Fly Tying ASMR Video: How To Calm Your Mind While Improving Your Craft.

What is ASMR?

From Nebraska Medicine - What ASMR means: How it works and why it's popular.  "ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response; a term used to describe a tingling, static-like, or goosebumps sensation in response to specific triggering audio or visual stimuli. These sensations are said to spread across the skull or down the back of the neck and, for some, down the spine or limbs. When experiencing ASMR sensations, some people report pleasant feelings of relaxation, calm, sleepiness or well-being." 

The Fly Tyer and the Filmmaker

Erin Hyde is the fly tyer, and Alex J Burnett is the filmmaker. Erin comes at it as an artist first and a fly angler second. She's fished with conventional tackle her whole life but has recently taken up the fly rod. Alex has been fly fishing for eight years and works in the digital marketing world.

Respect for the History of Fly Fishing and Fly Tying

Erin approaches fly tying with respect to the history of the fly patterns she ties and likes to stay true to the originator's intentions. She isn't only going for the aesthetics of the fly but is sensitive to how it should behave in or on the water.

The Artist

She also won't deny her artistic side. When inspired, she makes modifications in design or creative choices that may not align with the original pattern. It's a balancing act. She brings her inspirations to the fly in what she calls "calculated risks."

An example is the carapace on her Blue Alphlexo Crab. She added a light coat of UV resin glue to the top of the crab body, embellished it with some nail glitter, and sealed it with UV nail top coat. There was a possibility this could cause the fly to sink upside down or otherwise act strangely in the water. "It was my modification, and I was aware it could change the hydrodynamics of the fly," she worried.

Her Fly Patterns Are More Than a Pretty Face

Erin and Alex go out with fly rods to test her work and make sure the flies do what they are intended to do. Erin emails me the results, "I’m happy to report that we were able to dunk the crab this past weekend. It sinks perfectly and behaves the same as the original version of the fly with some extra flash."

Fly Fishing, Fly Casting, and Film Making

Alex's day job is as a "Digital Marketer," which includes video marketing, web design, photography, and graphic design. Back in the day he would be called a Director, Producer, and Editor. Looking at the quality of his work, it's clear that there is a filmmaker in him.

He also does most of the testing of Erin's flies and offers up some casting instructions when the two of them are able to get out on the water together. He finds Erin adamant about getting better as a fly angler.

@shetiesflies

Let's make some shrimp before winter fades Follow for more chill flies. Fly: Magic Shrimp Tied by: Erin Hyde OG Creator: Rune Westphal Target Species: Bonefish, permit, redfish, sheepshead, freshwater carp Recipe: Mustad Shrimp Back Hook Size 2 Monofilament thread Lead-free wire Bluefaced Leicester wool Polar flash Mallard feather Bucktail Monofilament (30 |b) Shrimp eyes Brush on glitter Synthetic fiber Midge flash Shrimp back film UV glue UV top coat #flytying #flyfishing #satisfying #bonefish #redfish

♬ original sound - She Ties Flies

The Fly Tying, Film Making Process

The two of them work together to make the fly tying  ASMR videos. She ties, he films, and they both contribute creative ideas. She brought the idea of ASMR to the feel of the shoot, and he brought his skill with sound, editing, and visuals to bring it to life. Once in a while, they butt heads; she likes something that he doesn't, but mostly they are both easygoing and have the same vision.

The Future is Now

Their videos have garnered a lot of attention. They started an Instagram account, _shetiesflies_, two months ago to feature the videos, and it's already amassed over 180K followers. Both fly tiers, and casual viewers are finding enjoyment in their work.

A look into the future of Erin Hyde and Alex J Burnett would include the making of fly fishing films, more fly tying videos, and Erin becoming a skilled fly angler. They will start with that and see where the journey takes them. KB

Watch the full video below.

_{Do yourself a favor. This is a pour-yourself-a-drink and relax moment. On a desktop computer, a tablet, or a flat screen television (the bigger the screen the better), turn down the lights and turn up the volume. Click on the video below and expand it to fill out the screen. This will be 15 minutes of fly tying bliss that will unwind your day and put you into a good headspace.} 

“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover