Darren MacEachern is the man behind Streamers 365. He’s an avid fly fisherman and fly tier who currently resides outside of Toronto, Canada, spending his days fishing many of the great lake’s rivers and tributaries. For those of you who’ve not visited Darren’s blog, he’s pledged to showcase a different classic feather wing streamer every day of the year for 2012. I find the blog very interesting and I wanted to learn more, so I decided to interview Darren over the phone. He was super cool and more than happy to answer my questions.

What made you decide to start Streamers365.com?

I found that there wasn’t a lot of information about classic feather wing streamer patterns out there. Most of what I found were self-published books that are expensive and hard to find. I also wanted to find a way to give back to some of my favorite fishing causes. 100% of the money generated by the blog through merchandise sales and auctioning of the fly patterns will be donated.

Do you tie many of the streamer patterns showcased on the blog?

Yes, it looks like I’ll be tying 50-70 of the streamer patterns this year. However, I’ve been very fortunate to have received support from several outstanding fly tiers willing to contribute and donate their fly patterns to the project and cause.

The classic feather wing streamer patterns are very cool. What fishing application were they originally designed for?

Classic feather wing streamers were originally designed to troll on long lines behind boats on lakes. They aren’t your typical pound the bank streamer or intended for heavy fly casting. Many are tied for show as artwork, and end up framed. They’ve become very popular for collectors and sell at premium prices in auctions.

What’s the most money you have sold one of your showcased feather wing streamers for so far this year?

The highest grossing fly at auction so far this year went for $67.00. However, it’s not uncommon for classic feather wing streamers patterns by popular fly tiers like Mike Martinek to auction for $50-100.

2012’s theme is classic feather wing streamers, can you give us a sneak peak for 2013?

I haven’t made up my mind completely yet, if this year is a success, I’m considering doing bucktail streamers for next year.

Do you have a favorite pattern that you’ve showcased on the blog?

Yes, the Kokanee Salmon or pattern #59. I really like how the pattern looks just like a spawning salmon.

Where do you recommend buying some of these specialty capes and saddles?

Many of the capes and saddles used for classic feather wing streamers are of genetic pro grade. You can find capes and saddles of this quality at Whiting Farms, but you should also keep an eye out for them on eBay and other auction sites. Sometimes quantities are limited at Whiting Farms, so if you find the color or style you want in stock, I recommend you order at least a couple at a time. As for unique colors, Whiting Farms does have a large variety of unique colors. However, a lot of guides I know buy a dozen or more white capes and saddles at a time and die the feathers themselves. Kool-Aid (Instructions on dyeing with Kool-Aid) is a favorite dye source for many of them.

While you’re checking out Streamers365.com we recommend reading the Wing Things section of the blog. It has a very interesting article written by Don Ordes, which details how he goes about organizing and creating his classic feather wing streamer patterns.

Keep it Reel,