Eighth Annual Tie-a-thonOn April 12th members of St. Joseph River Valley Fly Fishers, a Federation of Fly Fishers associate club; members of Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited and many others, will come together to tie flies for three worthy causes. Each cause will use the flies to further their mission of fly fishing to educate and heal in their respective ways.

Here is a look at each of the three causes:

The National Fishing in Schools Program (NFSP) is a 501(c) (3) not-for- profit organization is designed to promote fly fishing and traditional tackle fishing among school kids within Michigan, Indiana and beyond.

The “Fishing in Schools” program accommodates students irrespective of gender, physical ability or natural aptitude. The program’s objective is to teach students in grades 6-12 ‘how to fish’ in school gymnasiums. A core two-week foundation curriculum unit for Physical Education teachers is the norm. It addresses four National Academic Standards (PE, science, language arts & technology.) The complete curriculum meets six. For more information, check out www.flyfishinginschools.org.

The Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited (KVCTU) is a 501(c) (3) not-for- profit organization. KVCTU will use its flies to for their educational fly fishing camp. The Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited is hosting the Michigan Youth Trout Camp July 6-July 10, 2014 at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center on Higgins Lake, in the heart of Northern Michigan trout country. The four-day Camp is designed to educate our 12-16 year old boys and girls, who will become our next generation of conservation leaders, about the importance of protecting our coldwater resources. Campers will learn that how we choose to use our land can affect the health of our streams, our trout, and ourselves. For more information, check out www.kvctu.org.

Warriors and Quiet Waters (WQW) is an organization dear to both Tie-a-thon founders, Tim Scott and Terry Wittorp. WQW is also a 501(c) (3) not-for- profit organization. Its mission is to provide traumatically injured U.S. servicemen and women from Iraq and Afghanistan with a high quality restorative program, utilizing the therapeutic experience of fly fishing on Montana waters.

WQW brings wounded warriors to Montana for a six-day program of fly fishing and recreation. Most warriors who come are still in rehab in the military hospital system. Once here, they have the opportunity to relax and to learn to fly fish in the quiet and beautiful surroundings of Montana and neighboring Yellowstone Park. For more information, check out www.warriorsandquietwaters.org.

The premise of the Tie-a-thon is like an old fashion barn raisin’, several tyers tie as many flies as they can to donate to the cause. Joining forces again this year to tie flies are members of: St. Joseph River Valley Fly Fishers; Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited; The Brotherhood of the Jungle Cock; Reel Women, Reel Men of Indianapolis; Grand Rapids Fly Tyers; Flygirls of Michigan; Anglers of the Au Sable; Little Elkhart Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Duneland Fly Fishers and many more individuals.

A bunch of tiers come together to tie 100 flies each on a Saturday and at the end of the day, we try our very best to surpass our previous all-time high of 13,300 flies raised at one Tie-a-thon.

If you are interested, pick just one pattern to tie, buy a box of 100 hooks, the materials and get tying! To get you there, Chef Terry Wittorp will have a spectacular lunch for all the tyers - which is worth at least 200 flies, but we will give you a break. Everyone is welcome, but please let us know so we can plan for lunch.

Also, so you’re not too bored just tying, we will have a guest tyer every other hour show off his or her special pattern. We will have a video system set up to make it easy to see from your tying station. The Tie-a-thon will last from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

If you are not a fast tyer and can’t complete your 100 flies in that time, this is a good time to get a jump on your flies. We would certainly take more than 100 from anyone if they are ambitious and want to tie flies in advance. You don’t have to be an expert tyer to donate flies. Many first time fly tyers have participated; this gives you a chance to become very good tying at least one fly. If you need help learning a pattern; contact me, Tim Scott, and I will be happy to give you a lesson.

As in the past, the Elkhart Conservation Club has graciously donated the use of their main building for the 2014 Tie-a-thon.

The previous seven Tie-a-thons distributed over 54,000 flies to six groups, the youth camp of the Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the youth camp for the Brotherhood of the Junglecock, Reel and Heal of Toledo, a cancer fly fishing retreat, Casting for Recovery of Indiana, Project Healing Waters and Casting for Recovery.

Pick a pattern, tie it up and donate to the Tie-a-thon!

These are the flies we ask you to tie: (tie 100 flies of one pattern).

For directions, search Elkhart Conservation Club, 55515 Riviera Dr, Elkhart, IN 46514

If you cannot make the Tie-a-thon, please mail flies to: Tim Scott - 711 Forest Ave. South Bend, IN 46616.
To see more on previous Tie-a-thon recipients, visit sjrvff.com or kvctu.org or Tie-a-thon on Facebook.