FLY TYING CLASS SCHEDULED BY JOHN BERRY

If any of you have checked the lake levels lately, you will notice that all of the lakes in the White River system are well above power pool and are not that far from the top of flood pool. While Beaver and Table Rock lakes have begun to fall some, Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes are still rising. The Corps of Engineers are running big water around the clock, in an effort to get the lake levels below power pool, before the spring rains. It is going to be another high water year. I do not foresee any wadable water for about three months. While I believe there will be plenty of fishing, if you have a boat, wading opportunities will be few and far between if not nonexistent.

In addition, the weather has taken a change for the worse. It has become quite cold and the wind chill is not helping. It sounds like a good time to tie some flies. For professional guides, like me, this is the slow season. Our business is greatly diminished and this is when we do a lot of fly tying. We have to replenish the flies that we have used and get ready for the year ahead. It is also a great time to experiment with new patterns. It is a great way to keep your head in the game. If you do not tie you own flies, now is a great time to take up fly tying.

There are plenty of reasons to do that. First there is the joy of creating something with your own hands. Second, you can tie a better fly than you can buy. If you tie your own, you can use the best materials and hooks. You can add extra steps to make them more durable. You can tie the same nymph with several different amounts of weight for different water conditions. Third, you can create your own patterns based on something you observed on stream or a brainstorm you had while sitting before your fly tying vise. Finally there is nothing more satisfying than catching a good fish on a fly that you tied yourself.

An easy way to take up fly tying is to sign up for the class that I am teaching at Arkansas State University at Mountain Home. I have been teaching the class for several years now and it has been well received. It is scheduled for four consecutive Thursday nights on February 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM on the ASUMH campus. There is a nominal fee.

I will furnish the fly tying materials but you will need to furnish the fly tying tools. You will need a fly tying vise, a bobbin, a spool of 6/0 fly tying thread, a bodkin, hackle pliers and a whip finish tool. We will be tying simple flies that I use on a daily basis when I am guiding or fishing on my own. It is a great way to get started in fly tying. If you have any questions, please stop by Blue Ribbon Fly Shop or call me at (870) 425-0447 and I will be glad to answer any question you may have.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in then register online at https://asumh.edu/services/community-education.html. If you are computer challenged like me or do not have a computer then contact Sarah Sikes at to register over the phone at (870) 508-6105.

I hope to see you there. John Berry is a fly fishing guide for Blue Ribbon Guides in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.