Enrico Puglisi LTD., popularly known as EP Flies, a leading manufacturer of fly-fishing flies and fly tying materials and tools, will support Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s conservation efforts as a Silver Corporate Sponsor, donating one percent of annual sales to BTT.
“We are proud to be part of the important work being done by BTT,” said Enrico Puglisi. “Their efforts to restore and protect fish habitats, one part of the planet’s complex ecosystem, will help preserve the future not just for anglers but for everyone.”
EP Flies was founded by acclaimed fly tyer Enrico Puglisi, a native of Sicily. Puglisi grew up fishing the Mediterranean, but his passion for the sport remained latent while he pursued a career in the culinary arts that eventually brought him to New York in 1980. Even though he was bound to the kitchen, he still found time to explore local fly-fishing opportunities, such as the Connetquot River State Park Preserve on Long Island. That summer, Enrico hooked his first trout and that instilled in him an insatiable thirst to understand why fish “eat” artificial flies.
He took the knowledge he accumulated about freshwater fishing and added it to his earliest memories about catching saltwater species in Sicily. He began fishing several local Long Island beaches and later opened The Practical Fly Shop in Little Neck, NY in 1992, where his customers encouraged him to create many of his innovative flies. That led him to experiment with more durable synthetic materials to create flies that eventually became part of the catalog of offerings that are now marketed through Enrico Puglisi Ltd. as EP®️ Flies and EP®️ Fibers.
Today, Enrico no longer maintains The Practical Fly Shop, but through EP Flies his innovative products continue to have a major impact on saltwater fly fishing. His unique hand-tied flies are recognized worldwide, and he has been invited to demonstrate his meticulous tying techniques across the United States and the world.
“We appreciate EP Flies support of our mission,” said Jim McDuffie, BTT’s President and CEO. “Enrico is one of the great innovators of our sport, helping anglers around the world be more successful on the flats with his versatile fly patterns. We look forward to working with Enrico and EP Fliesto conserve the flats fishery for generations of anglers to come.”
