As some of you may know, I’m starting a fly tying and fly fishing club for the 7th and 8th grade students at my school. I was planning on teaching a fly a week for ten weeks starting in January, so that the kids would have a few flies to use come spring. When considering what flies to teach I kept three things in mind: difficulty level, the availability of materials, and the patterns that work in my area (mid-western Ontario).
Here’s a list of patterns. What are your thoughts. Are there any you’d avoid, or swap for another pattern? Please let me know. (these are in no particular order)
Andrew,
I was going to mention the pheasant tail nymph, and the wooly bugger. You have picked some great flies. I would mention that you might take a look at Al Campbell’s fly tying tutorial. It sure helped me when I was a 53 year old kid.
Life, is the time He gave you to determine where you want to spend eternity.
Andrew;
You may want to add the “Hedrickson” and a “Stonefly” pattern.
Wow, you’ve got quite a list of materials there! Almost the same fly’s I tied in my first classes. The classes were kept pretty much to size 12 hooks. I had a lot tied up in materials by the end.
What about “Glow Bugs”? Do they fish for Steelhead? I’m looking at a lot of Orange 1/2 inch Pom Pom’s and Orange “Glow Bug” yarn just taking up space on my tying bench!! as well as a “Glow Bug” toolmade from a discarded ball point pen. I’ve also got some Turkey wing feathers taking up space.
I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here!
Cactus
[This message has been edited by Jack Hise (edited 26 November 2005).]
I’d go with #9 on Al’s tutorials the SWHAPF because it it so versitile and easy to tie . You can teach the kids how to modify the fly onstream to suit conditions . lotech is right , check out AL’s begining fly tying , He has done lots of the work for you .
Oh and good for you for doing this . Thats the kind of start Kids need .
[This message has been edited by Gnu Bee Flyer (edited 26 November 2005).]
What – no streamers!!! Seriously though a basic streamer has some serious advantages for a “first fly”. Size 10 , or so, hooks, and relativly large materials make for easy manipulation. All the basic principals are there, except maybe for hackle winding, and there should be no problem in comming up w/ deer tail, calf tail, squirel tail, and streamer feathers.
Whatever you do choose for the first fly, I would recomend something on the large side, and using a few materials, which are easy to apply. The important thing is that students should be able to get “success” first time right out of the gate. This will give them the skills and confidence for progressivly finicky flies as the weeks progress. I would hold off on the Jock Scott or Silver Doctor till say week 5 or 6.
AgMD
Nice list. I, too, would add a standard streamer. Maybe a Mickey Finn, or a Black Nosed Dace. You have two typical mayflies listed – the Adams and the BWO – Maybe eliminate one of those. Another missing style is a quill. Perhaps a Red Quill for your Hendrickson. Your stonefly could be a stimulator. Perhaps during your last class you could discuss how combining techniques, of the various flies they have learned, can create different flies, such as stimulators and Griffith’s gnats (basically a tiny woolly bugger w/o the maribou), etc…
The nice thing about the wooly bugger is that an eight year old can tie one, step by step with you, and his or her finished product will look very much like yours. I’ve taught many youngsters that tie; it’s a great confidence builder. And a black or olive wooly bugger will catch fish anywhere.
The Brown Bivisible would be a great second fly for the beginners. Years ago that was my favorite searching pattern, and it caught trout. The fly seems to have gone out of favor in recent years but I imagine tghat it will still work. And it’s a good fly for a beginner, because it’s equally effective dead drifted, or slittered, or dragged.
I think that your selection is great. By the time the kids are finished they will have covered all the basic techniques, and will have a group of proven fish catchers. I would add, however, a Clouser Minnow. That streamer has hooked just about every game fish species, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and oceans, and it gets my vote as one of the essential flies in any fly fisher’s arsenal.
Hope you have lots of help Andrew,your list is pretty impresive. I teach and wouldn’t think of trying some of those flies without one on one help. I teach 10 scouts at a time(150 so far) and have my hands full sometimes. Some will be fast learners some will never get it without one on one.
One 9 year old girl that I taught can tie a Clousers as well as some men in our club. Even Clouser himself was impressed.
Your first class should be stressing how to start the thread,second the important “Pinch Method” of adding material and have a few ball point pens to teach the half hitch. That is why the Bugger should be first.
Wolly Bugger,Micky Finn,Clouser,Elk hair Caddis,Pheasent tail nymph,then lots of luck with the others.
For streamer choice I would probably go w/ something like the Blacknosed Dace. One or two deer tails, a little tinsel and you have all the materials for a whole fistfull of tying without much materials cost. A good fishing pattern too. If you have a red squirl tail or two, you might consider the Shushan Postmaster ( by Lew Oatman). just as simple to tie, something the students would not be likely to get “store bought” and an excellent fishing fly which seems to have been forgotten except for a few cranks like me.
One thing you might encourage is the use of materials your students might be able to get from hunting or from folks they know who hunt. Lots of grouse hunters don’t fish or tie and would be happy to part w/ the makings of the classic Partridge wet flies, Partridge and peacock, Partridge and Orange, etc.
Turkey hunters, squirl hunters, deer hunters are all possible sources of excellent materials. Also check out the thread on cat hair. Any knitters in the family? A few feet of angora yarn, white wool ( Edison tiger body) etc. can usually be found in grandma’s knitting basket.
AgMD
Andrew,
Do you have materials for all these flies? Do you need some materials? It’s about time to do some “housekeeping” in my materials drawers. Maybe for some of you all too? Let us know!
Great flys! Lucky kids!
Betty
Trouts don’t live in ugly places
[This message has been edited by Betty Hiner (edited 27 November 2005).]
It’s going to be a challenge to teach that many kids to tie and cast (I do have some help). But let me tell you, sharing the moment that each one of those kids hooks up with their first fish will be worth all the effort. (and, if I can figure it out by then, I’ll definitely post pictures)
Andrew
[This message has been edited by Andrew Mann (edited 27 November 2005).]
[This message has been edited by Andrew Mann (edited 27 November 2005).]
I have taught youngsters (and oldsters) a time or two and have some input here - partly echoing others suggestions. These are children, and while their little hands will do wonders by the end of the year I think they should start off will larger flies than most you have listed. And as the flies decrease in size they can build on techniques already learned. First a streamer with a wool/chenille body and a wing (perhaps a marabou streamer ? we used to do the Mickey F, but the bucktail was an issue for the first fly because the clumps were too big and it tends to slide around). Not a Clouser because we don’t want any fingers stuck on hooks or to have to learn turning the fly ‘upside down’ halfway through the tie. Then Woolly Worm or WB. At this point all the techniques for an EHC have been practiced on larger hooks. Do an EHC. Now to folding something forward - a Michigan Wiggler (one new technique at a time). Then we have to learn the notion of attaching something in the middle of the hook. Do a Comparadun. Combine what has been learned so far in a Box Canyon Stone. Then move down in size to the GRHE. A Catskill fly is important, but not the Adams and the ParaA. Just go with a March Brown or something where the wings are the issue, not the wings PLUS two hackles or parachute. I know the Griffith?s is just a miniature WW, but save the small stuff to the end of the year when they have other talents under control. Then you could probably knock of the PT and the Griffiths in the same session. In our beginner’s tying Symposium we have one helper for every 4 students. In the intermediate and advanced classes we have one helper per class to ensure the materials are handed out properly and to circulate with tying reminders and spot help. Some people learn by reading so ensure you have hand-outs as well, with space in the margin for those who learn by writing down. Regardless, you are doing a good thing and my hat?s off to you. My $.02.
Greg Herring [url=http://www.winterhatches.org:26fbd]http://www.winterhatches.org[/url:26fbd]
This probably isn’t a direct answer to your question but when i started my son tying a couple of years ago(he is now 12) I taught him the basics, gave him an assortment of materials and said now, “Tie me some flies”. He came up with some good ideas and he now can look at a pattern and follow it. If he has questions and/or needs help I am here to assist.
Kahuna
Since you have a parachute Adams, I would replace the Adams with a simple Clouser which can be tied with just about any materials as long as they contrast with lighter on the bottom as the fly rides.
Andrew,
If you’re talking warmwater I’d suggest the easiest fly ever to tie and that’s a Gill Buster. Kids love them, and they catch about anything that swims. I do in my 4-H and BSA classes and tell the kids while their dad’s are out in the boat, just drop these off the dock and bounce them off the bottom. They’ll have more fish that the old man. JGW
