If your river-time is the only time you have to geek out with your buddies, you are undoubtedly building up a dangerous amount of pent-up geekness. Have you found yourself blurting out optimum grain weights or tactical head lengths at dinner parties? Do your wife’s girlfriends shoot worried looks across the table when you start ranting?
Face it, folks: if you are passionate, you are not normal. And in order to fit in with the mall-shoppers of the world, you need to feed your inner geek. Repressing the geek creates frustration, the kind that can disintegrate your normal-person facade. This can eventually lead to full-blown mid-life crisis, and in worst cases to you living in a tiny shack by a lonely river with nobody to hang out with but small-town drunks. Do not let this happen to you!
My prescription: supplement your fishing time with regular “Fly Tying Parties.” Sound a little weird? Take it from me, it’s only weird until you try it. Such gatherings allow you to ask all those nagging little questions that only your fly-bros understand, like “how do you get those wings to lay back like that?” When recreational drinking is added, male-bonding banter is a natural and therapeutic by-product. Additionally, fly tying parties will spur you to learn new techniques and patterns. And by far the most cool of all is the fact that fly tying parties are productive! How many gatherings of fishermen can say that? Of course, productivity varies widely. Sometimes all a guy needs is a couple of social brews, and some sympathetic “Totally, dude” affirmations.
Even the most reclusive tyer will be amazed at how much fun a tying party can be. Recently our own Jason Cichy braved his first Intruder party. This is a guy who literally falls asleep at the vise multiple nights a week. But he had never tied with other guys until last week. He managed to crank out one deadly looking Intruder before falling into the “what step am I on?” abyss. I’ll bet he ties two whole flies next time! And two Intruders can get a guy through some tough spots this time of year!
-RR
I could use one of those this time of year. Are you guys in Portland?
I’m up for one if anyone holds that in Portland.
Hmmm….sounds like a great idea that Caddis could facilitate. I would think that there would be quite a bit of interest in an informal tying party for different styles of tying (intruders for instance), or different seasonal offerings (sea-run cuttys for example). It would be a fantastic opportunity to “network” with fellow tyers of all skill sets. I know that I would show up for a feathers, fur and pilsner session 🙂
caddis should host some fly tying parties, that would be fun
I’d be down with a tying party in Portland. Who’s with me? (translation: who’s hosting?)
Hey just caught on to this so doubt anyone is still reading. I’d host. lets do this. WINTER 2011!