PHWFF Colorado Springs kicked off the New Year with fly-tying classes starting on January 5 and running through April 13.
Because of the amount of interest, they hold two classes a week, to accommodate all of the participants and have a nearly one-to-one ratio of instructors to participants.
“The goal of the one-on-one ratio is to help establish more of a personable relationship between mentor and participant over the time of the course,” Assistant Program Lead Mike McCleish said. “For example, the participant I mentor lives a block away. If he needs any assistance with his fly-tying “homework”, I am available to come by and help!”
Program Lead Rob McKennan wanted to design the fly-tying course in a way to develop a good variety of the skills needed to tie many of the most productive flies for freestone and tailwater fisheries near Colorado Springs.
As a mentor from prior year’s tying classes, the most memorable moments are when a participant conquers a certain skill. One of the first ones is the whip finish tool. My next favorite is when they get a well-posted parachute dry fly!
colorado springs assistant program lead mike mccleish
McCleish would like to first thank volunteer Jim Stanley for all of his help.
“He led the effort to revamp the course of instruction with more up-to-date fly patterns, the recipes, the steps, and all of the photos,” McCleish boasted. “There are several other volunteers who deserve kudos for dividing up the material orders into individual packets for each participant.”
