Igor und Nadica Stancev
Nadica and Igor Stancev work as professional fly tiers, tying instructors, photographers and authors. They live in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia.
Igor has been tying flies since he was 12 years old. When he first started, he hand tied them without the use of any tools to help. Whilst studying as an electrical engineer he became much more passionate about his interest in fly tying which then took over his life.
After meeting each other in 1991, Igor and Nadica shared the same love for nature, macro photography and fly fishing. They combined this together with their detailed photography of insects to create their beautiful fly patterns. Although Nadica graduated as an economist, her sense for art and design has successfully transferred into tying flies and photography.
Between 1997 and 2001, they together won 43 top prizes at major international fly tying competitions in Norway, Slovenia, Germany and Ireland. Today their innovative tying techniques, macro photos and articles are published in prestigious fly tying magazines worldwide.
As well as regularly demonstrating their innovative techniques at main fly fishing shows in Europe, they published fly tying articles in many major international fly fishing and fly tying publications including:
– Fly Tyer (USA),
– Fisch und Fliege (Germany),
– Ribic (Slovenia),
– La pesca mosca e spinning (Italy),
– Flugfiske i Norden (Sweden),
– Fluefiske (Norway),
– Perhokalastus (Finland)
– FlyFishing & FlyTying (UK)
They have collaborated in producing 9 books about fly tying which have been published in France (3), Norway (3) UK (1) USA (1) and Italy (1), providing photographs and details of how to tie flies and the materials used.
As well as competing and demonstrating in competitions and at fly fairs they are members of the jury at the World Tuscany Open Fly Tying Competition and the German Open Fly Tying Championships.
Since 2007 they have been Ambassadors for the Italian Fly Fishing School SIM-for Macedonia.
Igor and Nadica are themselves dedicated anglers and regularly fish using every chance, at home or abroad in Italy, France, Slovenia and Germany. It is on these fishing trips that they develop and perfect their patterns.
After 10 years regular writing and photographing for the German fly fishing magazine “Fisch und Fliege”, a special fly tying edition of the magazine was published. Here, on 100 pages, they explain in detail 40 proven fly patterns step by step with almost 600 photographs and reveal their tying techniques and tips.
After the success of the first special fly tying edition of the magazine “Fisch und Fliege” from Germany, another, third edition was published with 32 fly patterns, explained in detail with 500 step by step macro photos.
Since 2018, Nadica and Igor have been members of the Orvis pro tying team in Germany.