Ask anyone who knows anything about Irish fly fishing and fly tying personalities, and one name is certain to be mentioned with the greatest respect; Mr. E.J. Malone, or "Ted" as he is affectionately known.
Ted Malone has written many superb books on Irish fly-fishing and fly-tying, including, 'Irish Trout & Salmon Flies', and the excellent "Tying Flies in the Irish Style". He also wrote the introduction to "Fly fishing in Ireland" which is a reprint of a very desirable and useful book first written by the legendary Tomas J. Hanna in 1933. Ted's magnificent book "Irish Trout & Salmon Flies, 1984", (which lists hundreds of Irish patterns that were nearly forgotten,) is consulted regularly by us at Fly tying Ireland for the compulsory patterns for our annual Irish Open Fly tying Championships. Should you be in a position to purchase a first edition of this terrific book, then it is well-worth the expense.




Ted's angling career dates from 1930 when, aged just 13 he hooked a nice salmon while fishing worms for trout. Over the following 10 years he devoted himself to the gentle art, becoming quite the fanatical angler. When the war came, Ted served his time in the R. A. F. Coastal Command and qualified as a teacher, but afterwards chose to take a senior post in the Social Services and while there was able to pass on his fly tying skills to handicapped people, which gladly added to their mental, physical, and financial advantage. He is a former Director of the Ulster Angling Federation, and by his own admission, feels very fortunate to have personally known T. J. (Tommy) Hanna, Sam Anderson, and Percy Quinn, and to have been able to record some of their fly dressings/patterns for posterity.
Since his retirement from the D.H.S.S. he spent two years as the Northern Ireland Director/ Adviser to a government-funded survey of the needs of handicapped people, and then served as a part-time Chairman of the Supplementary Benefit Appeals Tribunal.

He and his lovely wife Judy, who also shares a great love of fly fishing, spend as much time as possible on their hill farm in Co. Donegal, where they are in easy reach of miles of unspoiled fishing waters, and their many friends in the area.
More recently, both Ted and Judy enjoy their annual trips to the mighty Lough Corrib for may fly fishing, with Judy on the dries and Ted drifting his well-chosen wets. The may fly excursions are then followed by the late season daddy fishing. Ted is well known for his exceptionally well-tied dry and wet daddy patterns, some of which I am most fortunate to posses in my personal collection.

(the above biographical information was gleaned from Ted's fine book, 'Irish Trout & Salmon Flies')