Christopher Helm

Christopher Helm was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, graduated from DeVibiss High School and has two degrees from The University of Toledo. His work history includes four years of teaching junior high school and 23 years as a personnel manager at the University of Toledo before taking early retirement in 1991 to persue his fly fishing interests. In addition to fly fishing Chris is a professional musician with over fourty years of playing drums in combos and big bands in the Toledo area.

 

Chris has been fly fishing for over 35 years and tying flies for more than 30 years. His interest in fishing started when he was very young and he started fly fishing for bass and blue gills in his late 20's. A christmas gift of a fly tying kit from his wife got him started with what turned out to be a real passion.

 

He started teaching fly tying 18 years ago in his home and at The University of Toledo Division of Continuing Education Adult Education Program. After taking early retirement, he continued to teach and began travelling around the U.S. and in Europe doing workshops and demonstrations. He has tied at The Chatsworth Angling Fair in England nine times and done numerous workshops for clubs and shops in England and Scotland as well as participating in the Partridge Hook Company " Fly Tying Days ". He also participated in the inaugural British Fly Fair in 2003. The travelling fly tying side of his career has taken him to eight European countries to teach and demonstrate. He has taught many years at the FFF International and Great Lakes Regional Conclaves as well as done numerous local fly tying programs with kids in the public schools, Women in the Out-of-Doors program and other non-profit groups.

 

Although he enjoys tying and teaching all types of flies from classic Atlantic salmon flies to blue gill patterns, he has specialized in tying hair bugs and trout flies utilizing deer, elk and other types of hair. His interest in deer hair developed into a small business of gathering and processing whitetail deer hides for both the wholesale and retail markets. This intense study of deer hair has led to doing programs for clubs and fly shops about all the nuances of ungulate (hoofed animals) hair and the fascinating aspects of how mother natures creation works for and against the fly tier.

 

Currently Chris has six videos in circulation on pike flies, pan fish flies, hair trout flies and three on deer hair bugs. When time allows he writes articles for variuos fly fishing magazines including Fly Tyer, Fly Fishing and Fly Tying Journal, American ngler, Fly Fisherman the British publication Fly Fishing and Fly Tying on fly patterns, deer hair and fly tying thread  which he has also studied intensely. In 2004 he was awarded the Buz Buszak Memorial Award from the Federation of Flyfishers for his service and contributions to the art of fly tying. This is the most prestigious award given in the world of fly tying.

 

Bass and bluegills get his attention in his home area around Toledo, Ohio and he has travelled widely throughout Canada to fish for pike, grayling, lake trout, brook trout and small mouth bass. His love of saltwater fishing has to numerous islandsin the Bahamas, also  Mexico and Belize to fish for "the ghosts of the flats" bonefish. The bonefish is still his favourite fish, although he truly enjoys fishing for permit, striper, false albacore and blue fish.

 

He also operates Whitetail Fly Tying Supplies and manufactures the Brassie Hair Packer that was invented by Dr. Nick Wetzel and George Cik of Chicago, Illinois, He also processes between 80 and 100 whitetail deer hides along with a few mule deer and an elk or two every fall to provide specific hair for his tying customers.

 

In 1994 Chris received his certification as a fly casting instructor through The Federation of Flyfishers Casting Certification Program.