The art of fly-tying proves beneficial for anglers

John Henry of Humansville, goes to work creating an artificial fly to catch fish. (Photo by Ken White/Special to the Daily Mail)

There are few pleasures in the sport of fishing that can match that of taking trout, bass, bluegill or other fish on a fly of your own creation. On cold winter evenings with a bitter wind rattling the windows, you can sit at a tying bench, reliving past fishing experiences while putting together the ingredients for future ones.

Tom Martin, Kansas City, started fishing some 55 years ago by using a cane-pole and worms for bait. However, after watching another angler using a fly-rod and catching crappie, a new way of fishing opened up for him and since then he has learned to tie flies and has caught everything from bluegill to tarpon on his creations.

Martin said, "Once I got the hang of tying flies, I started tying respectable flies for a fraction of what I would have to pay for them in a store. It's not just the savings that got me hooked, it is a lot of fun and you get a lot of satisfaction out of catching a fish on a hook that you have stuck on a vise and dolled up with feathers, tinsel and fur."

Several years ago, Fred Harper and Mike Thomas, Independence, got hooked on tying flies after attending the Kansas City Sportshow in January. Thomas said, " We watched people catching trout in the trout pool and started talking to several members of the Missouri Trout Fisherman's Association. They told us how easy it was to get started fly- tying and how much fun it was so we decided to pursue it. We picked up a vise, hackle pliers, scissors, bobbin and the other things we need to start. There is no mysticism in fly-tying. We are proof that anyone with a yen to learn can become a resonably accomplished fly-tier."

Harper said, " I even taught my wife to tie flies after a couple of sessions at the table. Now she teaches me some things and has started making some great popping bugs that I have caught bass on in the summer."

Another veteran fly tier, John Henry, Humansville, said, " 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."

On a recent visit to an Orvis store, I talked to Jim Barker who has tied flies for more than 30 years. He said that fly tying was going on in Macedonia more that 2,000 years ago. A wasp-like insect was imitated by dressing a hook with purplish yarn and floated on the Astracus River. Ever since then, anglers have been using artificial flies.

While waiting for trout parks to open on March 1, many anglers are spending time tying their own flies thus making the cold winter days pass faster.

Harper said, " I fish (Lake) Taneycomo and some of the other trout spots that are open year round, but there is something special about March 1 at the trout parks. I open the season at Bennett Spring or Roaring River and catching trout on a fly I have made makes the fishing even better."

A finished product ready to catch a fish. (Submitted photo)

Harper not only fishes for trout, he can also be found hooking bass on cork bugs he has made or even bluegill on nymphs he has made.

"I think nymphs are the best fish-catching fly's made. I catch small- mouths, bluegill as well as trout on them. Just recently I caught a mess of crappie using nymphs I had made. Fishing off a heated dock with several other anglers, we couldn't get the crappie to hit until I tried a nymph. After I started catching fish, I could have sold my nymphs at a very good price. It made a believer out of some hard to please crappie fishermen,"he said.

The veteran fly-tier said his collection of materials for tying flies is endless. " My hunting friends save all kinds of fur and feathers for me. I have feathers from pheasants, ducks and turkey as well as fur from deer, fox, rabbit and squirrel and even skunk to make flies. I have enough chicken feathers to make pillows for the entire family. Once your hunting friends find out you save fur and feathers for your hobby, you soon may have enough material to open your own supply house," he said.

There is an art to catching fish on flies just as there is on using natural baits, but when you hook a fighting fish on a lure you have made from scratch, it makes it special.

Another way to take advantage of winter weather for an angler is to get your fishing gear ready for the 2016 season. There is an old saying, " A fisherman is no better than his tackle." Of course, that has also been said about quarterbacks.

Seriously, though, it pays in more ways that one to keep your fishing gear in good working order. For one thing, proper maintenance can add a good many years to the working order of rods, reels and other tackle on which hard-earned money has been spent. Many fishermen have discovered that unoiled reels can "freeze up", neglected rods can snap and rusty lure hooks can give out just when that lunker comes along.

Good fishing isn't that far away and to help the time go by faster and be ready, anglers like Larry Clark,Joplin, have a program to be ready and enjoy spending the cold winter days. Clark said, " I prevent problems by having my rods, reels, line and tackle ready, I wash my rods including the guides, clean the ferrels well, apply a light coating of wax and varnish the rods. I check the lines for cracking, aging, wear and rot. If the line isn't servicable, I throw it away. If the monofilament has nicks, I replace it fast. I take everything out of my tackle boxes and put things back in some kind of order rather than just dumping things in a pile. I use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust and dirt. If there are any lures beyond repair, I try to restock them while its fresh in my mind. I even check my landing net so a big fish won't get away if I net it. I oil reels sparlingly and release drag tension to eliminate spring fatigue. Not only does the care of your fishing gear make sense, it also helps make real fishing seem closer."

Outdoor notes

The Missouri Conservation Commission recently set the 2016-17 deer seasons and the spring and fall turkey season dates. The spring turkey youth portion will be April 9-10 while the regular spring turkey season will be April 16 through May 8. Fall deer and turkey dates are: Archery deer and turkey-Sept. 16 through Nov. 11 and Nov. 23 through Jan. 15, 2017. Firearm turkey is set for the entire month of October 2016. Early deer youth portion Oct. 29-30. Firearm deer November portion: Nov. 12 through Nov. 22. Firearm antlerless portion : Dec. 2 through Dec. 4. Firearm deer alternative Method portion: Dec. 24 through Jan.3, 2017 and the Firearm Late Youth deer portion: Nov.25 through Nov Nov. 27.

Bob Mckenzie, Aurora, brings in a trout he hooked at Roaring River during the winter trout park season. Mckenzie is a fly fisherman who also ties some of the lures he uses.(Photo by Ken White/Special to the Daily Mail)

The 62nd annual Kansas City Boat and Sportshow will open Jan. 21 and runs through Jan. 24. This granddaddy of sport shows helps the winter pass faster and makes outdoor minded people dream of fun in 2016. The Arc of the Ozarks will hold their 8th annual Hunt-Fish Outdoor Show Feb. 20-21.