Every Tuesday evening I go to my friends house to tie flies. Since I’ve been tying a lot of BIG flies lately I felt the need to make a few tiny ones. I have a special fondness for quill bodied flies for some odd reason. They look more natural to me. It probably doesnt make much difference to the fish….but if I like them better I believe I’ll fish them better.

I’ve been trying to get more creative with fly photography….but I still dont take it too seriously. It’s mostly playful experimentation. I like the reflection on this polarized filter I had laying on my studio table. I may try some more reflection style photos the next time I tie dry flies.

Tommy Lynch was in the house last night. Tommy is a guide from Baldwin, MI who primarily fishes the Pere Marquette River.

Once a week I attend “Bar Flies”, a fly tying event at the Dexter Pub in Dexter, MI. Mike Schultz of Schultz Outfitters organizes the sessions.

They had a large turnout last night. There weren’t many empty seats. Mike teaches a group of beginners in the back. Up front, the featured tyer has his work captured on video which is projected on a big screen. I usually order a Wolverine Premium Lager from the Wolverine State Brewing Company.  I like to sit in front of the fireplace but last night I sat against the back wall and listened to the guides talk about all their adventures in Alaska, Cabo and the Keys.  It’s always fun to see all the tying vices and benches in the group.  Some are pretty sophisticated, others are not.  My favorite one of all is a simple clamp vice mounted to a 16″ diameter log which was about 4″ thick.  Another guy sported a unique German vice which bordered on sculpture.  The ages range from high school age to senior citizens.  The high school kid is a fly tying wiz.  It’s nice to see young kids with a passion other than video games.  Due to the large turnout we only tied two flies…but they were articulated so you could argue we actually tied four flies which were then linked together. 

As much as I would love to use this fly it will have to sit in my fly box for a few months. But I will get a chance to cast a few of my Senyo patterns on the Vermillion River in Ohio this weekend.  My friends and I were going to drift the Muskegon but a snow storm is moving in.  So, we decided it might be best to wade instead of drift.  It’s a pain in the ass to manuever the driftboat in high wind…at least it is for me.

So far this year tying flies at the Dexter Pub has been a blast. You dont have to go to many sessions before you realize these aren’t the flies your grandpa used to throw. Greg Senyo stated before his class that all purists should leave now! Ha! It used to ruffle my feathers a little to see so much synthetic material in flies but not anymore. I guess it’s partly because my natural flies are not as effective. With such limited time to fish and the price of gas it’s nice to actually catch a fish when I go fishing. I mean that is why I’m out there.

Last night I learned a few gangsta flies from professional tier Greg Senyo. Bar Flies night is sponsored by Schultz Outfitters of Dexter, MI.

You can check out the magazine here.

Woodcut

]]> http://gregorioperez.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/pictures-in-glass/feed/ 1 Gregg Pictures in Glass http://gregorioperez.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/though-i-am-heavy-there-is-flight-around-me-wendell-berry/ http://gregorioperez.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/though-i-am-heavy-there-is-flight-around-me-wendell-berry/#comments Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:52:23 +0000 Gregorio Perez http://gregorioperez.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/though-i-am-heavy-there-is-flight-around-me-wendell-berry/ ]]>
Though I am heavy, There is flight around me ~ Wendell Berry, a photo by Goyo P on Flickr.