Sander Bruijne, a.k.a. “Sunshine” was born in 1963 and grew up in Wateringen a small town in the Midwest of The Netherlands. Being around five years old he started fishing at his uncle’s Marina. His first fishing exploits where with a crooked old bamboo pole. Who would have thought that he would be fishing with bamboo (split cane this time) again some sixteen years later…

So, his first fishing experiences date back to the sixties of the last century. Since then the rods have changed the methods have changed and he has changed. But he’s still crazy about fishing. He took up fly fishing when he was twelve years old. Nowadays 98% of his fishing is fly fishing.

Sunshine started fly tying soon after he started fly fishing. After all catching fish with a self tied fly really adds to the fun.

Next to fly fishing in The Netherlands he regularly crosses the border to hunt for scaled prey in Germany, Norway, Czech Republic, Slovenia or France. Fishing for a variety of species means that he also ties a variety of flies. Usually he just ties what he needs. Promoting fly fishing and fly tying is something that fits Sunshine’s enthusiastic nature and infallible good mood (hence the nickname). Something that came to good use during the fly tying workshops he’s been giving for several fly fishing clubs. The last couple of years Sunshine has rediscovered the fun of tying and fishing spiders. When you meet him on the Flair Fair that’s probably what he’ll be tying.