Fly fishing and tying offer many rewards

When John Henry, 65, of Humansville, was a kid, buying flies for fishing cost a lot of money.

He said, "Some of those flies cost as much as 25 cents apiece. I figured that I would get them a lot cheaper if I made them myself.

"I first got interested in fly fishing on Bear Creek, in Polk County,by using a cane pole. There were two older men who loved to get out in a boat on Bear Creek.

"One of them liked to row a boat, while the other one loved to fish. He was using a flyrod.

"It looked very graceful when he would cast the line back into the trees and pull out a big black perch. I said to myself that I have got to get into this. I bought a cheap bamboo rod and that was the start of my fishing with flies I had tied myself."

Henry used to do a lot of shows, displaying his talent for tying flies. It didn't take long before he was having classes for people interested in learning to tie their own flies to catch fish.

Catching a fish when using a fly you have tied yourself brings an angler a lot of satisfaction. He has shown many people how easy it is to tie flies and how much fun it is to catch a fish on a fly they have tied themselves.

Over the years, Henry has won many awards for his fly-tying, including a Fly Tyer of the Year award, presented by the 11 states Federation of Fly Fishers, in 2003, in Mountain Home, Ark. He has been invited to speak at many meetings of Trout Unlimited and other fishing organizations. Henry is a member of the Federation of Fly Fishers and the Tri-Lakes Fly Fishing Club, in Bolivar.

Henry likes to fish streams, instead of the big impoundments.

He said, "One time, my wife asked me why I didn't go fishing on the big lakes, but after I said maybe, I'll get a big boat and motor and some new rods, reels and tackle, she decided I should just keep fishing streams out of my canoe."

The veteran fly-tyer gets materials for his flies from several sources, including hunter friends, who bring him feathers from birds they have taken. One of his favorite materials is taken from his yellow tom cat.

He said, "One day, I was brushing my yellow cat and noticed the fur on the brush looked like something I could use. It worked out just fine.

"I take the fur off the brush, shampoo and dry it, then use it to tie flies. Another good material, that I get from walking in the park in Bolivar, is picking up peacock feathers, which make good flies.

I have even used wrappers off Reese's candy. The fish don't know what it is."

On this winter's cold days, Henry can often be found in front of his fly-tying bench, creating realistic flies that catch fish.He also makes his own fly rods today.

Cheryl Ahlers, Humansville, was one of Henry's students.

She said, "John was a very good instructor. He taught me well.

"He always kept you interested in making flies. He encouraged his students and was always positive.

"No matter how your fly looked, if your fly had feathers and a hook, he would say it looks like it would catch a fish. I have used some of the flies I made to catch crappie and bluegill from local ponds. Some people only think of artificial flies, used for trout fishing, but you can have a lot of fun and success when using flies for other fish."

With the trout parks getting set to open on March 1, trout anglers like Robert Thompson, Ozark, are ready. At the recent Arc of the Ozarks Hunt & Fish Outdoor Show in Springfield, Thompson was watching youngsters pulling out rainbow trout from the Mountain Springs Trout Park fishing pool.

After seeing 7-year-old G. Burroughs, Springfield, hook a 2-pound trout, Thompson said, "After seeing that, I am ready to head for Bennett Springs."

Rainbow trout are a particular fly fishing favorite because they are less wary than other trout and more likely to bite. More and more fly fishermen are also finding that fishing for panfish and bass can be very rewarding.