Freddy Block | Firehole Ambassador

I'm Freddy Block and have lived in northern NJ all my life. At 9 years old, the river we lived near would call my name (quite a bit too) and fishing became a major part of my life. Fly tying opened a venue for me to work with my hands, tools, and materials, but also gave me an opportunity to "fish" with the flies I tie as well as photographing them (all passions)!

Fly Tying Experience

Years Tying Flies: Since 2015

How You Got Started

I started fly tying and fly fishing around mid-2015 and did these only occasionally until 2018. My tying took a serious upward turn with my first Instagram post at the very end of December 2018. The amount of inspiration that I was getting from Instagram prior to that truly pushed me to dive in deep with the following goal in mind: "To stay inspired with hopes to one day inspire others!"

Favorite Pattern to Tie

I cannot say I have a "favorite" fly I tie but will share that I enjoy tying (and fishing) soft hackles, wrapping turkey biots, stripped peacock herl, and wrapping pheasant tail fibers quite a bit. Then there's deer and elk hair, and many others so one can say if I'm at my vise, it's all good!

Favorite Species & Waters

Target Species: Trout and warm water river species (over summer)
Favorite Waters to Fish: The Catskills and local rivers

Fly Tying Style & Specialties

If you visit my Instagram feed, you'll see mostly trout flies because they cover the species I typically fish for. This includes many styles of patterns from wets to dries, and a few streamers sprinkled in. Some of what I tie are purely for fun, for challenging myself, and for the photography side. For the streamers, I especially like to tie the Matuka style while hair and feather wings are all fun too.

Why You Trust Firehole

When I got serious about fly tying and decided to tie and fish barbless hooks, I asked some tyers what hooks I was seeing in their fly images. After learning they were Firehole Sticks I immediately purchased some. I was so happy with them, it was a done deal and I've been passionate about the brand ever since.

Social Media & Links

Gear & Bench Setup

My gear choices are a Regal Revolution vise (stainless steel jaws) mounted on their "The Pocket Platform" base, Firehole Sticks are the chassis for most (95%) of my tying, and for tools, in no particular order: C&F Design, Smhaen, Dr. Slick, Renomed, Stonfo, SwissCDC, Hareline, and Loon Outdoors. For materials, it's the typical fare in the US: Hareline, Wapsi, Whiting Farms, Sideling Hill Hackle, Nature's Spirit, and many others including "legal" natural materials harvested by myself and my son, and some local hunter friends. I also enjoy woodworking and built a few iterations of a tool caddy I always have to my right and it's loaded and ready at all times!

Fun Fact

With the cRaZy amount of time I spend at my vise tying cRaZy amounts of flies for myself and others, my largest trout (PB) on a fly took a Walt's Worm (Firehole Sticks 516, a Firehole Stone silver tungsten slotted bead, and hare's ear). Simple and super deadly! I'd get bored tying just those but they work, and well! My first trout on a fly was fooled by a Zug Bug and the second, the same day, took a Frenchie (Shrimp Pink dubbing). Every fish is special to catch, from my personal smallest to my largest. If it eats my fly, I'm a happy guy!

Freddy Block - Vernon, NJ