About

Enrico Puglisi

Born and raised in Sicily, Enrico learned to fish by watching his father and uncles catch dinner in the Mediterranean Sea. To attract fish, they used feathers from their own chickens, and he noticed that the gaudiest feathers seemed to get the biggest fish. For Enrico, fly fishing has always been practical and personal.

While fishing has always been Enrico’s passion, it has not always been his livelihood. For many years Enrico worked as a chef. It was in a hotel kitchen in Sicily where he met his wife Karen, an American visiting for a culinary externship. In 1980 the couple moved to the United States, where Enrico continued to work in kitchens and spend his free time in the water.

With Karen's help, he learned about fly fishing at the Connetquot River State Park Preserve on Long Island and at other New York State streams. That summer, Enrico hooked his first trout, and that instilled in him an insatiable curiosity to understand why fish "eat" artificial flies.

Over the winter, Enrico learned English by reading magazines and books on fly fishing. He discovered Orvis and fly tying and saw something a world apart from the crude artificial flies made from his mother’s chicken feathers on snelled hooks. It was a watershed experience.

Enrico continued to study fish and their attraction to artificial flies in freshwater, but he felt drawn to the sea. Informed with his early memories of saltwater fishing and his newly acquired knowledge of freshwater fly tying he began to experiment. He took to fishing local Long Island beaches with saltwater flies of his creation.

In 1992 he opened The Practical Fly Shop in Little Neck, NY where his customers encouraged his creativity. He began to experiment with more durable synthetic and natural materials to create flies and materials that are now an iconic part of his catalog.

While Enrico no longer maintains The Practical Fly Shop, his innovative products are available to anglers everywhere through EP Flies. All patterns are designed to match specific baitfish and to be eminently fishable. Recognized for his unique hand tied flies and meticulous tying abilities, Enrico has had an undeniable impact on fly tying and fishing. Still curious, Enrico continues to study fish and innovate designs to expand offerings and improve fly fishing.