A FOURTH British Fly Fair weekend of 4th and 5th November
Written By: Robert Spaight
On Date: 15/9/2006
Yes, the Fly Fair is only TWO MONTHS AWAY : you’ll notice the New Logo and addition of the word ‘International’ to acknowledge the many top class tyers who travel from other Countries to display their skills, and also to recognize the ‘International’ status and reputation a Fair in Britain has acquired. For 2006 web site
www.bffi.co.uk * New Faces * New Countries represented * Orvis takes stand * New Tyers
* Plasma Screen returns to the Fly-Tying Theatre * Launch of ‘Flies across the Sea’
* Charles Jardine painting the Fly Fair Scene
At the Trentham Gardens Exhibition Centre near Stoke-on-Trent ,Staffordshire
(just 2 miles from M6 Junction Number 15)
Opening Times :- Saturday & Sunday 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
Admission is £8-50 (one day) - £7-50 in advance
or
£15 (two days) - £13-50 in advance
Juniors under 16 accompanied by an adult are admitted FREE
To take advantage of pre-Show Booking Discounts
Ticket Hotlines 01782 – 388382 and 07932 – 653492) or E-Mail info@bffi.co.uk
and through the Fly Dressers Guild Website Shop at
www.the-fdg.orgTravel directions and accomodation suggestions can be found on the Fair website
www.bffi.co.ukDo please avail yourself of the Fair’s informative WEBSITE for constant news updates.
The Fly Fair in Britain is the spearhead start of the worldwide International Fly Tying Show Season, with tyers from Australia, Denmark,England,Finland,France,Germany,Holland,Iceland,Ireland (both North and South),Italy,Norway,Scotland,Sweden,United States (7 tyers),and Wales – 15 Countries.
Quality,as always,is the organisers’ keynote – as the tyers and retailers list on the website confirms.
At the heart of the Show are the 40+ Demonstration Fly tyers from 15 Countries but many other top
tyers will be working on the retail booths. A number of the tyers are book authors,magazine writers, and have videos of dvd’s of their techniques. Short biographies of tyers and examples of their flies are on the Website. Flies for trout,salmon,grayling,pike,barbel,salt water species – in fact flies for just about anything you want to fish a fly for are featured … as well as Realistic Flies,Art Flies and Collectibles which will never enter the water.
The Featured Flytyer Theatre (where the experts can be watched close up and on the giant Plasma Screen) becomes the “Fly Tying in Focus Theatre” this year with a programme that includes -
Oliver Edwards Tying Super-Impressionistic Patterns
Tom Travis Tiny Tubes for Trout
Chris Helm Tying with Deer Hair
Charlie Chute Mounting Featherwings on Classic Salmon Flies
Mikael Frödin Modern Tube Fly Tying (for salmon)
The Destination Theatre,now the “Fly Fair Forum Theatre ,features presentations such as -
Skuli Kristinsson “Fishing for Brown Trout and Arctic Char in Iceland”
Ulf Börjessen (Sweden) “Wild Trout Around the World”
Barry Grantham from Lincoln “My Way with Cane” (Rods)
Stuart Crofts “The Magic and Mystery of Emergence” (Entomology)
Mauro Raspini “Making a River” (in Italy)
Ad Swier (Holland) “Fly Fishing for Pike”
The Website over the coming weeks will display the full finalised daily
programmes in the two Theatres
Just Starting ?
Anyone who wants to tie their first fly can do so at the Fly Dressers’ Guild stand where their
experienced tyers guarantee they can get folk tying one within quarter of an hour.
Got tying questions,problems,difficulties ?
See the “Fly Tying Clinic” experts – Chris Reeves,Ian McKenzie,Philip White,Terry Griffiths,and
Wendy Gibson.
The FBI will be there !
The Saturday afternoon of the Fair sees the Launch,on the Fly Fishing & Fly Tying Magazine stand,
of an exciting ‘Across the Pond’ public participation opportunity for all tyers to display their own flies in America – “Flies of the British Isles”. FBI links the Fly Fair and the Catskill Fly Fishing Centre and Museum in upstate New York,with the support of Fly Fishing & Fly Tying Magazine.
An all-tyer participation event,it is set to run for a full year of collection of British flies,followed by a large wall display at the Centre. The launch will feature the magazine’s editor,US Centre Director Jim Krul,Fly Fair Organiser, and well-known UK and US tyers. The Centre has previously featured large displays of New Zealand and Polish flies. Find out more about the Centre and its work on their Website :
www.cffcm.orgWant to get personally involved in supporting Flyfishing and Flytying ?
Couldn’t be easier,with stands of membership organisations such as the Salmon & Trout Association, Grayling Society,Fly Dressers’ Guild,ACA,Wild Trout Society,Prince Albert Angling
Association,Isaak Walton Cottage,present at the Fair.
A full list of the tyers appears on the Website (many with biographical information).
First-time overseas tyers at the event include -
* “Montana’s Master Angler”,Tom Travis, travelling some 4,500 miles from Livingston,Montana. With flies featured in Orvis’ 2006 “Rod and Tackle” Catalogue and provider of the “At the Vice” advice therein,Tom started tying aged 10,ran the Montana Master Angler outfitting and fly shop in Livingston from 1987 to 1999 (still thought by many to have been the best fly materials store ever anywhere – with a library and tying vices on the spacious upper floor),evaluates new materials for Orvis (for whom he has created some 100 patterns for commercial sale),and this year celebrates 30 seasons of outfitting guiding anglers on the Yellowstone, Madison, Missouri and Big Horn Rivers,in Yellowstone National Park (where he has fished all the of the featured lakes and streams),on Paradise Valley Spring Creeks (Armstrong’s, Nelson’s and DePuy’s) and other waters such as Milesneck’s Spring Creek – apart from being an experienced flyfisher in Michigan and South Eastern American waters (both fresh and salt).
A conductor of flyfishing and flytying seminars across the United States,having taught tying since 1980 from Beginning Fly Tying to Tying Classic Atlantic Salmon Flies,he writes the booklets for all 27 different programmes,and has contributed articles on flies and fly tying materials to American Angler, The Wild Trout Journal, The Fly Fisher, Fly Fish America, Scientific Anglers Fly Fishing Quarterly, The Angler’s Journal Fly Fishing & Tying Journal,and the Orvis web-site,authored “Montana Fly Fishing Opportunities” 1993,and co-authored with Rod Walinchus “Fly Fishing the Yellowstone River” 1995 (the ‘bible’ for every flyfishable section of the river)
His current tying focus and exploration is on Tiny Tubes Flies for Trout,and stillwater patterns (watch out for articles on these in the UK Flyfishing & Flytying magazine),and has innovative uses for materials that many others discard in frustration.
In an earlier ‘incarnation’,Tom experienced the ‘real world’ as a member of special forces in Vietnam. The British Fly Fair is delighted to have lured Tom from his lair – he hasn’t been in Britain for some 35 years : we guess he’ll notice some differences ! It is particulary good that he can come this year,with his Orvis links,as 2006 is the 25th Anniversary of the company’s UK business - and,indeed,its 150th Anniversary as a force in US flyfishing.
* Oliver Edwards – on the Partridge Hooks stand and in the “Fly Tying in Focus Theatre”
* Welsh 17 year old Gavin Perry who specialises in sewin flies.
* Wendy Gibson
* Mikael Frödin on the Guideline stand and in the “Fly Tying in Focus Theatre”
The Retail Hall features -
... top name attendees from the fly tackle industry
... specialist tying and material suppliers
… angling holiday opportunities far away and closer to home.
… books and antique tackle
... rod makers
... American Genetic Hackles,with Bill Keough from the United States flying across “the pond” with his necks and saddles.
All Trade Exhibitors are listed on the Website,together with a floorplan of the Hall.
Outdoor activities include Casting Demonstrations,casting advice, and free casting tuition for beginners and juniors by nationally qualified APGAI (Association of Game Angling Instructors) instructors – including Hywel Morgan and Ian Gordon.
The Fly Fair organisers,and participating tyers,extend their wishes for a strong recovery to Norfolk’s Gordon Mackenzie who tied the first three years A much loved tyer,he will be missed on the tying benches. Hopefully,he may be fit enough to visit by the time of the Fly Fair. Catskill tyer,Floyd Franke,a founding member of the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild,and a stalwart member of the Catskill Fly Fishing Centre and Museum, fighting a similar battle,is in the tyers’ thoughts too.
As media facilitator for the event I will be pleased to help you in any way I can,e.g. -
Pre-Show -providing any supplementary information you may require
At the Show, I will be based at The British Fly Fair Administration Stand (if all goes according to plan,I will be found under the giant floating Dragonfly).
Robert Spaight.