What's New in the Shop

Flies
Speaking of flies, our newest fave is a little bug shown to us by friends Mike and Randy of Backcountry Outfitters in Springfield, MO (yes, they have trout in Missouri). They fished the Big T below the dam about a month ago, and used one of their home waters flies, the Primrose and Pearl, with great success. We have several versions in stock, and we'll happily share the recipe with you tyers out there.

We'll soon be receiving our spring fly shipments, and the suppliers have come up with some interesting new patterns. Keep your eyes open for the new stuff, and we'll let you know in the newsletter and our weekly e-mails when the new bugs arrive.

Saturday Clinics
Our Saturday Clinics have proven a big hit, with attendance as high as 30 folks. We even had to buy more chairs to meet the need! We've tried to offer the best local talent, the known and the lesser known, we can find, and you have responded very positively. Thanks for your interest and the positive feedback. Our plan is to continue the clinics through about mid-April. We are still trying to get a few more tyers lined up, but we still have a few open dates, so if you know of a tyer you'd like to see, or if you'd like to share your own special patterns, let us know.

Tying Materials
Among the new arrivals are special Wapsi foam sheets and blocks in colors and sizes we've not seen before. The blocks are great for drilling out flip-flop ant bodies, and we have the special hollow drill bits in stock, too.

Check out our new selection of mohair yarn. It's an old fashioned material that cannot be equalled by any modern synthetic material for tying leech patterns and very buggy nymphs. We have also received more sparkle braid colors and sizes, an expanded selection of thread sizes and colors, Lateral Scale flash (a must for Barr's Tungstone series), and lots more.

One of the coolest new materials is Glitter Thread, a braided thread that apperars to made of thin fibers of mylar-like material. It's strong, accepts dubbing quite well, and can even be whip finished on midge sized hooks. It comes in 12 great colors.

Gear
Not much new in this category, with two exceptions: Redingtom makes some terrific entry level fly fishing outfits that include rod, reel, backing, line and leader- ready to fish with the addition of a fly or two. They are priced at $99.00 and $129.00 in two- and four-piece setups respectively. There are also a couple of combos available at $199.00 and $249.00 that include a rod/reel case and lifetime warranties. Any of these sets are suitable for a beginner's first rig, or as an upgrade for the more experienced fly fisher.

Classes
We've been offering two Fly Tying 101 classes each month at $55.00, and we will continue them; check the display board at the shop or the website for schedules. Individual classes are $75.00 and can be scheduled at your convenience.

Tying Club
The Laughing Grizzly Fly Tying Club, led by Al Ritt, meets the 4th Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm at the shop. For $45.00/year membership you get a place to tie where you don't have to worry about making a mess, there is no cat to run off with your prized grizzly neck, and you get to enjoy a convivial evening with like-minded folks. On top of that, you receive a 10% discount on all tying tool and materials purchases during the evening.

Each meeting features a specific pattern or patterns that Al will lead us through. You can call ahead to make arrangements to join, or just show up. If you sign up in advance, you will be added to the e-mail list so you will know what the pattern of the month is and be prepared to either bring or buy the appropriate  materials.

Laughing Grizzly/Trout Unlimited Kids Learn to Flyfish Course
The Laughing Grizzly and the St Vrain Anglers Chapter of Trout Unlimited, in conjunction with the Longs Peak United Methodist Church, have teamed up to present a series of six classes on fly tying, entomology, trout habitat and fly fishing for kids age 8-14. While we have already had our first session, it's not too late to join. We could add another two or three kids. There is no cost; TU and the Laughing Grizzly provide all the tools, materials and fishing gear for the program. While the tying tools, rod, reels and other gear remain the property of SVATU, the kids get to keep all the tying materials and, of course, the skills, knowledge and fun they've experienced along the way. Call the shop (303-772-9110), or e-mail Dick Shinton (rashinton@gmail.com)  if you know of a kid who would like to participate.

We also need volunteers for each session; the next session will be held on Saturday, February 16 from 8:30-11:00 am at Longs Peak United Methodist Church. We need two or three people to help kids as they learn to tie some basic flies, building on the skills they learned in the first session. E-mail Dick Shinton at the address above if you would like to volunteer for the next or other sessions.

That's it for this month. See you in the Shop or on the water.