Fly tyers fall into two groups:
the insane and the almost-insane Those who tie the most realistic bug they can, and the impressionists, who are seeking flies that only need be buggy.
I'm firmly in the latter camp, but that's likely a reflection of laziness; I do
sloppy "buggy" well. Still, even the rampant impressionists want their flies to look like something edible, which is why
Michelle Mahood's photography site will probably see a lot of fly tying visitors soon.
It's practically a photographic encyclopedia of Northern California trout food, so next time an annoying, Type A fly tyer chastises you for too-heavily speckled Callibaetis wings (yes, this did happen), you can bitch slap him using Ms. Mahood's excellent photographs.
The Underground's Favorite Photo? Probably the blood curdling assault on a fly fisherman by a giant crustacean. Keep you up nights.
See you staring at the monitor, Tom Chandler.