Members complete introductory fly tying classes
The Bella Vista Fly Tyers Club recently wrapped up another of its annual sixmonth-long classes where members learn the art of tying a variety of fly patterns.
The class, which met once a week, was taught by club members Gary Rowland and Ron Blackwelder and began on Sept. 13, 2021. Participants were taught at least one different fishing fly pattern per week for a total of 25 different patterns. The patterns throughout the course gradually increased in the number of materials used with the final pattern consisting of nine different materials.
“I’ve never been involved in anything like that before,” said club member and firsttime course participant David Dodson. “I did it because it was available. I’ve got a cousin I hunt with and he was fly tying in the cabin we were staying at and I thought, ‘That looks like it would be fun.’”
Dodson said he visited the club a few years ago, but started attending on a regular basis in August. He then signed up for the class the next month.
“I had visited this club once before, about three years ago, and wasn’t able to get involved at the time,” he said. “Then about August of last year I started attending and the class became available. I jumped on it and have loved it ever since. I didn’t realize I would enjoy it so much.”
Rowland said the class is a great way to to pass the time during the months when it might be too cold to get out on the lakes of Bella Vista.
“Teaching the class is something I like to do. It
keeps me busy in the winter,” he said. “I don’t do nearly as much fishing in the winter as I used to do, so this keeps me occupied. And I enjoy teaching. I enjoy helping people learn things.”
He believes the participants enjoy the experience “for a lot of the same reasons I do,” adding, “In the winter you’re looking for ways to kill time.”
Club member Karen Anderson, who grew up chasing walleye and northern pike in Minnesota, had moved to California before learning about Bella Vista, the fly tyers group and the fly tying class.
“Before I even moved here I looked at the (Property Owners Association) website and found out about the fly tying class,”
she said. “I love fishing on lakes. Fishing and getting out on the lakes is why I moved here.”
After moving here she joined the club and then signed up for the class.
“I felt it was a good way to get involved in the mix of those that fish here,” she said.
Besides the camaraderie the class had to offer, Anderson said she enjoyed learning about the various fly patterns and styles.
“I liked finding out the different characteristics,” she said. “Before the class I didn’t know anything, now I know there’s a wet fly and a dry fly and I know about the different sized hooks.”
As the class moved into the weeks before Christmas the participants were even able to turn what they had
been learning into holiday gifts.
“During Christmas we did what we called a Christmas woolly booger,” said Dodson. “The woolly booger is a real famous fly at Roaring River and other places. But these were made with Christmas colors and I personally tied 24 of those. We tied the fly, then we would hang them in a clear Christmas ornament. It was a pretty cool gift. Everybody I gave them to really enjoyed them.”
He added, “We tied two or three other patterns and I’d look at one of them and say, ‘This one would make a good Christmas ornament.’ That’s the kind of excitement the class gives you.”
Anderson said as she learned the various patterns she was surprised to see it
wasn’t necessary for them to resemble anything in nature.
“You would think you would be making something that looks like a black fly, or a beetle or something,” she said. “Yeah, some of them do, but some of them have crazy colors and are sparkly, anything to upset the fish and draw their attention so they want to jump on it.”
Anderson said Rowland’s teaching style and the class atmosphere made learning even more enjoyable.
“Everybody is so welcoming in the class and Gary is so patient,” she said. “And you can tell he’s done this for so long with regard to helping people. He’s a good teacher.”
Rowland said he couldn’t do it without Blackwelder’s help.
“I couldn’t teach this without him,” he said. “He keeps track of our hook inventory, he collects all the money and gets it turned in to our club treasurer, little things like that. He’s also a good tyer, but he only ties what he would fish with. So during this past class I talked him into picking out a couple of patterns he would use and teaching those to the class.”
While the club is always preparing for the next class, at this point the location for the next one is not yet known due to the upcoming remodel of Riordan Hall.
Rowland said the sixmonth course costs $80 and participants must be members of the Fly Tyers Club.
Even though Dodson said he doesn’t get to practice what he learned in the class as often as he would like to, it’s still feels good knowing he can make his own flies instead of going out and spending money on bait and lures.
“(During and after the class) I’d see a pattern that was tied and how it was tied and I’d think, ‘I can tie those and fish with them,’” he said. “So I tied some at the house just on my own. Instead of going and buying a bunch of crickets, I’d buy cricket hooks and tie something that looked like a cricket, or an ant. You can go fish with one of them on one of these lakes and it’s cheaper than buying something, plus it gives you a little pride knowing that you caught a fish off of your own tied lure.”
Especially for first-time fly tyers.
“If you’ve never tied a fly in your life this is right where you need to be,” he said.