Wedding Boutonniere Flies

A dapper angler

I was recently commissioned to tie fourteen wedding boutonniere flies for a couple who tyed the knot earlier this month. At first, I submitted a hairwing atlantic salmon fly design in the requested color scheme, pink and blue. The colors were a little off, so the groom sent me a picture of the tie that he and the other groomsmen will be wearing. It was a few different shades of blue with jumping tarpon and little pink tarpon-type flies.

It seemed silly to pair salmon flies with a tarpon tie, so I retied the prototype. The second pattern was a more pleasing design, loosely based on a Florida Keys tarpon fly template. Salmon fly boutonnieres look nice, but they can be a little two dimensional. With its palmered marabou and hackle, a tarpon fly looks more "floral" to me. 

Ready to party!

After a little more tweaking, the third time was the charm. I wish I could have tied them on conventional stainless saltwater hooks, but I could only find brooch pin hooks on modified streamer and salmon irons. Regardless, I like how they turned out.

I bought one extra brooch pin hook. I might tie fly boutonniere for myself one of these days. After wearing it, I figure I can cut it apart and retie one to match another outfit.