Q&A with Tim Cammisa
Tim Cammisa is a well know personality in the Fly Fishing World. He’s a Pennsylvania based content creator under the name Trout and Feather. He is also a fly tyer, author, and well rounded fly fisherman. More importantly though, he’s a teacher and a family man. His background in teaching translates flawlessly into his educational videos and books on fly tying. Tim was generous with his words and time to answer some questions!
Q- Let’s start off easy here. When did you start fishing? When did you start fly fishing? When did you start tying flies?
TC- For me, tying came first...my parents signed me up for an after-school class when I was a 4th grader. I had no idea what I was getting into, but that one decision forever altered the direction of my life. The class was amazing, learning to tie different styles was so much fun! Then came the tough part: Catching fish on my own flies.
That Christmas brought with it a 7’6” 5-weight, “tuna can” Martin fly reel, and a really cheap fly line. After figuring out the setup, I began exploring some local waters, including trout streats and farm ponds. The latter was far more productive than the former, yet trout became a fascination. I wanted to catch them all, then began progressing through what some call the phases of fly fishing:
Love to be outside and fish
Catch a fish
Catch lots of fish
Catch a big fish
Catch lots of big fish
Catch a smart fish
Catch lots of smart and big fish
Love to be outside and fish
With a lot of luck and guidance, I’ve made it through the phases, and landed on #8, which is where I believe we should all aspire to live.
Q- A lot of great fishermen, personalities, and fly tyers come from PA. Why do you think this is?
TC- Fishing in Pennsylvania is tough to explain, but it’s almost like a way of life for many of us. Growing up, fishing on the first day of trout season was an expectation with my dad. It’s just what you did, very similar to whitetail deer hunting. But in Pennsylvania, it’s more than trout, we have so many species to chase, including steelhead, largemouth and smallmouth bass, muskies, panfish, striped bass, pike, and more.
The other componenet is that it’s not always easy, forcing you to think outside of the box a lot, especially when targeting fish on pressured waters. Because of that, anglers from PA have to simply up their game. No matter where I travel to fly fishing around the world, the guides there have always told me that Pennsylvania anglers are their top fishing clients, they come prepared and with lots of fishing knowledge. Personally, it’s an honor to be part of this tradition and I am proud to represent Pennsylvania no matter where I’m chasing fish or tying flies.
Q- What’s your favorite fly, and why?
TC- Wow, now we’re getting to the tough questions! Since I’ve mentioned trout a few times, let’s stay on that path, acknowledging there are so many great methods to catch them. Some of my favorites include Euro nymphing or stripping large streamers, but my favorite style is dry flies. Nothing beats casting a fly on the surface and waiting with anticipation while a brown trout rises to eat…an X-Caddis, my favorite dry fly!
My reasoning is simple: This fly catches fish. It represents a caddisfly as it’s emerging into an adult, which is a vulnerable stage for this insect. Trout know that and tend to key in on that stage, something I learned from my days guiding on the Delaware River. With caddisflies found on moving water around the world, this pattern can live in my fly box and be ready no matter where my travels take me.
As a tier, this is a fun one, incorporating CDC and deer hair, two favorite materials. Because I’ve released multiple fly tying videos on my YouTube channel about this one, I get lots of questions about tying it. My secret is simple: Repetition of that deer wing. I recommend just practicing forming deer hair wings on a hook, then using a razor blade to remove the wing and tie another, and another, and another. Tying with deer (or elk) hair can be tricky at first, but stick with it because many effective patterns incorporate deer hair.
Q- What’s your go to fly rod?
TC- When I think of fly rods, I tend to associate them with the species I’m chasing. They’re like fly fishing styles, each is another arrow in my quiver used for a specific target fish. Since I’ve had the opportunity to cast lots of rods over the years, and if I had to narrow my collection to just four (which I could never do), they would include:
Euro nymphing rod: Righ now, I’m throwing a 10’9” 2-weight that has landed fish from Montana to Iceland. This stick excels with light tippet and flies, perfect for spooky fish in clear water.
Standard fly rod: This is dependent on the conditions and size of flies I’m throwing, but my go-to fly rod is either a 10’ 4-weight or a 9’ 6-weight. The 4-weight is more of a finesse rod that allows me to throw dry flies and nymphs, then the 6-weight is there if I’m targeting larger trout with streamers, especially in windy conditions. Most of the large trout I’ve landed in the last few years have been caught with my 6-weight, many on dry flies. Most of my standard trout rods are sensitive in the tip, which helps to protect light tippet.
8-weight: When it comes to some larger species that I love to target (especially Atlantic salmon, redfish, and striped bass), the 8-weight is my preferred fly rod. This is where I gravitate towards a fast-action rod that can toss heavier flies.
Musky! This is a recent addiction of mine, as my buddy Bobby Kish introduced me to musky fly fishing. We’ve had a lot of success fishing together, and the canon I carry is a 9’ 12-weight. Though I believe many of the fish can be landed with lower weight rod, the flies I’m throwing are simply gigantic and wind-resistant. In short, it’s important to practice casting with this rod prior to fishing with a 12-weight for multiple days!
Q- I think we are in an exciting time for fly tying especially. Who is on your radar in the fly fishing and fly tying world?
TC- Exciting is an understatement, we are so fortunate to have such quality materials today with tiers using them to solve all sorts of problems. When it comes to specific tiers, there are way too many to list, but the one area to highlight is the fact that so many younger tiers are pushing the envelope, which I love to see.
Q- What’s your favorite place you’ve fished and why?
TC- This is such a tough question to answer, especially because I tend to be influenced by the last place I fished, time of year, and upcoming travel. As I sit typing now, my last two weeks included incredible experiences. After targeting brown trout and cutthroat in Montana with my wife Heather, I returned home to meet up with buddy Bobby Kish as we chased muskies around Ohio. Soon, steelhead that run the tributarites of Lake Erie will begin calling my name…starting to see the problem?
No matter how exotic the destination, my favorite place is more about who I’m fishing with than the location. In Pennsylvania, fishing the first day of trout season is a special time of year. As a boy, I remember early mornings with my dad, walking for what seemed like miles to find a spot just for us. Now that weekend is reserved for my family, as Heather and I bring our children to central Pennsylvania, on the hunt for wild brown trout. Though my kiddos surely spook more fish than we catch, that time on the water means more to me than all of my other days spent in Iceland and Alaska combined.
Q- Favorite Pennsylvania stream?
TC- To answer this one, let me tell you a little story. Taking my children fly fishing is part of life, yet I know that if there is a weak link in the secrecy of the places we fish, it would be one of my kiddos. When we saw other anglers or friends after a trip, my son Angelo was quick to share a story of our fishing excursion, which many times led to him also sharing a “secret” fishing location. So I soon learned that when it was time to go on a trip, no matter the location, we always referred to the stream as “Spring Creek.” Is there a stream in PA by that name that I love to fish? Absolutely! But there’s also about 50 other ones that draw me back regularly, hence it’s impossible to narrow my answer to just one favorite stream.
Q- In your opinion, what is the most underrated/underutilized material in fly tying?
TC- With so many tiers now creating incredible and dynamic patterns, it’s obvious that most materials get showcased regularly. For my personal tying, I utilize every material I can get my hands on. This includes materials from Semperfli and UV resins by Solarez; I’m proud to be associated with two companies that produce some of the best fly tying products on the face of this earth.
However, there’s a place in my heart for natural materials. Finding and selecting the best ones is a challenge in itself, one that never seems to get any easier. As I thinkn about all of the flies I tie regularly, most incorporate one of these materials, which I consider the top five in fly tying:
CDC: Used in both dry flies and nymphs, this is a magical material that fish can’t resist.
Pheasant tails: Show me a fish, and I’ll show you something that will eat a fly tied with PT fibers.
Marabou: The buggy nature of this material makes it ideal for tails, yet there are some other creative techniques that turn this into an indispensable material.
Hare’s mask: Because I prefer to blend my own dubbings, this is the base of nearly every recipe I’ve created in the last 30 years.
Peacock: No list is complete without herl and stripped peacock eyes.
Q- Do you prefer Euro Nymphing to conventional fly fishing overall?
TC- It’s easy to say “yes” to this question, especially as I recently released a book about Euro nymphing! If I’m fishing locally for trout in moving water, then yes, I love a Euro nymph setup to throw dry flies, nymphs, and even streamers. However, the style I choose is tailored to a few areas, which include:
Species: Living in Pennsylvania, trout is a favorite species that I target with a Euro nymphing setup, but what about steelhead, striped bass, and muskies? Sure, there are part of Euro nymphing I can apply in other situations, but with larger species, I am more comfortable with a single-hand fly rod and a more traditional setup.
Larger flies: This category includes patterns like Game Changers and articulated streamers, and I am most comfortable throwing them with fly lines that help to turnover the flies for maximum distance and accuracy.
Weather: Fly fishing in destinations like Iceland, Alaska, and Montana mean lots of things to me, especially with big trout…but don’t forget about that wind! In inclement conditions for trout, my 9’ 6-weight is a go-to stick that I feel most comfortable throwing.
Q- When building your brand, what’s your favorite thing you learned that has nothing to do with fishing?
TC- Building a brand is a lot of work that pushes you in so many areas of life. The number of lessons I’ve learned seems to grow daily, as there are always challenges that get in the way of what you’re trying to accomplish. In short, show up, be intentional with your time, and follow through on the important things. Fly fishing, business, or family, these concepts hold true.
Q- Do you plan on writing anymore books?
TC- Writing a book this early in my life was never part of the “plan,” yet here I am with two published books that I’m incredibly proud of. As an elementary school teacher, I envisioned spending my retirement writing fictional stories; John Geirach’s Even Brook Trout Get the Blues is a book that I’ve read so many times, it was nearly embarrasing when I asked John to sign my ragged copy! In short, there are a few ideas in my head to continue in the nonfiction and educational realm first, then I plan on jumping into some creative writing at some point in my career.
Q- I always enjoy seeing your family posts. I’m a firm believer that balance is the most important thing. What’s your secret to maintaining a healthy family/work/fun balance?
TC- Wow, this is a tough question to answer, as my wife would probably say that I’m into fly fishing a little too much! Being that the outdoors were such an integral part of my life before having a family, it was a natural fit to include them in all of the fun. Pulling it all together is Heather, who did not fly fish when we first met. I remember taking her brook trout fishing, with dry flies and a bamboo fly rod I built myself; in her eyes, it wasn’t “real” fly fishing because we were dapping the fly, and not casting it.
A couple years later, Heather read a few things about mindfulness and how fly fishing made a positive impact on your life, so she was interested again! We started off fishing in central PA before she soon was traveling with me to Iceland a couple times a year. With her loving fully embracing the sport, our kids are naturally along for the ride, thus most family vacations are centered around water. Is it easy to balance everything? Of course not, I’m answering this question seconds before bolting out the door to get my son to his soccer game! But the secret, anytime you can combine your family and fun with some work, good things are guaranteed to happen.
Q- It’s easier than ever to start a social media based business. What’s your advice to someone just getting into it?
TC- Social media is definitely a way to connect with audiences and communities within the fly fishing world, and I’ve enjoyed doing so for over a decade. Since the question includes the word “business,” my recommendation relates accordingly. As with any business venture, decide where you’re heading first; that helps to dictate all of your future decisions. If an aspect of social media is not helping you get to the outcome, ignore it and focus on those that do. In short, no matter what the venture (trading cards, healthy living, or fly fishing), treat it like a business and do your homework on ways to succeed.
Q- Whats your favorite non fishing related book?
TC- A favorite of mine since I was in elementary school is Where the Red Fern Grows, undoubtedly one of the reasons I’ve had an English pointer or another dog for the last 20 years!
Q- If I built a Time Machine and gave you a free trip, where are you going and why?
TC- A time machine implies that I can fish in any century, and I would love to see Pennsylvania’s top trout streams a couple hundred years ago. With tales of giant brook trout before other species were introduced, give me the opportunity to catch some monster brook trout on a dry fly!
