One of the many fun facets of fly fishing is the ability to make or create your own flies on which to catch fish. Fly tyers use feathers, furs, tinsel, wool and other assorted materials that are tied onto a hook. They follow standard ‘recipes’ or patterns – some patterns that have been used for hundreds of years, passed down from generation to generation, others might be new innovations – but all with the same goal in mind - to fool the fish into thinking that the fly tied on the end of your tippet is a real insect, and one that is enticing enough to eat! And so in the cold winter months when some are lamenting the weather and looking forward to spring fishing, others are busy at their vises - fly-tying vises - tying up dozens of flies to fish with once the trout fishing season opens.

Recently the Rockland House, Roscoe, was the place to be for Fly Fest:

“Fly Fest: A fun-filled gathering of fly-tiers, fly-fishers and new-found friends in the dead of winter….” Taken from the archives of 19 years ago, the first Fly Fest was held in February, 2006, at the Reynolds House, Roscoe. The event was so popular that it required a larger venue, and continued on through the years; some at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and others at the Rockland House. And this year about 100 fly tyers and Guild members attended Fly Fest 2025. Some brought their vises, tying tools and materials; others gathered to enjoy the camaraderie, pick up some tips and tactics, and shake off the winter blues. Christina Muller and Mark Williams offered for sale some of Charlie Collins’s exquisite fly-tying necks (capes) at a bargain price, which were eagerly scooped up to add to collections of fly-tying materials.

On Sunday morning of Fly Fest, Joe Rist, of Trout Town Flies, Roscoe, offered a fly-tying clinic at his shop featuring guest fly-tyer Tom Mason, who demonstrated some Ed Van Put flies - namely, the Adams (his favorite fly to fish with) the Able Mabel and Joan Wulff Special, two flies Ed created. About a dozen tyers crowded around the long table with another half dozen or so “watchers” filling the shop. Joe continues his special events: Coming up this spring will be a free seminar on fly-fishing for Ladies - visit Trout Town Flies website for more information.

There are plenty of opportunities to learn to tie flies - and it’s not too late to start! The month of March is a great time to learn the art and stock your fly boxes for April’s opener. Dette Flies, at Waterwheel Junction, Livingston Manor, has been offering fly-tying classes all winter long. These classes are ongoing during the month of March and range from beginning to intermediate to advanced tying.