Chronicle Outdoors

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 1

Local fly-fishing shops have a full slate of guest tiers and fly tying instruction on tap for all levels of anglers this winter season. Photo by Ben Pierce.

Note to anglers: Don’t be heard mumbling, “It’s too damn cold to fish.”

Some ice-crazed angler, will quickly point out that the midges are still hatching and the fish are still biting and if you put in your time, by golly, you’ll catch a trout.

And you know what, he’d be right.

But for the rest of us, who prefer the comfort of an easy chair, the thrill of the NFL playoffs and that most pleasant of winter commodities: warmth; well, we’ll be tying flies during the winter, thank you very much.

“January and February, that’s when people start thinking about fly tying, not coincidentally coinciding with the coldest time of the year,” said Kris Kumlien, general manager of Montana Troutfitters.

To meet the feverish demands of the summer fishing season, anglers spend the winter stocking fly boxes. And local fly shops help get the ball rolling – and the inspiration flowing – with guest fly tiers and fly tying instruction to suit all experience levels.

There’s something of a circuit that has been established over the years among the top tiers in the region. Each Saturday through the winter months, fly tiers gather at local shops to share their expertise and talk fishing.

“The guys that do the circuit – Kelly Galloup, Bob Jacklin – these guys are legends,” said Peter King, assistant manager at Bozeman Angler. “Each guy has their own different style and different flies.”

King said fly tying has classics – flies like the Adams and pheasant tail nymph are staples in every angler’s fly box – but he said advances in materials and technology have changed the game.

New fly patterns and techniques are emerging on a regular basis and King said he hopes to highlight some of the region’s most innovative tiers at the Bozeman Angler this year.

“I see fly tying broken up into two different realms,” King said. “There are the classic patterns that have worked for 100 years and the new realm of tying, taking those patterns and techniques and new materials and evolving them into new patterns.”

It’s not hard to see the influence of new materials scanning the fly patterns at any of the local shops. There’s as much foam and plastic on many of today’s flies as there is fur and feathers.

Steve Summerhill of The River’s Edge said the chance to innovate and come up with a new way to fool a trout is one of the lasting appeals of the craft.

“Fly tying is just enjoyable,” Summerhill said. “You can really customize your own patterns. It is something you can take pride in when you catch a trout on a fly you tied.”

Summerhill said fly tying doesn’t have to cost much money. A typical setup, complete with a tying vise, bobbin, scissors and a mix of feathers and furs, can be had for under $100.

“As you get better and better, and realize that fly tying is going to be a lifelong adventure for you, that is when you invest in a better vise and tools,” Summerhill said.

Chad Olsen, owner of Greater Yellowstone Flyfishers in Four Corners, said fly tying can really become its own hobby once the seed has been planted.

“I think fly tying, the first impression is people think they are going to save money tying flies, but when people get involved it becomes a real passion,” Olsen said.
“I think that is the beauty of fly tying. You can make so many different combinations and customize them the way you want and I think that is what a lot of tiers like.”

For those looking to learn the basics, options abound. Every fly shop in town offers some type of fly tying classes and most have guest tiers on hand at least once a week during the winter months.

Fins & Feathers of Bozeman offers five-week classes for $55 or individual instruction for those looking to learn advanced techniques.

“I have been tying for 15 or 20 years and there are always new patterns, new materials and new ways of doing things,” said Toby Swank, owner of Fins & Feathers. “I think that is part of what keeps people tying.”

Here’s a list of some upcoming opportunities to learn about fly tying at local fly shops:

Fins & Feathers: “Saturday Seminars” begin Feb. 5. at 10 a.m. with Sandy Pittendrigh. The seminars will continue through April. Introductory fly tying classes start in mid-January.

Greater Yellowstone Flyfishers: Fly tying classes with Pierre Hebert and Gary Jones begin on Jan 27. A second session will be held in mid-February.

Bozeman Angler: “Featured Fly Tyer” series begins Jan. 22 from noon-3 p.m. with Butch Itoh tying spring creek fly patterns. Miles Nolte will teach introductory fly tying classes at the shop beginning in January.

Montana Troutfitters: “Weekends with the Legends” is back for the winter 2011 season. Kris Kumlien of Troutfitters will kick the series off with practical patterns for local waters. Advanced tying classes will be available in January.

The River’s Edge: Five-week introductory fly tying classes taught by Jim Carter begin in mid-January. Another session will be held in March.

Related posts:

1. Running out of tying time? Here’s 3 quick flies for the Mother’s Day caddis hatch
2. Equinox Ski Challenge ushers in spring season with final celebration of winter
3. Ice fishing essentials: Everything you need to fish through the ice this winter
4. Anglers await arrival of phantoms as Mother’s Day caddis hatch heats up
5. Making sense of stoneflies: Annual salmonfly hatch keeps anglers guessing

Tags: Bozeman Angler, Fins & Feathers, fly tying, Greaater Yellowstone Flyfishers, Montana Troutfitters, The Rivers Edge

This entry was posted by Ben Pierce on Thursday, January 13th, 2011 at 12:01 am and is filed under Bozeman, Fishing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.