I was at a tying demo several weeks ago and this kid's story was brought up. It sounded like fly shop gossip or rumor but I guess its true. Thanks for posting!
Well, this stupid idiot, and that is what he is, will have plenty of time for tying flies when he is behind bars. Career ruined, family disgraced and for what? He deserves what he has coming to him......when he is inside with the general population.
It's a very strange story. Almost like he was put up to it or coerced a touch. Although, the lure of all those classic materials and the $$$ they can bring might have been too much to bare for someone so naive.
It is my understanding some of the feathers were sold on ebay and that other tyers helped. So if you bought some real cool feathers on the net in the past few months better check.
He probably thought he would get away with it - ie selling the rare skins & feathers - as many were thought to be unobtainable, and thus the 'secretive' world of sourcing rare feathers was fueled by a sudden influx into a limited marketplace of specialist tyers. :whoa:
First time I heard about this was from the FTF site because he was a member there. Makes you wonder how he thought he'd get away with it, all things considered......:tsk_tsk:
Criminals, by and large, seem to lack much in the way of foresight (lol, not to mention good judgement and common sense). Why do any of 'em do what they do? Seems they figure THEY won't be the ones that get caught. If it all wasn't so tragic, it really would be quite humorous. But its not.
Gary
Man, and I feel a little guilty using polar bear. Guess he just didn't care about using/selling feathers from birds that will probably be extinct shortly.
Like I said, what a jerk!
Now everyone understands why I and several others always tell folks to never mess with rare and exotic materials unless you can get the required certification that it was harvested prior to January 1, 1992 or the notarized certificate that it was legally obtained from a zoo or other legal domestic grower, or the CITIES documentation. As this clearly shows, it isn't worth the possible criminal arrest and conviction to have them in your possession, not to mention selling them.
Those of us who remember the old Herter's out of Minnesota know that they were fined into bankruptcy and out of existence when they tried to bring a semi-truck full of jungle cock into the states from Canada by way of a little used border crossing. They tried to claim the hackle capes were not jungle cock, but "Grey Ceylone Jungle Fowl" a type of wild rooster, which is exactly what they are. They were the largest fishing, hunting, archery, fly tying, hiking, outdoors retailer in the US. Then they were no more.
Folks are located just out of Ashland, Oregon and totally straight arrow. Expensive? Yes, but what you get from Kate is the very best of the very best.
When I lived 'down there' she/I'd swap garden produce for her "seconds." Like I could care????:lildevl:
fae
Edit: If you click on the 'Rods' bit you'll meet our old pal Bob Meiser.
Just purchased and am about half way through The Feather Thief a newly published book that tells the story of Edwin Rist. Starts with quite a bit of history of exotic birds and people who collected them and then moves on to Edwin's breaking into a private museum and stealing hundreds of century old birds.
I searched and found this old thread because I thought I had seen something about it years ago.
I wasn't going to comment...but I can'r resist. This whole sordid affair is old news and has been beat to death on other sites ad nausea.
It just so happens I know many of the people mentioned in that book...some very well personally, others through casual long distant contact. We have discussed much of this privately and it is my honest opinion the book is a hatchet job...plain and simple. I've read it...my research and gut feeling tells me the author went into this with an agenda...again just my opinion.
Yes...Edwin Rist committed the crime. THAT does not mean those of us who tie classic salmon flies are guilty by association. And yes I have already run into that attitude/belief at my local fly tying club. That attitude seems to be...if they read it in that book then it all must be true and tyers of those flies are all bad guys killing rare birds and selling their souls for certain feathers. I'm sure there are more than a few who aren't exactly saints, but it isn't anything close to what the author would have the world at large believe.
If you do read the book my only hope is that you do so with a great deal of skepticism. To me the guy is a hack!!
One final note...Of all the classic flies I've tied over the years, there is only one tied with the "real thing". That is a Jock Scott with feathers given to me by an old friend somewhere around 30 or 35 years ago. I use substitutes as a matter of principle...and have been doing so since long before the Tring Museum heist...and that will never change...period!!
One final note...Of all the classic flies I've tied over the years, there is only one tied with the "real thing". That is a Jock Scott with feathers given to me by an old friend somewhere around 30 or 35 years ago. I use substitutes as a matter of principle...and have been doing so since long before the Tring Museum heist...and that will never change...period!!
Completed confused as a 22 year old my only crime was smoking as much BC skunk as possible and having as many dates become familiar with the backseat of my 1976 Chevy Nova
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