Hello, fellow fishermen!

Those of us who ice fish would have already been out by now, but a record mild December has put less ice on than we expect to have this time of year. There is some good ice out there, and some not as good, so unless you are experienced and know your spots quite well, you should wait a bit. I’m going to play it safe and write about something other than ice fishing this month.

One of the things I like to do during the winter is tie flies. I find it a particularly good activity to occupy the space between plays during a Patriots game, or do on one of those days when you don’t have to go out – and would prefer not to.

Fly tying initially intimidated me. I have never had fine motor skills or hand steadiness that were anything to brag about, but like swimming, a lot of it is just jumping in the pool. After watching some people tie and asking too many dumb questions, Ben Hunsberger of Topsham who was in the TU chapter I was then a member of suggested that I buy a copy of “Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple” by Skip Morris, available at Beans and elsewhere including amazon.com.

I got a deal on a low-end rotary cam vice that I still use, and I was off and tying.

What worked for me was working with the book, and having a mentor to fall back on when I got stuck and couldn’t make something work. I was fortunate that Peter Smith of S.S. Flies in Denmark (before he turned pro) answered my how-to questions on those days when I went from feeling like a genius one minute to an idiot the next.

Eldredge Brothers in Cape Neddick is offering introductory fly tying classes in February. Beans and community rec departments often do as well during the winter. These are a great way to get started.

Once you get to a certain point, you can expand your skill set. There is a lot of good step-by-step instruction on the web. I have always liked Fly Anglers On-line (http://flyanglersonline.com/) that has ties from beginning patterns to advanced ones. YouTube has a staggering amount of tying content available that you can Google search to find. The caveat is that the quality varies greatly, so if you don’t like how one of the videos starts for any reason, you are best served going on to another. Having said that, some of what’s out there is really good. My favorites are the ones by Davie McPhail who is truly amazing. The only drawbacks are that he is Irish and a few folks can’t seem to get through his brogue, the other is that he is so good it makes you too well aware of your own limitations.

Sebago Chapter of Trout Unlimited has a fly-tying club called Gray Ghosts. This is not for those who have never tied before, but they present world-class fly tying on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings at 6:30, October through March at First Parish Church in Yarmouth. Organized by nationally recognized fly-casting instructor Rod McGarry, both professional tiers and top-flight amateurs lead the participants through two flies. Materials are provided, and a nominal fee is charged for them. Tying gear is available for those who need it. For more information, see http://www.sebagotu.org/.

There is a certain satisfaction that comes from catching fish on flies that you’ve tied yourself. Beyond that, the Cumberland Fair exhibits now include fishing flies. I’ve entered the last two years and only managed red ribbons – not bad for someone who can’t tie a decent feather-wing fly. Maybe this is my year. Go Pats!

Steve Heinz is an avid fisherman who lives in Cumberland and is Conservation Chair for Sebago Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Comments and questions are welcome heinz@maine.rr.com.