who we are
Glenn R. Weisner
Owner of Glenn River Fly Co. Ltd
Glenn has been tying flies since a seventh grade science fair project. He studied the life cycle of trout and quickly determined a majority of their diet consisted of aquatic insects and land based “flies”. An eighth grade follow up project and curiosity ultimately lead to a primitive fly-tying kit. Self taught for the first ten years, Glenn tied and fished predominately for warm water fish. For the last 30 years he has honed his tying skills tremendously thanks in part to private lessons, workshops and the availability of tying related information.
Glenn’s fly-tying mentor and close personal friend Chris Helm passed away in 2014. Chris was regarded by most to be perhaps the finest deer hair fly-tier in the world and nothing short of an ambassador to the sport. Glenn attributes most of his tying capabilities to the instruction and introductions Chris gave & made.
Glenn is a passionate fisherman and prefers to fish for Trout on cold water streams both in the States and abroad. He has created or improved several dozen fly patterns that he regards as his “guide” flies- carrying them everywhere. Glenn enjoys the challenges of technical spring creek waters and is especially regarded for his interest in Terrestrials and Midges. Glenn is a good classroom and riverbank teacher with solid communication skills and patience. He enjoys working with beginners and children.
Glenn, his wife Melissa and son Conrad James live in Sylvania, Ohio.
Wayne Samson
Wayne has been fly fishing and tying for nearly 25 years. Originally a warm water fisherman he started by experimenting with bass bugs using deer hair. Soon he met Chris Helm of Toledo, Ohio- considered by most to be perhaps the finest deer hair tier and he quickly developed a friendship. Chris rounded out Wayne’s tying, especially deer hair, and considered Wayne to be not only his best student ever, but the “best fly-tier no one ever heard of.” Wayne’s specialty remains deer hair bugs and hair work in general. However, he ties epoxy flies, saltwater flies, classic Atlantic salmon flies and most all trout flies as well.
Wayne has entered the Mustad Scandinavian International Fly Tying Competition two times and has returned home two Gold Medals. Most notably was a head-to-head competition against the master and his teacher Chris Helm in 1998. Wayne has won several other notable fly tying competitions and enjoys the competition challenges of fly-tying very much.
Wayne has good fishing skills and enjoys teaching beginners as well as more advanced fly fishers different techniques and fishing applications on the stream. Wayne likes all styles of fishing from warm water saltwater & bass to cold water steelhead and trout. He fishes in Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio mostly. Wayne works full-time at Ford Motor Co. as a Machine Repairman.
