At Umpqua Feather Merchants we strive to offer unique, proven, innovative, and problem-solving flies in our catalog. We do this through our Signature Fly Designer Program where Tyers submit patterns to us. As a Professional Guide, competitive angler, shop owner, or enthusiast, you’ve likely developed a pattern that has solved an issue in your angling. We are on the lookout for those unique, creative and proven patterns to add to our catalog of flies.
We accept submissions all year long and we review the submissions quarterly. When we receive a pattern that we feel has a place in our catalog, we will begin the process at that time to fish the patterns that we can locally, swim the patterns that are intended for water outside our locale, as well as send samples to our group of field testers in the appropriate locations.
Our decision to accept your pattern(s) has many facets; it’s a very competitive race with only the best being chosen. It isn’t uncommon for us to pass on a great pattern in order to address a specific niche in another area or category. That doesn’t mean that pattern wouldn’t be considered for the following year and resubmissions are welcomed.
If your pattern(s) are chosen for production, you will receive a phone call to discuss the contract and sampling process in detail. You will be required to tie additional samples, fill out provided specification sheets for each pattern and provide us with any necessary step by step instructions or videos we feel are needed.
Once your pattern(s) have been sampled by our factories, those samples are sent to you for approval. Production only begins once you have given us your approval. At that time, we will build an inventory and begin to release the product to certain dealers as they become available. We will still be introducing our new patterns in our annual catalog that is printed and available to dealers, currently at the end of July.
This process can take a great deal of time; from the time we receive your submissions to the time they are available to the public it can be upwards of eighteen months. Typically, you will be looking at a twelve-month process and depending on the learning curve the factories face while tying new patterns that could go either way.
Please send any submissions to the address listed below. Your submissions should be packed in a container or box that will withstand the abuse of shipping and preferably the flies organized in a fly box within that container. Please do not send your submissions in an envelope, it is very important for us to see how much you care about your design(s). Include 2-3 flies of each size and color of each unique pattern; this gives us a nice collection to look at as well as enough for us to run through our field testing. You can also include a biography about yourself, fly recipes, tying instructions and/or anything else you’d like us to see while we review your pattern(s).
Make sure to include your contact information (name, email and phone#) so we can get ahold of you, as well as a return address so we can return any patterns that don’t make the final cut.
Umpqua Feather Merchants
ATTN: Matt Winkler
594 South Arthur Ave
Louisville, CO 80027
I encourage you to take a few minutes to read the following story of the man who changed the course of fly fishing history, Dennis Black, Umpqua's founder. Randall Kaufmann said it best. “The combination of Dennis’ entrepreneurial spirit, vision, risk taking, influential friendships and business partners, with the world’s best flies from the world’s best tyers on the world’s best hooks with the world’s best materials made Umpqua the world’s best and biggest supplier of flies, changing the sport of fly fishing forever.”
Dennis started the Royalty Program and it remains the pinnacle of any serious fly tyers career. As a contracted Signature Tyer, we pay an 8% royalty on all of your patterns invoiced quarterly. The contract also allows you to receive outstanding discounts on all Umpqua products for the duration of the contract. Not to mention the pride of being among the World’s greatest group of fly designers and recognized as an Umpqua Feather Merchants Signature Tyer.
We look forward to your submission.