Umpqua Feather Merchants - Official Fly Tying Supplier for Fly Fishing Team USA

What is Umpquality?

Umpquality is the consistent thread that runs through everything they do at Umpqua Feather Merchants. Umpqua returns once again this year as our fly hook and fly tying material sponsor.

Umpqua Feather Merchants begin by selecting only the finest tying materials, hand inspected by them in Glide, Oregon. Only then do they send them to their fly tyers overseas.

A perfect fly starts with a hook in the vise. Umpqua introduced chemically sharpened Tiemco hooks to North America in 1985 and they have become the standard by which all others are judged…razor sharp points, closed eyes, micro barbs, innovative models, and superior tempering for enhanced strength. It is with Tiemco hooks that they begin to tie their flies.

It is impossible to make a top notch dry fly without top notch hackle. That's why they use Metz feathers on all of their dry flies. The broad range of natural colors, small sizes, and flexible stems of Metz hackle help make Umpqua dry flies the finest in the world.

Once tied, all Umpqua flies endure a minimum of four quality control checks. These numerous quality control steps insure that all flies are tied to perfection, each and every time. Only flies that meet these uncompromising standards join the family of Umpqua's over 1500 "Flies with Attitude".

By partnering with the most innovative fly designers around the globe and rewarding them with royalty payments for their creative genius, Umpqua has been able to turn hot regional patterns into national standards.

From the timeless standards, to the most innovative patterns designed by the most creative tyers worldwide…and tied to perfection each and every time…that's Umpquality.

The idea for Umpqua Feather Merchants first took shape in the hands of their founder, Dennis Black, back in 1972.

As a fast and facile professional fly-tyer, Dennis was known for his skill and speed at producing hundreds of dozens of flies each year for the larger mail order houses.

But he was also quick to realize how fast the demand for excellent flies would outstrip the abilities of cottage industry types like himself.

The obvious quest: To create excellent flies in sufficient supply – without sinking his standards. In response, Dennis developed (with characteristic care) a methodical plan:

First, he enlisted the tying expertise of the likes of Dave Whitlock, Jack Dennis, Andy Puyans and others, to help him set the standard of excellence for Umpqua flies.

Next, Dennis established the first of what would eventually be five separate fly-tying “factories,” first in India, then in Sri Lanka, and finally in Thailand. The primary focus at each of these factories was on producing the very best fishing flies possible, constructed of the very best materials available. From the beginning, the quantity of flies produced was secondary to the quality and excellence of each fly pattern. These high standards were assured by the personal involvement of the fly designers themselves, and by the ever-increasing skill, imagination and creativity of the Umpqua production fly tiers. Today, you will find no flies more skillfully tied than those available from Umpqua Feather Merchants.

Finally, Dennis created a system of royalty payments, to reward professional tyers like Whitlock, Lefty Kreh, Randall Kaufman, Larry Dahlberg, and Bob Popovics for uniquely good patterns.

The Result?

Today, Umpqua produces umpteen thousand dozen flies, from micro-scopic midge imitations to the huge patterns favored by marlin and sailfish. And the "Umpquality" – you’ll see for yourself. Fly Fishing Team USA ties their flies for World Fly Fishing Championships on Tiemco hooks and Metz saddles, necks and capes.