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Writer's pictureKelly Romo

Behind DEAD DRIFT: The Art of the Fly

How I transitioned from me to HIM...in a fictional sense.

Fly Fishing

For me, as I'm sure with most people who tie flies, it all started with fly fishing. I love standing in my waders with the water rushing against my thighs and feeling one with the river as the water boils against rocks and pools in eddies. There is a natural peacefulness and release to standing in a rushing river and casting a fly. Sometimes it's like hunting. You watch the water, spot a fish or its disturbance on the surface, and drop your fly right in front of it, hoping it will strike. Other times, you dead drift, making your fly mimic an actual insect on the current, drag-free with no tension on your line, which is challenging.


Fly Tying

Flies are little works of art. I enjoy creating them. When you catch a fish on a fly, the land, air, and river are all bound together with thread and copper wire.

The transition to HIM

Once I decided to write a thriller on the Deschutes, I wanted to capture and incorporate the different elements that make the river special. I included whitewater rafting, the smell of sage and juniper, the sounds of the railroad chugging along the bank, and the buzz of cicadas. I needed a serial killer, so why not a fly-tying serial killer who wraps a single strand of his victims' hair into each of his flies?

Brace Yourself

I decided to pull out all the stops and have fun with this novel. I wrote the story as I thought it should be written without worrying about what people may think of me (Okay, I do worry, but I did it anyway. Please don't judge). I am trying to find creative ways to bring readers to my book and have fun things for people who have read it. DEAD DRIFT is the first book in a three-book series, so brace yourselves; it will be a wild ride.


Of course, my serial killer opened a real Etsy Shop. If you would like to check it out, here is the link: I AM THE RIVER, Hand-Tied Flies.












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