One of the many things I love about fly tying is the social aspect of it. You can sit at home alone and crank out fly after fly, but it is much more enjoyable when it’s shared. We had our third open tying night at the shop last night and ended up with a great crowd. All us shop guys were there, as well as Ken Stock and a couple of his friends, one of the students from our tying class and Joe Mathis from Bozeman Fly Goods. Lots of talent in one room.
I’m a mediocre tyer at best so it’s always a little intimidating to tie with guys that are really good. But that’s the best way to learn! You can learn more in one several hour session just watching and observing the good guys than you ever could from a book or watching YouTube videos. If you’re just getting into it or just want to hang out with some cool guys, find a local group that ties every now and then.
There were some pretty sweet flies tied last night. (And some pretty good whiskey and beer too). Ken was wowing us with articulated streamers:
And Joe was showing off what his Bug Collars can do:
Haven’t seen Bug Collars? Check out their website, and be sure to give them a follow on Instagram (@bozemanflygoods). It’s pretty cool stuff.
It’s still the middle of January, and winter is a long ways from over. Lots of fly tying season left!
