Fly Tying and Fly Fishing Expo under way
The East Idaho Fly Tying and Fly Fishing expo is celebrating it’s 25th year this weekend. People from all over the country are in Eastern Idaho this weekend, and it’s all for their love of fly tying and fly fishing..
“Great time meet a lot of people, new techniques, you’re always learning,” said Les Reitz a Fly Tier from Twin Falls.
“It’s fun you can make your own stuff,” 17-year-old Mason John explained. “Catching a fish on a fly you made is just a different feeling than one you bought.”
The expo puts on a banquet, auctions, hosts many vendors, and allows fly tiers to show off their skills.
“Every tier has their own [technique] that they add into something,” said Reiz. “Little different way to do it. Maybe easier? You just don’t think about it.”
The expo even has booths to let amateurs learn the ropes of fly tying.
Not only is it a time to bond with other fly fishers, it’s a time to give back to the community.
“You always have to donate back, you can’t just take from a resource. You have to donate back,” said Wade Allen, a local fly fisher and a expo member. “I feel that everybody should be donating their time and efforts back to the resources they enjoy the most.”
Some of the things the expo raises money for are education programs and conservation projects that benefit the fisheries of Eastern Idaho.
“The chapter isn’t just celebrating fishing,” said Chris Wood, the CEO of Trout Unlimited and this years keynote speaker. “They’ve contributed over the years well over a quarter of a million dollars to help protect and restore some of the local trout fisheries in the area.”
All in all, many fly fishers can agree; it’s always nice to just exchange new ideas with people that share the same interest as you.
“I’m learning new skills all the time from watching all these tiers do their work,” said Allen.
“I’ve watched a couple other tiers, I’ve learned some stuff,” said John. “There’s new materials, stuff like that.”
The expo continues Saturday, with doors opening at 8 a.m, where there will also be a banquet later that night and live auction starting at 5:30 p.m.
