
Ready to Tie! Photo copyright 2009 by Alan Creech
It looks like the BRNC Fly Tying Circle at the Boardman River Nature Center will be a ‘go.’
I heard from Colleen Masterson-Bzdok this afternoon — she is the Education Director for the Grand Traverse Conservation District. She is excited about the program and has some other volunteers on board to help get the program going.
1. The current plan is to have the Circle meet twice per month for the months of January, February, and March. Colleen is open to having the Center available more frequently (weekly, for example) or less frequently (perhaps only monthly). She wants to know what the participants are most interested in seeing happen.
2. She is also open about the time. We discussed scheduling some time for either an evening during the week (6 to 9 PM?) or perhaps a weekend afternoon time like Saturday (from 1 to 4 PM?). She can make the Center available to us whenever it would be most helpful, and needs some guidance about when that might be.
3. The initial concept is for a Circle that taps older youth and adults for membership. She is also interested in seeing a separate “Fly Tying for Kids” program get off the ground down the road. The concept behind the Circle is to give local area tiers a place to go to tie with others a few times per month. It is not meant as a traditional fly tying class, though of course tiers are always showing each other various tricks and tips. True North Trout will be happy to provide coffee and snacks, and assist in coordinating the venue usage.
4. It might be fun to plan a simple tying schedule — like small dry flies one night, and terrestrials another night, etc. Or perhaps it would be more fun to just bring your vice and know that there is a place where you can crank-out a dozen hare’s ears without making a mess on the living room carpet.
What I could use is some feedback that I can share with Colleen fairly soon. Would you rather see a weekend time reserved? An evening during the week? Are you happy with a program that was scheduled for twice per month through the winter? Would you prefer more or less frequency? Would you like to see a somewhat more structured program of ties (perhaps with a demonstration tie done by a veteran tier), or do you prefer the free-for-all approach and just want to know that free donuts are available for tiers of any skill level?
Send me your thoughts by clicking on “Editorial|Contact” in the Masthead and shoot me an email on the contact form!