As a result of tying flies both recreationally and commercially for close to 40 years now, the knowledge base of skills acquired over that time is rather vast. In my classes you will see that I am dedicated and resourceful, sharing that knowledge in ways that will not only improve your tying skills, but push you to think about other ways to improve your craft or get you to think about better uses of the materials you use in the flies that you tie. Tying flies is not only a means to an end for catching fish, it should be a fun experience viewed as an exercise with some basic guidelines that can provide an endless platform for creativity that can be changed to the needs of the tier.
The art of tying flies is believed to be over 2,000 years old so the exercise itself isn’t necessarily new. The history of fly tying is beyond interesting, and the innovations of today are still closely linked to those roots. Many would argue that nothing new has come in recent years, while others think the complete opposite. I don’t know who’s right, but I do know this is an art form that for some is therapeutic, others simply fun, more so than fishing. Whatever category you fall into, learning the basics of sound tying techniques will always benefit you when advancing your skills to higher levels both at the bench, but most importantly on the water. The more efficient you are at tying, the more time you get to spend fishing is what I always say.
Beginner Classes.
If you are an absolute novice, or have never even turned thread on a hook, it is truly beneficial learning the various skills that will aid in constructing sound consistent flies. In all actuality, the very beginning of tying skills are rather simple, and to some extremely boring. I take a different approach in teaching absolute beginners the art. I give you a series of homework assignments, and I provide you with the materials to practice before we even tie any flies.
It’s rather funny to say, but I am a self taught tier who used books when I began. Books still have a place, but the video options we have now although hard to admit are truly the second best thing to real live personal instruction. I like to incorporate many mediums of instruction as not every person learns the same way. The more mediums you can provide, typically the learning curve shortens. In any beginner class, I prefer a 1-1 or max 1-2 teacher to student ratio. Reason being is we practice the technique until proficiency and consistency is gained then we move on to the next topic.
The secondary facet to my beginner series of classes is when we move on to patterns, the pattern library we learn is left up to the student(s). In other words, we will do 1-2 patterns per session and the number of sessions you wish to take is entirely up to the students. These can be done in person or via zoom and charged at an hourly rate or per block. For more details feel free to contact me personally.
Specific Topic Classes 3-5 hour blocks $100-$125 per student
The various pattern or hatch specific classes that I teach are meant for those students who have a sound fundamental base and can handle the basics of tying. Some of these skills include but are not limited to whip finishing, winging, dubbing application, hair and feather skills and basic wrapping of both natural and synthetic materials to the hook. Some of these specific topic classes may be solely based around the use of one material and how to build better skills at tying with it, others may encompass a series of patterns of my own design or an event in a season that is highly revered, to flies for a specific target species. Whatever the class, the students will be provided with all the tools necessary to complete the tasks at hand, including detailed pattern sheets for each fly tied, necessary materials for the construction of each fly in a neat and orderly fashion, all the way up to tools and vises to tie on if needed.
Some of the classes I offer are:
- Signature flies
- Trout Patterns for Spring
- Winter Trout Fly Patterns
- Summer Smallmouth Flies
- Proven Pike Patterns
- Becoming Adept At Deer Hair
- Hatch Life Cycles:
- Streamers Top To Bottom
- Micro Modern Streamers
- Jigs For Fun
- Beginner Primer, Learning To Tie With Proper Skills
- Deer Hair & Fox Signature Patterns
Club Presentations
Aside from fly tying classes which can be done at the club level as well, I also can be booked for presentations for fishing clubs. The topics that I provide presentations on change yearly so inquiries will be followed up with further conversations on currently offered topics.
