Anglers who wanted to learn how to tie flies and crappie jigs are learning the essentials in a series of classes put on by the Missouri Department of Conservation at the Lost Valley Hatchery in Warsaw.
The classes started February 21 and will conclude on March 9th. The series, presented by the MDC’s education division, is led by volunteer Nathan Bettencourt of Clinton with help from Bill Grammer of Warsaw.
Eight students enrolled in the classes, filling all available spots. The students were equally divided between those who wanted to learn how to tie flies specifically and those who were more interested in learning how to tie crappie jigs. The techniques, skills and materials required transfer from one to the other.
“I saw Nathan tying flies at the Truman Lake Fishing Expo, said Connie Watson of Tightwad. “I crappie fish a lot, and I wanted to learn how to tie crappie jigs, so I signed up.”
Thomas Barker of Cole Camp said much the same thing. “I got a fly rod last year, and I wanted to learn how to tie flies. I saw Nathan tying at the Fish Expo.” He then joined the class.
Another student, Rob Armstrong, of Burlington, Ky., learned of the class online. “I’m a retired Delta Airlines pilot,” he said. “I bought an RV and am traveling around. Right now, I’m parked down at Shoal Creek near Joplin. This class was the only one I could find that was more than a one-day class.” He makes the drive up from the Joplin area for each class.
The four classes focus on giving the students the basics of fly tying, a hobby that readily transfers into tying jigs intended for crappies.
The first two classes introduced students to the San Juan Worm, an extremely easy fly to tie, and one that is deadly on trout as well as bluegill. The second tie was a crappie jig, using a jig head from Everharts and sporting a marabou tail and chenille body.
The second class reviewed the basic knots and then launched into tying the Wooly Bugger—a fly that incorporates the marabou tail that was part of the crappie jig tied during the previous session. It’s a universal fly that catches most fish when its size and colors are adapted to conditions. The second fly tied was a Lady Bug—a foam-backed fly that is a floating beetle imitation and one that is very effective for trout and bluegill.
According to Bettencourt, in the final two sessions, students will learn to tie the Hare’s Ear Nymph and a partridge-and-yellow soft hackle. In the final session, the students will learn how to tie a marabou streamer and a dry fly, the Grizzly Hare. The flies tied in the beginner’s class cover the basic groups of flies: nymph, wet, dry, streamer, attractor and jig.
This series of classes was the first at the hatchery, so it is a learning experience, said Kara Entrop, the Community Education Assistant at the Lost Valley Hatchery.
“We want to see what works and make any needed adjustments before we schedule others. But we are planning to offer more of the beginner’s classes along with some intermediate classes at some point.” Entrop said that a crappie jig tying class would work well and likely would be popular for this area.
For more information on future classes, contact the Missouri Department of Conservation at either the Lost Valley Hatchery or the Clinton MDC office.
