Learn to tie a fly, practice your existing tying skills, or just come to contribute to a good cause. The Mershon-Neumann Heritage Chapter will be donating flies as a chapter to the 2022-23 Tie-a-thon, starting January 14, 11:00, at the Jack and Alice Wirt Library. No experience or supplies needed. And if you enjoy the company (and we think you will), we will all go to lunch at G's Pizza in downtown Bay City following the fly tying.
The Tie-a-thon, a nonprofit organization begun in 2006 to benefit campers at the Michigan TU Youth Camp, organizes flies from tiers all over the country (and globe!) to donate to fly fishing events. Our chapter has worked with recipients who have repeatedly received flies including Casting for Recovery, Anglers of the AuSable Youth Program, as well as the MITU Youth Camp. Volunteers tie 100 flies in the same pattern and send them to the Tie-athon organizers. Each year different non-profit fly fishing events are chosen to receive the flies. This year's Tie-a-thon benefits The Mayfly Project, The Brotherhood of the Jungle Cock - New York and Reeling in Recovery - Atlanta.
The fly we will be tying as a chapter is a durable squirmy wormy. This fly is fast to tie, can catch fish in various situations, from river to ice fishing, and will be an asset to someone just learning to fish. On January 14 each participant will tie a few of these flies; some to donate and some to take home. Each person who helps us reach 100 squirmy wormys by April 15 will be entered to win a tie-a-thon shirt.
If you can't join us on January 14, please plan on joining us at our annual meeting (specifics pending), where we will have the vices and materials available for anyone to use. Or, if you aren’t comfortable with in person gatherings, check out this video and tie some up. Send them to us at P.O. Box 6920, Saginaw, MI 48608-6920. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RE0G8pJg7w
If you think this sounds like a great organization and you’d like to do 100 flies on your own, visit https://www.tieathon.org/ to see the patterns needed. Not sure how to tie a pattern? The link to the tie-a-thon youtube channel is also found here.
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