Eidur Kristjansson is an Icelandic fly tier and fly angler. – You can refer to me as Eidur throughout the article. He grew up in a fishing family; from dropping lures off the ends of docks to commercial fishing. He began exclusively fly fishing in 2009, and has never looked back. Along with fly fishing, Eidur began fly tying. For him, the two go hand and hand. When he sits down to design a fly, he likes to mix imitation with attraction, without sacrificing the function of the fly itself.
Eidur spends most of his time tying and chasing the Arctic char in the Icelandic waters, and enjoys the extra dynamic that fly tying provides him in chasing char.
Note: If you’re having trouble pronouncing his name, think of the english word “either” and put an “A” instead of “ei” so basically Ather.
Fly tying has been around for a while. When were your interests peaked?
Back when I started fly fishing I felt the sport was really exclusive. I used to go spin fishing at the lakes close to Reykjavik in Iceland and often found myself staring at the guys that were fly fishing. The casting was so gracious and beautiful to watch. So, I decided I had to try it out.
I managed to convince my dad to buy me a fly fishing kit; a pretty bad Eagleclaw rod and reel. The following weeks, I did my very best to cast the rod but didn’t do very good. The thing I remember is that when I got back home after fishing, all I wanted to do was to try again, and be better. It was almost like the difficulty appealed to me. The more I struggled on the water, the more I wanted to get the hang of this.
That’s kind of why I started tying flies. It looked difficult. And I could add another dimension to fly fishing. When I started tying flies, it wasn’t really a big thing. In the 80’s and 90’s fly tying was pretty big in Iceland. But then it died down, save for a few eccentric guys who demanded to tie their own flies. But you couldn’t really get good fly tying materials at the fly shops as nobody was buying it. When I started I had to order a lot of my materials from abroad. That made the process of learning about materials a bit slower for me. But over the last 5-6 years, fly tying has blown up in Iceland. Now you can almost guarantee that if somebody is into fly fishing, they’re just as likely to tie their own flies as well.
What are some of the fish species you tie flies for?
In Iceland, we have 4 different freshwater species we chase on the fly. Atlantic salmon, brown trout, Arctic char and sea-run brown trout. My absolute favorite species of the 4 is the Arctic char. They don’t get as big as the salmon or browns, but they’re just so beautiful.
I’ve always focused my fly tying on the species I fish for the most. That means I tie for arctic char, brown trout and sea-run brown trout. I don’t really fish for salmon so that means I don’t tie for salmon. I have done so in the past though, and will do it if I’m going salmon fishing, but I’d rather not to be honest. Salmon fishing is so different to char/trout fishing and I don’t find it half as fun. It’s just something about trying to figure out what the char/trout are eating and imitating it that really interests me. You don’t get that as much with salmon fishing.
What was your first fishing experience/When did you begin fly fishing?
I grew up in a small town in the north of Iceland called Siglufjordur. A pretty easy Icelandic name right?
Back then, it was a town of around 900 people, built around commercial fishing. My father was a captain of a trawler and my mother was a deckhand on his trawler, or she was working at the fish processing plant. Both of my grandfathers were fishermen, and their fathers too. So it’s safe to say that fishing runs in my family.
I did my first trip as a deckhand when I was 14 years old and did the commercial fishing thing on and off until I got married and had children. My first memories with a rod in my hand come from the harbor in my old hometown. We used to go there everyday during the summer, with our spin rods and fish for haddock and pollock. One of my strongest memories is that my mother used to insist that I wear a life vest when fishing the harbor. I remember quite a lot of resentment due to that fact. But now, being a parent, I fully understand where she was coming from.
Sportfishing has never been huge in my family. I guess the theory behind that was that fishing is a job, not a hobby. And, I can understand that. I did spin/bait fish every now and then when I was a teenager. Mostly with my grandfather on my mothers side. I started fly fishing around 15 years ago and haven’t looked back since. I have absolutely no interest in casting bait or a spinner. My interest in fishing solely evolves the casting of an artificial fly. And all the joys that come with it.
What is currently on your vise?
Everything! I honestly can’t stick to any one type of fly for long. If I am working on a batch of dry flies for example, I’ll tie up a dozen, and then do a dozen of something completely different. I find that if I tie the same pattern for too long I get really bored. I mean, I love tying flies, but it can get a bit repetitive.
Tell us about any flies that you’ve designed yourself.
I like to think that I’ve designed a few flies. However, I do find it hard to call them “my design” as I’m pretty sure they’ve been tied by someone else before. It’s a little bit like writing a song. It’s probably been written before, although maybe not exactly the same. I have a few patterns that I use for Arctic char that I like to call my own. One in particular has been really effective for me, especially for the char at Lake Thingvallavatn. It’s a caddis nymph I call the really fun and innovative name “EK Olive Caddis.” Brilliant right?
What is it that draws you to fly fishing and fly tying?
As I said earlier, I think the difficulty appealed to me when I was starting out. And it still does. I love the challenge. I love doing something that I need to focus on to get better at. I’m pretty certain that if fly fishing and fly tying came easy to me, I wouldn’t enjoy it half as much. And, the fact that I’ve been doing this for 15 years now, and still feel like I’m just starting out, makes it even better!
Who is your biggest inspiration/mentor?
I didn’t really have a “physical” mentor when I started fly fishing and tying flies. Although, my father and I fished together when I was starting out in fly fishing. I did learn a lot from him of course, especially how to treat your surroundings, respect nature and respect the fish.
For fly tying I was lucky enough to start out just before social media became the beast that it is today. So, I had a few years struggling on my own, until I got the chance to watch some of the greats tie flies online.
What is your favorite book about fly tying? Why?
There’s an Icelandic book that was published in the 90’s called “Veiðiflugur Íslands.” That basically translates to “Icelandic Fishing flies” It’s a directory on Icelandic patterns, with material lists and a short story about how the fly came into existence. There was only one print done of this book and it’s been sold out for around 20 years. Those of us who are lucky enough to own a copy treat the book like one of our children.
What are some favorite fly tying resources that you direct others to?
Well, my first thought is to direct them to my YouTube channel and subscribe! There are pretty much infinite resources for fly tying on social media. A lot of fantastic fly tiers share their patterns and knowledge happily, and do so in a really professional way.
My go-to fly tiers that I feel I can always learn from are Tim Cammisa, Davie McPhail, Barry Ord Clarke and of course, Tim Flagler. Those guys tie a lot of flies that I can relate with and can imagine using myself.
What was the first fly pattern you tied?
The first pattern I tied was a pretty awful version of the Black Gnat. If I remember correctly, it was on a size 10 streamer hook, with a black hackle feather that was so large, I could have used it to palmer a size 6 Wooly Bugger.
Needless to say, it didn’t catch any fish. But shortly after, I started tying these really simple midge imitations that pretty much only used thread and a little white or gray breathers. That’s when I started catching fish on my own flies. When I kept it simple and effective.
Is there a fly style that you are still interested in learning about?
Recently, those huge streamers used in the US have been making their way to Iceland. We’ve pretty much used the same streamer patterns for around 20 years so it’s nice to have a breath of fresh air.
I guess I’m most interested in the streamers that have real thought behind them. Where the focus isn’t purely on the color scheme, but also on the way the fly acts in the water. How it casts and so forth. That’s what I’m most interested in these days.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about beginning fly tying?
Ask! Ask! Ask! I mentioned earlier that before I started fly fishing and tying flies, I felt it was a little exclusive. It isn’t.
Of course, you meet a few people along the way who are too uptight to share their knowledge. My best advice is to just steer away from those people. The industry is packed full of brilliant people who love to educate beginners.
My biggest advice is to just ask the questions you want answers to. My motto is that there are no stupid questions. And I feel this is the thinking for a lot of fly tiers and fly fishermen and women.
What’s the first fly you typically recommend a beginner to learn to tie?
We have a fly here in Iceland called “Peacock”. It’s a really simple pattern, basically just some peacock herl, a wire wrap and thread. It’s supposed to imitate a cased caddis and it does so with great success. I usually recommend this fly because it’s simple, and it catches fish. So, if this is your first fly that you tie, you’re likely to get to experience catching a fish on it pretty soon. And that’s the best feeling ever!
Favorite and least favorite thing about tying flies?
My absolute favorite thing about fly tying is the fact that I can put on my headphones, listen to Pearl Jam (my go to fly tying band (and the best band in the world)) and just be in the zone. Let my imagination run free. I’ve managed to keep my fly tying almost entirely as an enjoyable pastime. I do sell flies to order, I don’t need to do it though. So it hasn’t gone to the point where I’ve had to look at it as a job. I really don’t want that to change.
My least favorite thing is probably cleaning up. I try my best to keep things organized and only take out materials that I’m going to use on that particular pattern, and then put them back. But, try as I might, I always manage to mess my bench up.
What fly tying technique took you the longest to learn?
Spun deer hair heads. I mean, I could do a shameless head out of deer hair but it took me a long time to get to the point where I was happy with it. I’ve spent a lot of time, and A LOT of material getting better at it. But, that’s one thing I love about fly tying. When I encounter a technique that I want to learn, I really enjoy the journey. Almost as much as I enjoy being able to use that technique once I get the hang of it.
Let’s talk about fly tying equipment and materials:
Tell us about your scissors. Do you use a generic brand or specific style, and why?
At the moment, I’m using a generic pair with serrated blades for most of my natural materials. For synthetics, I have another pair. Honestly, I’ve never owned one of those nice fly tying scissors. It’s definitely something I need to look into though as the scissors are such an important factor to fly tying.
What about bobbins: tension or no tension?
At the moment I’m using the Stonfo Bobtech bobbins. I really like them. They allow you to adjust the tension a little bit and that’s a great option to have. Material spools are universally sized but there is a small difference between manufacturers so being able to adjust the tension definitely helps making the tying that more enjoyable.
Your tying vise is practically sacred. What is your go-to, and why? How many did you try before deciding this was your favorite?
Currently, I’m using the Transformer vise from Stonfo. I’ve been through a few vises, but the one I used the longest was a cheap Renzetti knock off. I used that one for around 4 years, so you can imagine how many flies went through that one. I didn’t really feel that the vise was all that important to begin with and always found the excitement around them a bit funny.
Though, I must say that once I started tying on a good vise, I started to understand what the fuss was about. I like to work on the Transformer. It’s a nice, well built tool that definitely makes the tying more enjoyable. I’ve customized mine a bit, I felt that the base that came with it was a bit light so I now have a stainless steel base that keeps the vise firm on my fly tying bench. But, other than that I love it. I have had it for 3 years now and it still looks like new.
Where do you source your fly-tying supplies? Why do you choose these resources over others? (okay to mention more than one resource)
I mentioned earlier that the fly shops here in Iceland have really come a long way over the past few years. I try my best to support them so they can keep up the good work. I do however also get a lot of material from abroad as the shop here naturally doesn’t carry everything. That’s the thing with fly tying, you always need more materials and the possibilities are pretty much endless.
Do you have a particular type of hackle that you prefer over others?
I love working with a good hen cape. I know the cock saddle gets the most attention but a nice hen cape is just a joy to have. I use them a lot for wet flies and smaller nymphs
Do you prefer synthetic or natural materials when you use it? (dubbing, hackle, bucktail, etc.)
Both have their qualities. Having said that, I’ve not yet found a synthetic material that does a good job at replacing a natural material. I mean, you can use synthetic jungle cock for example, but the natural is infinitely better. Both to work with and it just looks better. I do however understand why we use the synthetic jungle cock nowadays, and I’m absolutely fine with it. There are some natural materials that just can’t be replaced. And, of course, some natural materials that just don’t have qualities that can be manufactured with a synthetic material
o What brand of hooks do you prefer to tie on?
I’m a Pro Team member at Ahrex Hooks and exclusively tie on them. I suppose I’m biased but I really haven’t found a better brand to tie on.
What is your preference in head cement and resin?
I’m a firm believer that resin shouldn’t be used on heads. That might be an old school train of thought but I’m team head cement all the way. I do however use UV resin for backs and to add some characteristics to my flies, but when I do, I always put a layer of head cement over as well.
Let’s talk about thread… How should a tier approach choosing the right thread for their fly?
Your tying thread, along with the hook you tie on, is the most important aspect of your fly. When I was starting out, I used the standard 8/0 on everything. It was okay, but once I tried different threads, both in terms of material and size, it opened up a completely new dimension for me. I highly suggest asking at your local fly shop what thread to use, it makes tying much easier to have the right thread for the job.
What’s the one fly tying material you can’t live without? What’s so special about it?
Wow, that’s a tough one. Vinyl rib is a really popular material here in Iceland. A lot of Icelandic patterns incorporate it, almost to the point of being ridiculous. I’m sure that I could live without it, but that would make life a little more difficult. I think given the huge resources we have of fly tying materials, no single material is irreplaceable. That’s a good thing!
Do you tie for personal use, or do you sell your flies?
I mostly tie for myself and a few good friends. I get a lot of inquiries asking to buy flies from me but I usually say no. I do however take orders if it’s a fun batch of flies. If you need 100 Pheasant Tails, I’m not your guy.
What is your favorite fly pattern to tie? What is the intended species for the fly?
My favorite fly pattern is the Shuttlecock Emerger. It’s a fantastic pattern for brown trout and Arctic char and can be tied in multiple variations. You can make it really simple, or you can make it really complicated. Either way, it catches fish.
Where can people find your work? (Retail store, online store, social media handles, etc)
Instagram: @eidur_kristjansson.
Youtube: Eidur Kristjansson YouTube (fly tying tutorials)
Eidur is in the process of publishing his fly tying videos in English, so if you are interested in patterns used in Iceland and your home waters, check him out.
Any parting thoughts you’d like us to add?
Tying flies is fun but don’t take it too seriously. You’re flies don’t have to be perfect to catch fish and most of the time the old frase “presentation over imitation” is still valid. If you’ve yet to start tying flies, get a decent vise, a good pair of scissors, sit down and just be in the moment. Enjoy it!
