I have read with interest the recent threads documenting the numerous angling legends and it got me thinking, What names will still be held in such regard from present times to future anglers. Who do you think has set standards, created the patterns, the materials, tackle advancements, anything thats made a difference. Just think it would be interesting to hear some views.

Cheers

Scotty

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i was walking far from home, where the names are not burned along the wall, saw a building, high as heaven, but the door was so small

For me it has to be the one and only



"CAPTAIN BIRDSEYE"

Walker.......!

If you mean Dick Walker, he's been dead for years, so how can he be a present innovator.

Get real man.

Paul

Mr D J VASS.........the greatest loch fly fisher that has ever lived.

I'm going to write a book too................

The smallest fishing book ever?

Modest too........................birdsnest

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Fear not if I steal from your side, as of yore, from paradise streams to fish Teifi once more.
BN based in Wolverhampton

Kinda missin the point Ron

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i was walking far from home, where the names are not burned along the wall, saw a building, high as heaven, but the door was so small

Fly tying: Oliver Edwards, Paul Proctor, Terry Griffiths , Hans Van Klink, Michael Frodin
Tackle: Kevin Richards ( 3M ), Gerry Siem ( Sage ), Danielsson ( Reels ) Ari Hart ( Reels )
Casting: Simon Gawesworth ( snake roll )
Fishing: Nobody stands out for me here I'm afraid.

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http://www.flyfishinglessons.co.uk
http://www.aapgai.co.uk

Unfortunately, I think the law of diminishing returns applies in this area as it does in most.
There comes a time when most "developments" are simply re-inventing the wheel.
Take the ultra-skinny buzzers of today as an example.

A certain David Collyer first used & publicised a fly called the Grey Midge Pupae around 1963 or 1964.
The dressing is simply a stripped peacock eye feather quill body with a small blob of dubbed mole fur as a thorax on a size 16 or 18 hook.
Then Bucknall's Footballer came along a few years later (remarkably similar-looking albeit more complicated fly if you ask me) with a couple of material changes and hey-presto!

Add a blob of varnish on top of the quill rather than under it & you have a very modern, still sparse buzzer!

One of the most recent "innovations" - CDC - has apparently been used in fly-tying since around the 1920's in Jura.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that most of the hard work has already been done long ago & we really are very unlikely to have any more Dick Walker's or John Goddard's from the current breeding stock.
The only possible "innovators" in my opinion are simply going to be those who tinker with newly available synthetic materials. most of which involves making time-consuming ultra-lifelike imitative patterns which would probably be totally out-fished by a GRHE!