Jerry Criss
Instructor
I have been fly fishing and fly tying since the early 80s. It has become what I do, I teach fly tying and fly fishing as a way of passing on what has been taught to me by all those who have blessed my life since taking on this incredible sport. Without the basic techniques that were instilled in me by, my mentor Andre’ Puyan who demanded the best from me every time, because he felt the fish deserved that. I now feel that each and every time I put a hook in a vise.
I tie and teach flies with a passion; I teach the classic techniques that made the craft what it is today. Every time I wrap a thread on a hook, I am constantly aware of how and why those techniques work, and I work on improving them, if possible, that’s what passion does to you. In 2009 I was named, “2009 Oregon Council of Fly Fishers International, Fly Tyer of Year” for my teaching, promoting, and dedication to the craft of fly tying. I have received other awards here in the USA and in the UK for my ability to be creative, with forward-thinking, but never forgetting those who have tyed before us.
I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area. I retired from 2 trades Pipefitter for 27 years and Stationary Engineers for 7 years in 2004 and moved to Central Oregon because it was time to go fishing.