

[willowhead]

The next two flies i tyed for the guy who owns that antique tackle shop where we live. He's also an auctioner and donates his services to out local TU Chapter Annual Banquet.....so i did him up a fly, and one for his wife, to thank him for his generousity. See if you can figure out which fly is his and which one is hers.....hint: she's a blonde.