Rocky River Chapter
Trout Unlimited   
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

WE CONSERVE, PROTECT, AND SUSTAIN OUR COLDWATER NATURAL RESOURCES

RRTU Fly Tying 2024/2025

"I imagine that no art has ever been learned from books.  Fly dressing is no exception." G.E.M. Skues The Way of a Trout with a Fly. 1921
Finally the time is here for Fly Tying Sessions !
Rocky River Trout Unlimited has offered fly tying lessons for nearly two decades and fall brings the return of our in person classes. 
We offer Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced sessions.  These classes are all a very user friendly, not intimidating way to learn the joy of crafting your own trout fly patterns.  Anyone can do it.  Children to adult.  The classes are paced for skill set and there is a progression of classes to keep development going. 
Tying your own flies will allow you to see why the fly is the fly.  Why it is made the way it is and is constructed and what it represents to the trout and how to present it to the trout. These skills will propel you forward on the stream and offer the amazing satisfaction of being able to say " I caught that fish on a pattern I tied ! "

The full year schedule :
Dates : (11/16)changed to 11/23 , 12/14 , 1/18 , 2/15, 3/1
Time : 9am - 1pm
Location :
Covenant Presbyterian Church - Fellowship Hall
1000 E Morehead Street
Charlotte, NC 28204





​Fly of the Month

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Pheasant Tail Dry Fly.Skues
Fly of the Month 12.24 - Pheasant Tail Dry Fly

What insect does a fly pattern tied using Pheasant tail represent?  The Pheasant Tail fly patterns are a generic imitation of a mayfly, caddisfly or midge. The Pheasant Tail Dry Fly is intended to specifically imitate a blue-winged olive spinner. The use of Pheasant tail in a fly pattern has evolved to be many different flies including a more complex nymph, a wet fly, a dry fly and a variant or spinner in this case. The Pheasant Tail Dry uses hackle tips for wings. The Pheasant Tail Wet uses duck quill for the wings. The Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle uses partridge for a soft wing-like collar. The Pheasant Tail Parachute and Pheasant Tail Emerger uses a wingpost. The Pheasant Tail Variant and the Pheasant Tail Spinner has no wings. 

I digress to the nymphs only for background. Created by Frank Sawyer in the 1930s to fish the chalk streams in the south of England, various versions of his original Pheasant Tail Nymph is used on other rivers and streams across the world and is a killer. Frank was employed by The Fishing Association in Wiltshire, England for forty-one years as the Riverkeeper along the upper Avon. Sawyer’s original nymph fly pattern was tied using only two materials: copper wire and fibers from the tail feather of a pheasant. The copper used as weight and, substituted as thread.
 
Frank Sawyer's Pheasant Tail Nymph
Hook: 2X Nymph, Size 14, 16, 18
Tail: Male Ringneck Pheasant Center tail
Underbody: Extra Fine Copper Wire.
Abdomen: Extra Fine Copper wire wrapped with Male Ringneck Pheasant Center Tail fibers
Thorax: Male Ringneck Pheasant Center Tail Fibers over a larger shaped thorax of wrapped copper wire
Wingcase: Male Ringneck Pheasant Center Tail Fibers folded over 2 times

Note: Only 2 materials, long Pheasant tail fibers from the center tail of a male Pheasant and very fine copper wire
A true classic fly pattern, the Pheasant Tail Nymph originated in England in the 1930s and came over to America in the 1950s and has been a favorite fish catcher ever since. The American Pheasant Tail Nymph uses Pheasant tail fibers for legs, turkey for the wingcase and peacock herl for the thorax. In general, the Pheasant Tail Nymph imitates various aquatic insects in their nymph or larval stage, primarily mayflies, but also caddisflies and midges. Its slender profile, natural coloration, and subtle movement make it an effective representation of these insects.

Choose the Learn More button for the rest of the story and the tying recipe with instructions :

Fly Tier Tips

Tip of the month :
Now that cold weather is approaching and we add heat to our homes, static electricity follows to our tying surfaces.  Feathers, dubbing, pieces of trimmed materials all will act liked they are glued to the surfaces. 
Using a drier sheet from the laundryroom to lightly wipe over the flat surface that get electrified about once a week and the static will dissipate. 

Tom Adams
12.24

Calendar of Events :

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RRTU Chapter Meetings:  Guests are always welcome!

Fly Tying Session Number Two is on Saturday, December 14.                              
At Covenant Presbyterian starting at 9:00 am ending at 1:00.  Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced classes are offered.  Registration on left column.

Chapter Meeting : (No December 2024 meeting)

We will start the new year with a chapter meeting on
Thursday, January 16, 2025 @ Hopfly Brewery  @ 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm: Hopfly is located at 1327n Mint Street in Charlotte. Our speaker will be Jake Musick or Riverbound Xstream to discuss private water oppourtunities at his four streams in Southwest Virginia.
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This just in ........

 Important Notice On Upcoming Events !!
In response to member suggestions, we are experimenting with rotating locations for upcoming chapter meetings. Please make note of the following locations on your calendar. These meetings will also be broadcasted through Zoom.
 Another Successful Appletree Outing 

Our thanks to Bill Thomas and Jim Mabry for their mighty efforts to coordinate all the fine food and logistics for our recent camping experience! Everyone chipped in on the chores to make for a memorable time. Hope all of you can join us next year!
Casting Carolinas is a fantastic organization which supports women who are challenged with all forms of cancer, at all stages of cancer. They are currently taking applications for their 2024 retreats so please follow and share the link below. Casting Carolinas is also seeking additional volunteers to assist at these retreats. Here is the link to the retreats.

https://castingcarolinas.com/retreats                                             or email: Pat Lautner - [email protected]

Conservation News Here :

HOT WEATHER AND TROUT 

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Many of our rivers and streams due to unseasonably high temperatures have warmed to a level where fishing stresses trout and may cause potential harm.   Do not fish if the water temperature is higher than 65 degrees.  Make sure to carry a thermometer and check periodically throughout the day.  

PLASTIC IN OUR RIVERS AND STREAMS

The photo is a ‘birds nest’ one of our members picked up recently while fishing.  It appears to be 20# mono line.  Interestingly, it was found on a ‘blue line’ in an area that is a bit off the beaten path.

Plastic pollution and in particular micro plastics are increasingly becoming a problem in many of our rivers in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains. The Broad, French Broad, Green, Hiwassee, Little Tennessee, New and Watauga river basins have all been tested and shown to contain varying levels of microplastics. They are harmful to aquatic life and also a potential threat to human health. 
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Many of us, myself included have at some point been guilty. Maybe it’s the small tags we trim off or a small/large piece we leave in the trees. In any case it is time that each of us make a conscious effort to not contribute to the problem. If you are interested in learning more about plastic pollution in North Carolina check out this Link.

some patterns .......

Rocky River Events

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Join Chapter 348 - Rocky River

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Rocky River Programs

Rocky River Trout Unlimited members are heavily involved in a number of conservation projects and programs.
NOTICE: A quick overview of the calendar is now at the top of this page under Upcoming Events.
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We who trout fish together ...will work together to
Conserve,  Protect,  and Restore our Coldwater Streams
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Rocky River Chapter of Trout Unlimited (RRTU) 348