Enrico Puglisi

Surrounded by the saltwater of the Mediterranean, I learned about fishing in my native Sicily. As I watched my father and uncles catch dinner I noticed that the gaudiest feathers from their chickens seemed to attract some of the largest fish. Although I remained passionate about fishing I was urged to pursue a career in the culinary arts. While working as chef in a Sicilian hotel I met my bride, Karen, and in 1980 we moved to her home in New York City.

In the States, I continued working in the kitchen and fishing in my free time. Karen and I explored fly fishing at the Connetquot River State Park Preserve on Long Island, and other New York State streams. During my first summer in New York, I hooked my first trout instilling in an insatiable thirst to understand why fish "eat" artificial flies. That winter, I pushed myself to read English fishing magazines and books. It was around this time I discovered Orvis and fly tying. It was a watershed experience, quite different from the creation of the crude artificial flies constructed from my mother's chicken feathers on snelled hooks.

As I continued to deepen my study of fish and their attraction to artificial flies, something kept drawing my back to the sea. My new knowledge of freshwater fishing techniques combined with my memories of catching saltwater species shifted my view. With this revelation I started fishing in several local Long Island beaches.


With a passion for fishing and tying, I opened The Practical Fly Shop in Little Neck, NY in 1992. My customers encouraged me to create original flies. I began to experiment with more durable synthetic and natural materials to create flies that eventually became part of the catalog offered through Enrico Puglisi Ltd. as EP™ Flies and EP™ Fibers. Today, I no longer maintain The Practical Fly Shop, but through Enrico Puglisi Ltd., my innovative products continue to have a groundbreaking impact on the future of saltwater fly fishing. My unique hand-tied flies are recognized around the world, and I have been invited to demonstrate my meticulous tying techniques across the United States and Europe. All of my patterns are designed to match specific baitfish and to be eminently fishable.

I wait for you together with the other builders at the Fly Tying Experience.

BUY NOW YOUR TICKET ONLINE TO FISH SHOW, SAVE MONEY AND SKIP THE LINE.