Fly Fishers' Republic

About F.F.R.

Killips in a boat

This is for anyone curious enough to want to know about this website and who is behind it.

My name is Raif Killips, I’m the creator and editor of this website. I have a background in the creative industries with a career through fine art & photography, exhibitions design & production, and laterly web design and application development. My angling career started at Rislip Lido, hooking both minnows and me. Having started in tiddler snatching I later took up fly-fishing. While I fished rather a lot in the past, more recently I’ve eased up and would now be labeled a leisure angler.

I’ve fished nearly all my life and enjoyed the outdoors in all its diversity for just as long. While I’m resident in the UK, I’ve had the pleasure of fishing several States and Provinces of USA and Canada, and several locations across Europe. Currently my home waters are the clear streams of the Peak District National Park, and the reservoirs of Britain’s Midlands. Once my local was the fishing hole in the grounds of Eastern Illinois University, and Lake Charleston; not highlights of my fishing career, though I loved the bass and panfish, and fishing with Sam, Asri and my good friend John are great memories.

I built this website with the support of several angling professionals and contributing readers, launching it in 2005. This was with the intention of offering a permanent and free resource, and realised through a small initial investment and when necessary, with funds from advertising.

Fly Fishers' Republic has been through 3 large version changes. Initially run as a static site, then as a WordPress site. It is now returned to a static site designed primarily for mobile access. This reflects the site's audience and usage.

Hopefully you’ll like the latest design. It is uncluttered by heavy graphics in order to ensure good performance and save your data allowance.

If you have any questions; you’ll find contact details on the page of that name.