Just got done teaching a down and dirty flying tying to 3 classes of High School kids the past 4 days. Pretty tough duty to teach 8-20 kids in each class fly tying in 50 minutes each day, but accomplished it again for about the 4th time. The 1st day we spent time learning to attach thread to the hook and to complete a half hitch knot. Then worked on basic woolly bugger. 2nd day worked on tying a gray hackle peacock wet fly, local pattern. 3rd day started on a gold ribbed hare’s ear. I have deceided this is just a little to difficult. I will need to work on a 3rd pattern. Today I turned the kids loose they could be creative and tye what they wanted. I have a pile of about 6 different marabou, 6 different hackle, wide assortment of chenille, peacock feather hooks. Some of the flies they created are real interesting some practical flies, some real wild things that look like birds. I need to start taking a camera to photograph some of these flies. The flies the girls tied were a little more correct the most of the guys. Course I tell them to pay attention when I do a techinque. Anyway, the kids seem to enjoy the fly fishing portion of their PE class. We also worked with fly casting, knot tying and hook removal techniques. The teacher has real guts he plans on taking them to the golf course pond on Monday and letting them fish. These are our future fisherman and women and we need to teach these young adults about our passion when we can.
wicked deal dude, thats too cool. wish i had that as a part of school. might have went a little more often. althought the few dozens days a year i skipped school were spent along the river anyways so it all evens out i suppose. thats the prolem with going too school a few block from a world calls trout fishery. if i had a spare ide go too the locker room slip on the waders take my rod n flybox outta my locker and off ide go. i had good intentions tho, ide always tell myself ide only fish the hour i had off for the spare,but too fish on spares usually resulted in that one more fish/cast syndrom(very contagous) that makes a hour turn into several and before i knew it was dark and school was long over…
[This message has been edited by sunskyhooksnwater (edited 23 March 2006).]
Hare’s Ear, I would have liked that back in the 50’s and early 60’s. I would have spent more time in school. I hope all goes well with the fishing excurtion, keep us posted,
The Geezer
Excus my spelling and gramma, I hooked Mondays and Fridays so I could Hunt or fish.
May I ask what is in the golf course pond? When I teach the BSA fly fishing merit badge we also fish a pond. An alternate fly I might suggest is a foam back beetle. It’s great for Gills and Bass and a fairly easy tie. It can also be dressed up with a ice chenille belly, legs, and an antron strike indicator. It will also trigger surface strikes which are a lot of fun.
“Illegitimus nil Carborundum”
I teach a fly tying course for 40 minutes once a week to 25 7th and 8th grade students. It is a blast and the kids love it. I struggle with being a perfectionest and them not being such. There are some kids that strive to perfect their flies and ask for suggestions on how to improve and those that don’t seek to improve. I have to remind myself that I’m just teaching them how to tie the basics (thread, rib, bodies, tails, hackle, etc.) and it is up to them, on their own if they so desire, to seek perfection and the more difficult aspects of fly tying. It is hard when there is only 1 of me and 25 of them!!
I have the opportunity to teach 15 6th grade boys a few knots , fly casting and fly tying between now a May camp out/ fishing trip. I hope to get those that are that are interested to catch a fish on a fly rod with a fly they tied.
The younger boys (4-5th grade) I hope to teach them 1 fishing knot and a get them a little practice with a spin cast rod.
Hopefully everyone will be able to catch some fish.
Sounds like a class I could ace. But I’m stuck at a school full of rednecks who probly couldn’t spell Fly tying 
“Just when I’ve caught a nice trout and feeling very proud of my fly fishing ability, my feet fly out from under me and there I sit, wet, flustered and properly humiliated by the Fly Fishing gods.”
Jimmy Moore, “Taken Down a Notch or Two”