Chris Sandford

Chris is well known in the fly fishing and entertainment world, as an actor, voice over artist, author and antique tackle enthusiast.

As a writer he is currently enjoying great popularity with his column in Fly Fishing and Fly Tying magazine. He has written for Waterlog magazine for over 10 years, long before he took up fly tying. The Waterlog articles have twice won him “Humourous Writer of the Year” awards for his wry comment on angling at large. I am pleased to be able to show you his step by step instructions for his famous flies.

I have known Chris for many years, originally through helping him with some aspects of his fly tying. I quickly noticed that he has an ability to see an idea, pick it up and run with it, eventually developing fly patterns that are both attractive and deadly. He is also a keen student of technique and will practice a particular pattern over and over again until satisfied.
Apart from entering (and winning), a few local fly tying competitions and occasionally submitting fly tying articles to Fly Fishing and Fly Tying magazine he has shunned the public gaze as a fly tier. That was until he met me. With persistence and a little flattery I encouraged Chris to take his first step into the show scene at the International Fly Tying Symposium in Somerset, New Jersey in November 2010. Needless to say he was a big hit and thankfully, he also enjoyed the experience.
Chris is not a fast tier, nor does he tie commercially. He is however meticulous and his flies are constantly of a high standard

Chris does not sell his flies but has asked me to tie them for you.

Check out the flies for sale section. I feel privileged that he has allowed me to tie and sell his patterns and I am happy that he has agreed to add his step by step instructions to this site. The following pages contain three patterns that have varying degrees of difficulty but are all proven fish catchers.

Chris’ books include:-

“The Best of British Baits”, Medlar Press, which traces the history of artificial lures from Izaac Walton’s silk minnow through to the 1930’s.

“A Wellie Full of Water”, Medlar Press, which chronicles 10 years of his Waterlog articles.

In 2009 Chris invited me to contribute a chapter to his latest book, “Flytyers’ Flies, The Flies that Catch Fish”, also published by Medlar Press. www.medlarpress.com .

I was delighted to do so and thoroughly enjoyed the creative experience. Chris was encouraging and professional throughout and clearly understands fly fishing and the written word.
His “Vintage Fishing Tackle Road Show” is a familiar and much admired stand at most of the bigger fly fishing events, This stand is run purely to raise money for charity
It is only recently that his talents as a fly dresser have become widely recognised.