(Provided by Tie-a-thon)
Fly tiers from various Federation of Fly Fishers and Trout Unlimited Clubs from around the Great Lakes region will come together April 22 for the 11th annual Tie-a-thon to tie and donate flies benefitting three Trout Unlimited Youth Camps.
The event will be conducted at the Elkhart Conservation Club and the camps to benefit include Illinois Council of Trout Unlimited Youth and Fly Fishing Camp, Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited Youth Camp and the Trout Unlimited National Teen Summit which will be held in Michigan.
Tie-A-Thon is like an old fashion barn raisin' where several sportsmen gather to tie as many flies as they can that day. The program begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. The goal is to complete 13,000 flies which will include contributions from fly tiers before the actual Tie-A-Thon begins.
Terry Wittorp, Tie-A-Thon ‘head chef’ will produce a lunch. A guest tier will be on hand every other hour to show off special patterns on a video system.
If you are not a fast tier and don’t think you can complete your 100 flies during the allotted time, it’s OK to get an early start. Organizers will accept as many flies someone wants to submit in advance. You don’t have to be an expert tier to donate flies. Many first time fly tiers have participated, with the Tie-A-Thon giving them a chance to become very good tying at least one fly.
For those who need some assistance on learning a pattern to tie, contact Tim Scott via email at timelscott@gmail.com.
Previous Tie-A-Thons have produced more than 86,000 flies donated for use at fly fishing camps in the Midwest.
Flies as sizes needed include Adams (14), Beetles (18-14), Blue Wing Olive Emerger (18-22), Caddis Nymph (16-18), Clouser’s Minnow (88), Elk Hair Caddis (14-16), Griffith Gnat (20-22), Hare’s Ear (12-14), Jimmy Rubber Legs (Meat Gazer) (10–12), Mickey Finn (8), Pheasant Tail (14-16), Soft Hackle (14-18), Trico Spinner (20-22), and Woolly Bugger (10).
For more information, contact Tim Scott at 574.538.1936 or at timelscott@gmail.com or visit www.sjrvff.com.