NOT TOO LATE TO ENTER THE SOWBUG ROUNDUP FLY TYING CONTEST

It has been a tough winter. Not because of the weather, in fact, it has been relatively mild, when compared to past years. I am referring to the seemingly never ending high water. In that regard it has been one of the worst winters for high water that I can remember. While there has been a small committed cadre of anglers that have embraced the high water and have been fishing right through it, others have been perfectly satisfied to sit at home in front of a roaring fire and tie flies. Whether you have been fishing every day or you have been tying flies every day, it is time to think about entering the Sowbug Roundup Fly Tying Contest. 

This is the only fly tying contest in the area and it’s your chance to shine. There are ten categories, youth (under sixteen years of age), nymph, dry fly, wet fly, streamer, smallmouth bass, bass, warm water, salmon/steelhead and salt water. In addition there is a best in show. The winners of each category and the best in show will receive a plaque (the perfect thing to hang over your tying desk). The real prize is the bragging rights for winning.

Rules have been kept to a minimum. The entrant must tie the fly submitted for judging. Each entry must include the name, address, phone number and email address along with two flies for each pattern submitted. You need to include the recipe for the fly and instructions on how to fish it. You may submit as many patterns for as many categories as you want. All flies submitted will become the property of the contest and will not be returned. Any fly that contains insect parts (legs wings, etc.) will be eliminated from competition. Commercially tied patterns will not be accepted. The decision of the judges is final. Committee members and judges are not eligible to participate in the contest.

There are nine categories, nymph, dry fly, wet fly, streamer, smallmouth bass, bass, warm water, salmon/steelhead and salt water. In addition there is a best in show. The winners of each category and the best in show will receive a plaque (the perfect thing to hang over your tying desk). The real prize is the bragging rights for winning.

To participate, all you have to do is send your flies, recipes and fishing instructions to me, John Berry, at 408 Combs Ave. Cotter, Arkansas or you can drop your entries off at Blue Ribbon Fly Shop by Monday March 7, 2016. The winners will be announced on Friday April 15, 2016 at the Sowbug Roundup Shindig which will be held at St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church beginning at 6:00 PM. This event has become the top fly fishing social event of the year.

There are a few changes this year. Our previous judges, Tom Schmuecker (owner of Wapsi, the largest wholesaler of fly tying materials, in the world), Tony Spezio (founder of the Sowbug Roundup and winner of the prestigious Buz Buzek award, the highest award for fly tying of the Federation of Fly Fishers) and me will be joined by two new judges. Fred Dupre is a master fly tyer and the fly tying chairman for the Southern Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers Fly Fishing Fair and the Sowbug Roundup and Chad Johnson is a local fly fishing guide that has won the Best in Show for the past three years and is also a fly designer for Umpqua.

Since the Sowbug Roundup is being held later this year you still have time to get your entries in. You cannot win unless you enter.

In a previous column I gave the incorrect phone number for Mike Tipton (the person to contact for making donations to the Sowbug Roundup. The correct number is (870) 404-8845.