Syd Glasso Flies

Editor’s note: the following document is the introduction by Art Lingren to his book (2021) “Syd Glasso — An Influential, Innovative Master Fly Tyer and His Canadian Connections.”

In his 2002 book, Spey Flies & Dee Flies, John Shewey gives due credit to Syd Glasso for developing and introducing Spey-style flies in the Pacific Northwest. Glasso, a Forks, Washington schoolteacher and principal, was one of those quiet-spoken, modest fly fishers whose fly tying and fishing skills ranked second to none in the steelhead community. Glasso dressed his first Spey-style fly back in the early 1950s and in the following years developed a number more for his backyard rivers. A master fly dresser who spurned recognition, but I would like to believe that he would be flattered at the influence he has had in dressing not only Glasso-type Spey flies but other elegant flies we tie and swim through the water to entice steelhead.