FLY TYING SEASON BY JOHN BERRY

As I am sitting here, in my sun room, writing this, there is three inches of snow on the ground and it is eighteen degrees. The guide trip that I had scheduled for yesterday and today cancelled on me. I can’t say that I blame them. The plan had been to split our time between Dry Run Creek and the Norfork River. It might be a bit miserable for a youngster, in this weather. However, I need to add that I had my best day, on Dry Run Creek, with my daughter, Katherine, when we fished it one New Years Day, in similar conditions over twenty years ago. She landed her biggest trout ever and thoroughly enjoyed the day.

The current weather is such a change from last weekend. On Saturday, my wife, Lori, and I guided two couples on the White River. The high that day was sixty two degrees. There was not a cloud in the sky and there was little wind. Better yet the trout were cooperative. While it was the kind of winter day that we all look forward to, it did not last long. Reality is closer to the current conditions.

Therefore, I am sitting here tying flies. This is what I call my fly tying season. If I can’t be outside fishing or guiding, I want to be tying flies. As a guide, I go through a lot of flies in a year. I tie almost all of the flies I use in a year and this is the time of year, when I have enough down time to tie them. It is a daunting task to stay on schedule and get everything done. I just finished my green butts and Dan’s turkey tail emergers. I am starting on my woolly buggers and will begin on my midges when I finish those.

Another task that is keeping me busy is the Sowbug Roundup Fly Tying Contest. Of course, I am unable to enter the contest as I am the chairman of the contest committee. I have been kept busy coordinating with my committee. I am sure that there are a bunch of accomplished fly tyers out there devoting a lot of time to tying their best flies for the contest.

I have already received flies from some of our best tyers. One box contained no less than thirteen separate entries. I expect even more entries this year than last year. The quality continues to improve. I open each entry with anticipation and wonder. I did not realize how many really talented fly tyers are out there.

I am also spending a lot of time teaching my fly tying class at Arkansas State University Mountain Home. All of the tying that I am doing keeps me sharp for the flies that I tie when I am teaching. It also keeps me in fly tying mode. I spend a lot of time trying to figure what to teach and how to best teach it. I think the process makes me a better tyer.

I hope that all of my readers are enjoying their fly tying season and are making the most of it.

John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.