Fly Tying for Fun, Fishing, Friends or Fame!
I hear of some brave souls that are still fishing
for striped bass or spearing smelts, but, until freeze-up time, fishing action is limited. Some of us prefer to winter indoors, recalling fishing adventures
from the past and planning our next season. Winter is also a great time to share fishing memories, techniques and ideas with
friends. Often that results in a plan to try new fishing, flies, or tricks next season. That plan becomes a mission and suddenly
winter seems short, very short indeed.
It’s a great time to try fly
tying as a new hobby or to improve fly tying skills. It’s a great time to introduce our young fishers to fly tying and
to help them develop skills. I know a number of young people who have become accomplished tyers in only a year or two, learning
a great hobby that will likely comfort them for the rest of their lives.
Where
can this hobby lead? Well, two good friends of mine from eastern Nova Scotia have recently been invited to each tie and contribute
a dozen or so classic salmon fly patterns from olden times to a new book. Their flies will be photographed to become pages
in Michael Radencich’s new book. Michael is widely regarded as the world’s foremost authority on traditional salmon
flies, and has invited the world’s top classic tyers to each contribute specific historical patterns. It’s an
honour to be invited into that fold, one that Damian Welsh of Fraser’s Mills and Mulgrave’s Bob MacDonald have
earned and richly deserve. The book is destined to become the most complete and important reference for traditional salmon
flies yet published, so it’s likely that many future generations will become familiar with the fine work of these tyers.
Some tyers turn professional, tying flies for sale. Our global economy has resulted in most
fly shops sourcing cheap flies from Kenya; however shops that sell locally tied, quality flies will pay a premium for them.
It’s a great way to finance our fly tying and fishing hobbies, and there is plenty of work for skilled local tyers.
Others teach. Fly tying workshops are very popular, especially in the winter. Some, like expert
Michael Radencich, conduct workshops all over the globe in addition to writing important instructional books and producing
fly tying videos. Mike is an excellent instructor. Also, his career in professional photography has enabled him to produce
some of the very best work available, for his own books and also for books by others.
But most of us tie flies for fun, to use in our fishing, or give to friends. In addition, there are mail-in
fly swaps and fly tying contests. They’re fun, and very likely to improve our tying. Stillwater’s River Magic
fly shop will host the second annual fly tying contest in the New Year, with a new youth category to encourage young tyers
to get involved. There are great prizes, no entry fee, and, best of all, Bob MacDonald (last year’s 1st place
winner) and Damian Welsh will be judges, so they won’t be eligible to compete.
Watch www.rivermagic.ca for contest and workshop news.
Please send comments and suggestions to slim@rivermagic.ca
Please
stay on the line …