49 replies to this topic

[wsbailey]

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/great-feather-heist-180968408/

[jgogg]

We keep getting teasers of the book contents, but shortly, it will be in bookstores and we will see what mysteries are revealed....

 

I missed out on the events as they occurred.   I was busy dealing with an alcoholic (now ex) wife and had no time for hobbies.  I gather other tiers with whom I am familiar were quite involved and some of them still have bird skins they refuse to return.  I have hope the book will encourage them to do the right thing.

 

I doubt the publication will cover our hobby in glory, but I hope that it survives and flourishes despite it. 

 

There have been intermittent movements to encourage the use of more commonplace feathers and less of the exotic ones.  Some would now suggest "sustainable" ones.  The problem with that idea is the difficulty in knowing which are sustainable.  For instance, c. cayana, p. scutatus and others that are difficult to acquire and expensive now are actually considered birds of least concern by CITES. Meanwhile, some birds that are considered endangered (some macaws, for instance) are widely raised domestically and their molted feathers are (relatively) inexpensive.  My thought would be to concentrate on tying with inexpensive feathers.   This frees tiers from having to wonder whether some of the expensive ones are "sustainable" or not.

[conrad]

Well said, I am looking forward to reading the book, I still cannot believe the stones on some people, but I guess I was raised old fashioned,lol.

[arkle]

I provided several hours of info for this to the author & am wondering how long this thread will remain here, as previous threads/letters etc have all "vanished". Rist stayed with me for a couple of days, whilst he gave a tying demo to my branch of the Fly Dressers Guild. He never showed any symptoms of "Asperger's", though he did mention James Bond, once.

[Barkworth]

I am looking forward to reading this book. 

 

Rv-

[Bud Guidry]

WsBailey, your post title says it best

[roycestearns]

Agreed - sad and funny,  and it's a tragedy on multiple levels

 

I hope Mr. Johnson does a better job detailing this then Smithsonian Magazine does.  Hyperbole can be useful but over used it becomes a detriment to a good argument.

 

Statements like:

“These birds are extremely scarce,” he said. “They are scarce in collections and even more scarce in the wild."  Even more in the wild, really?

 

Maybe I'm stupid, but is there really a “feather underground,”?   

 

"a flock of zealous 21st-century fly-tyers who insist on using the authentic plumes called for in the original 19th-century recipes."  BAD insistent fly tying zealots!

 

"Some Victorian flies require more than $2,000 worth, all wound around a single barbed hook."  really some, how about one or none?

 

"Like Rist, a virtuoso tyer, a surprising percentage of fly-tyers have no idea how to fish"  how about a small percentage?

 

The magazine & Mr Johnson should include the judgement against Rist, rather then make it seem he moved on to a happier life.  The court issued a £125000 fine for money laundering and repayment of what he'd sold - "Rist has £13,371.98 available to pay and has six months to pay it.  If he does not pay this amount within that time, he will have to serve his 12-month prison sentence."  The money laundering fine doesn't go away either.

 

There's the tragedy of a stupid spoiled college kid having the ethical and moral turpitude of a meth cook.

 

There's the tragedy of the aforementioned stupid spoiled college kid stealing from the collection at Tring and a bit of the heritage of his host country.

 

There's the tragedy of a decision by the aforementioned stupid spoiled college kid that caused a famliy to dissolve.

 

There's the tradedy that less then 200 bird skins (299 total minus returned and recovered) has wrecked a lot of friendships and good will.  

 

There's a small black eye for the classic fly tying community ... but Mr Johnson and others need to paint with finer brush strokes.

 

[Barkworth]

Royce, from my time in the river, I know that perhaps as much as 90% of fishermen don't know how to fish. Casting a fly is not the same as fishing ;-)

Rv-

[ted patlen]

Agreed - sad and funny,  and it's a tragedy on multiple levels

 

I hope Mr. Johnson does a better job detailing this then Smithsonian Magazine does.  Hyperbole can be useful but over used it becomes a detriment to a good argument.

 

Statements like:

“These birds are extremely scarce,” he said. “They are scarce in collections and even more scarce in the wild."  Even more in the wild, really?

 

Maybe I'm stupid, but is there really a “feather underground,”?   

 

"a flock of zealous 21st-century fly-tyers who insist on using the authentic plumes called for in the original 19th-century recipes."  BAD insistent fly tying zealots!

 

"Some Victorian flies require more than $2,000 worth, all wound around a single barbed hook."  really some, how about one or none?

 

"Like Rist, a virtuoso tyer, a surprising percentage of fly-tyers have no idea how to fish"  how about a small percentage?

 

The magazine & Mr Johnson should include the judgement against Rist, rather then make it seem he moved on to a happier life.  The court issued a £125000 fine for money laundering and repayment of what he'd sold - "Rist has £13,371.98 available to pay and has six months to pay it.  If he does not pay this amount within that time, he will have to serve his 12-month prison sentence."  The money laundering fine doesn't go away either.

 

There's the tragedy of a stupid spoiled college kid having the ethical and moral turpitude of a meth cook.

 

There's the tragedy of the aforementioned stupid spoiled college kid stealing from the collection at Tring and a bit of the heritage of his host country.

 

There's the tragedy of a decision by the aforementioned stupid spoiled college kid that caused a famliy to dissolve.

 

There's the tradedy that less then 200 bird skins (299 total minus returned and recovered) has wrecked a lot of friendships and good will.  

 

There's a small black eye for the classic fly tying community ... but Mr Johnson and others need to paint with finer brush strokes.

 

Is this a book review or a tease to see if there is interest from other  “Anorak's" for a mundane script?   

[roycestearns]

Ted, Ouch!  I expected better from the Smithsonian Mag then simply insinuating the problem is the CFT community.

[Barkworth]

"Fake news!"...

 

Rv-

[ted patlen]

Ted, Ouch!  I expected better from the Smithsonian Mag then simply insinuating the problem is the CFT community.

Royce.

 

I agree with what you said 100%  I was replying to the article itself, not your interpretation, I should have been more direct.  The whole mess is a tragic event for all involved and should be done by now.

 

Robert, not fake but something suited for the tabloids and not the Smithsonian...my opinion.

[Barkworth]

Ted, you are right, sir.

Rv-

[roycestearns]

Ted, ahh ... I do love 

 

"Anorak's" for a mundane script?

 

I'm looking forward to using that in the future.

[Bud Guidry]

I preordered the book, I need a good laugh. You guys should check out Edwina rock and roll flute thingy on YouTube if ya wanna be amused. If the book is anything like the rock and roll flute hingy I may be using it for kindling. Sorry but thats just how i saw it

[Bud Guidry]

Thor
Ragnarok
There's gonna be a Ragnarok when the reading begins
Monsters are gonna be reborn

[K W Johnson]

Bud, appreciate it!  Hope you read it before converting it to kindling  

 

One polite request I'll make here: I'd ask that people separate what I wrote - which represents over six years of research and interviews with many, many members of the community (some on the record, some confidentially), Edwin himself, forwarded emails, screenshots, etc. - from what might be written by someone else about the book in the coming weeks/months.  (I didn't write this Smithsonian article at the top of this thread, for example).  

 

At some point (maybe after Ragnarok?), if there's any interest, I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have.

[jgogg]

Bud, appreciate it!  Hope you read it before converting it to kindling

 

One polite request I'll make here: I'd ask that people separate what I wrote - which represents over six years of research and interviews with many, many members of the community (some on the record, some confidentially), Edwin himself, forwarded emails, screenshots, etc. - from what might be written by someone else about the book in the coming weeks/months.  (I didn't write this Smithsonian article at the top of this thread, for example).  

 

At some point (maybe after Ragnarok?), if there's any interest, I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have.

After all this time paying close attention to the mythos of featherwing salmon fly tying, have you managed to avoid learning how to tie the flies?

[wsbailey]

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-04556-9

[Bud Guidry]

Anyone read the book? In the mail for lunch, put it down at 7 completed reading