Jerry Shillcock of Paradise Fly Tying

Jerry stands out as one of our most meaningful connections in the world of fly fishing for so many reasons... The deadly Shoftshoe Emerger and the story behind it's creation, the countless flies he's tied for charity, and his passion for creating community in the fly fishing world are just the tip of the iceberg. 

At the base of each fly is a hook. it is artfully covered in fur, feathers, or countless other materials but some tyers add some sort of mysterious special sauce... call it magic or juju or whatever, but their flies simply work when others just don't cut it. Get a piece of the magic on his Etsy page here. 

In March 2022, just over a year after starting Hellbender Nets, Jerry commented on one of our posts in a fly fishing group on Facebook. He proposed a trade: a selection of custom flies for a net. The rest, as they say, is history. 

Fast forward to today and we have more flies in our box tied by Jerry than by any other tyer. He has helped connect us with our local chapter of Casting for Recovery (who will be auctioning off three of our nets in the coming months... keep an eye out) and we are honored to call him a friend. 

If you are interested in the story of the Softshoe Emerger, check out his Paradise Fly Tying Facebook page. He is releasing the story of his friend Vin - an integral part of creating one of our absolute favorite flies - one part at a time. You can read part one, posted on April 11, 2023 here.