Fly Tying Workshop Finishes Up its Fifth Year

From novice to expert, learning the art of fly tying becomes social gathering

By John Weiss, March 10, 2026

An older man with dark rimmed glasses and dark ball cap intently focuses on tying a trout fly under a bright light and magnifying glass. Another man on the right is speaking and showing him how to do the task.

“Add deep tension here. Let it go, let everything settle before you do another wrap and do the process over again,” Wayne Pray (right) giving fly-tying advice to Aaron Gage. (Photo by John Weiss)

LANESBORO — Aaron Gage, a Lanesboro fly-fishing, fly-tying non-expert was eager to learn from Wayne Pray, a master during the penultimate fly-tying event recently held at Sylvan Brewing near the Root River in Lanesboro.

Fly-tying at the brewery started around five years ago when COVID-19 reared its ugly head, said Lance Prado, an owner of the nearby Root River Rod Co. It was a good way to stay in touch.

A group of men in ball caps sit around a long, wooden, rectangular table in a rustic bar room. Each one has a bright light in front of them and all are focused on tying flies.

Six fly tyers work their craft, share tips and tell fishing tales. (Photo by John Weiss)

The small gathering continued and grew into a regular meet-up on Thursdays from mid-November through mid-March. This Thursday, March 12, will be the final workshop as now it’s time to get out and fish.

All are welcome to join—from beginner to expert, and even those just a teeny bit curious about this subset of fly fishing. Typically, Root River Rod Co. salespeople and fishing guides attend. At times, maybe 15 people from the community also show up.

Sylvan Brewing is a great place to hold fly-tying, Prado said, “just the atmosphere, Sylvan Brewing created such a nice place, we wanted to hang out.”

Besides the six fly-tyers, a group of women sat nearby eating chocolate cake and discussing the book “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. Others simply came to hang around, eat pizza, chat, see who’s out and about.

A very small hook is held between a thumb and forefinger and clamped in a tool as a yellow line is stretched tautly as it's wrapped around the hook.

It takes a good magnifying glass and a steady hand to create some of these tiny flies. (Photo by John Weiss)

Beginners to masters united around fly fishing

Some can tie the tiniest flies with an expertise and flair that is almost magical. Like any of the subsets, fly tyers have their own, sometimes mystifying, expressions and tools. Once you know them, things usually make sense. Usually.

There are thousands of flies, from those fished along the bottom, near the surface and on the surface—from miniscule to large, at least by fly-fishing standards.

Tyers tend to add their own nuances which they are convinced will be a lot better than the standard way. They just know that they are tying the mysterious fly that will flummox all fish (they never do).

A fuzzy trout fishing fly with feathers sticking out is held between a thumb and forefinger to show it's small size.

“One wrap, check it out, because CDC (a special duck feather) goes all over the place. Wet your fingers if you need to. Pull it back, keep pulling it back. Bring it up, two is going to be fun. Bring it, bring it back. That is your tie-off point.” Gray’s teaching style is very hands on. (Photo by John Weiss)

Gage, who was the first one to set up, said he moved to Lanesboro several years ago. “I’ve gotten better since I moved here,” he said.

Sure, he could tie at home—and he does. But equally important is “getting together with the guys, the guys from the shop. I’ve gotten to know them over the years. Get together, tell stories.”

Pray, “he’s an encyclopedia of knowledge,” Gage said.

He’s sorry to see the tying end, but then, that means it’s spring and time to wet some of the flies he’s tied, he said as he began tying a purple reign and went on to one that Pray, who helped him, called a “bead head CDC collar nymph in brown.”

An older man with dark rimmed glasses and dark ball cap intently focuses on tying a trout fly under a bright light and magnifying glass. He holds a small yellow-handled scissors and is about to cut the line.

“Put pressure on the top, then you can get your scissors right there, clean snip, there you go.” Instructions become second nature after a few flies. (Photo by John Weiss)

Pray said he’s in his fifth year of tying at Sylvan and “it’s a social occasion, we have beers, pizza, just talk and tell stories and lie a little bit here and there. Tie some flies.

“It’s a lot of fun in winter, especially this winter,” he said. In most winters, you can get out a few days each week but “this year, it was like being in prison.”

A trout fly with feathers, string, and fuzzy material wrapped around the hook and jutting out from the top and the tail.

An expertly finished fly almost guaranteed to fool a wily trout. (Photo by John Weiss)

His dream: “One of these days a 12-year-old kid comes in and says, “can you show me how to tie a hare’s ears”? And you go, ‘you bet we can.’ We’d love to get some young kids in here.”

When Gage was done, he had another fly to add to his box—and that much wiser having learned a little bit from the master.

If you missed this year’s fly tying, there’s always next year—or consider a guided fishing trip in the meantime. Visit Root River Rod Co to learn more.

Contributor

John Weiss

John Weiss was a full-time reporter for the Rochester Post-Bulletin for 41 years and wrote the Back Roads column for more than 10 years. His passions include hunting, fishing, birding, nature photography, hiking and just kicking around.