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Expos Show Fly Tying Techniques
#1
Part of the mystique of fly-fishing, in addition to all of the graceful casting, is the preparation of the flies themselves.

If you took up the sport before the days when instructional DVDs were widely available, you pretty much were on your own. Either you figured out how to tie them yourself, or you had to buy all of your flies.

In recent years, there has been more widespread availability of fly patterns at reasonable prices -- largely because flies are being tied overseas, where labor costs are lower. While this has enabled many people to find the flies they need, the craftsmanship of the flies often is not as good.

Thirty years ago, fly-tying information was not as prolific, and it was much tougher to find someone to teach the art. A relative handful of craftsmen and women churned out flies as a cottage industry from their homes. Some still carry on the tradition and tie flies commercially.

The annual Fly Tying Expo, held each February at Goldstock's Sporting Goods in Glenville, is an excellent resource for anglers of any level to learn technique.

This year's expo featured a number of notable fly tyers, including Bob Mead, Dave Brandt, Tim Wholand, Rodney Priddle, Paul Sinicki, Bill Donato, Glen Huhles, George Kass, Alex Cervinak, Richard Bogardus, John Morette, John Prokorym, Dick Hermida and Jack Fagomeni.

If you can make a general divide in the tyers who attended the expo, it would be among those who tie flies to fish with and those who seek to make art. The expo had several fly tyers who take their craft to a true art form, creating flies that are so realistic you would swear they are alive. Examples of various realistic fly tying were available, including lady bugs, mosquitoes, walking sticks and other forms of bug life imitated precisely.

Others among the group showed off more practical patterns. Though they are an art form as well, they don't take hours of work to produce one fly. These flies are tied for use on the water. For example, the traditional Catskill dry flies were being tied, as were flies for trout, saltwater and warmwater fish species.

One of the nice things about the expo is that it is possible to learn how to make particular patterns by standing and watching. The folks who were at work at their respective tying vices were more than happy to share information with others. Some of them showed specialty techniques of their own creation that could only be learned or demonstrated in this type of setting.

The gathering also was a nice way to break up the long winter and led to plenty of discussion on the upcoming fly-fishing season. Some of the experts there who were tying flies also offered the public a great deal of angling advice for individual streams, including local waters.

Goldstock's lost a formidable figure on its fly shop staff when Phil Crosson passed away. Crosson was a fixture at the old Brookwood fly shop and more recently at Goldstock's.

This year, the guest tyers invited to participate in the event donated their flies in Crosson's name, so the store could pass them on to the Clearwater Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Capital District Federation of Fly Fishers. The flies will be sold in fund-raising events for the two clubs.

Fly anglers who missed the expo should keep the last weekend in February 2009 open or check with Goldstock's for more information.

Rob Streeter is an outdoors columnist for the Times Union. You can reach him at rstreeter@nycap.rr.com, or send items to 961 Stoner Trail Road, Fonda, NY 12068.

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