Like many things in the wild, it’s small details that make the difference. Trained by the late Gordon Macpherson as part of an elite fly tying team in Zimbabwe, Ray Mutemeri has known this fact to be true for almost 40 years. It was this same attention to detail that brought him up through the ranks, and eventually gave him the opportunity to move to South Africa. He is now the lead tyer at the Johburg office of South africa’s biggest fly fishing shop and outfitter -Mavungana Fly Fishing. Perhaps the wildest part of this story: it was almost twenty years and hundreds of thousands of flies later that Ray could first experience the effectivenes of his own craftmanship in the water.
A huge thankyou to Ray for sharing his time and stories with us today!
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and check out all kinds of information and classes including fly tying with Raymond at Mavungana fly fishing
Main Topics Covered:
- Raymond’s fishing journey from Zimbabwe to South Africa
- Evolution and specialization in fly tying
- Techniques for tying various fly sizes
- Environmental influences on fly selection
- Fly fishing culture in Zimbabwe and South Africa
- Conservation through catch-and-release
- Teaching fly tying to new generations
- Mentorship and continuous learning
- Identifying and adapting fly techniques
- Unusual fly requests
- Building a foundation in fly tying
- Impact of Zimbabwe’s economy on tourism
- Women’s role in fly tying and fishing
Timestamps:
00:31 - Introduction to Raymond Mutemere and his background
04:02 - The history of fly fishing in Zimbabwe and Raymond’s early life
06:36 - The influence of Scottish fly tyer Gordon MacPherson
07:45 - The scale of the fly tying industry in Zimbabwe 08:45 - Tying rates and specialization in dry flies
12:23 - Raymond’s childhood near rivers in Zimbabwe
14:01 - Fly fishing trips to Eastern Highlands for trout
16:14 - Personal stories of first catches and learning from guides
20:41 - Popular fly patterns like the Shamare Timi
22:00 - The cultural difference between catch and release and consumption
24:46 - The significance of size in catch-and-release practices
26:29 - Technical challenges in fly tying,
36:23 - Teaching others and passing on skills
41:44 - Creating custom flies and imitating environmental cues
44:41 - Types of hooks used in fly tying
46:12 - The process of tying a fly step by step
50:14 - Material application and proportions
54:33 - How observing insects in nature informs fly design 58:23 - Handling unusual requests, creative tying stories 60:18 - Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them 63:49 - Women in fly tying and fishing
66:00 - The importance of continuous learning and mentorship
68:51 - Philosophy of humility in skill mastery
70:15 - Maintaining connections with fly fishing peers
71:07 - How to find Raymond for lessons or custom flies 72:54 - Closing remarks and future episodes
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