SOWBUG ROUND-UP by the North Arkansas Fly Fishers

[Kevin]

FOURTEENTH ANNUAL SOWBUG ROUNDUP

BY JOHN BERRY

For me and many other anglers, the first harbinger of spring is the long awaited arrival of the Sowbug Roundup. It has been a long cold winter and though I got a little fishing in over the last few months, I am ready for warm weather. The Sowbug Roundup is the annual fly tying show sponsored by our local fly fishing club, the North Arkansas Fly Fishers. It is without a doubt the best fly tying show in the area and one of the best in the nation.

 

The Sowbug Roundup is at the Redeemer Lutheran Church Family Life Center located at 307 W. North Street Mountain Home, Arkansas on March 17, 18 and 19. This is a Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The hours are 9:00AM to 4:00 PM and the admission is only five dollars for all three days. Kids under twelve are free when accompanied with a parent. This event is definitely family friendly. It should be noted that the North Arkansas Fly Fishers is a 501C3 not for profit organization. This is their annual fundraiser and the first $4,500.00 earned goes to fund two scholarships for local residents each year.

 

I recently heard the disturbing news that the church ladies would not be providing food service this year. I must say that I was very concerned because they have always done an exemplary job. Then I learned that the Cotter Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) would be filling in. I was relieved. As a Cotter resident, I always attend the CVFD annual chili dinner, their biggest fundraiser each year. The most recent chili dinner was held a couple of weeks ago and I was only able to finish three big bowls. It was so good that Lori purchased several portions to go. She put them in the freezer for an emergency. At the Sowbug festival they plan to serve burgers, hot dogs, barbeque chicken, and sandwiches for lunch and will also serve breakfast. They will vary the menu over the festival and there will be no need to leave Sowbug to find something good to eat.

 

The big draw at the festival is the fly tiers. This year there will be one hundred tiers from twenty five states and Canada. They are even going to let me tie again. If you are interested in seeing some world class tiers this is the place. There are three featured fly tiers in particular that you should check out. Watching Earl Stanek, Joe Nicklo or Colby (Pops) Sorrels tie is worth the price of admission alone.

 

Earl Stanek is a local resident and a national treasure. His flies are works of art rather than something to fish with. He is from the realistic school of fly tying and his creations are incredibly detailed. Earl uses materials in ways that few others do. He is known for his framed dioramas. These are glimpses of the insect’s habitat that include under water nymphs and the adults above the water. They are highly sought after on auctions and usually go for hundred if not thousands of dollars. You have to see his work to believe it. They will be auctioning off one of his creations during sowbug. Earl gave me some of his grass hoppers. I was reluctant to use them because they were so good looking, I wanted to frame them. I finally fished them and caught some spectacular trout. His flies are not only works of art but they do their job.

 

Joe Nicklo is an innovator. He is an accomplished fly tier and has developed a new technique for tying flies using hot melt glue. He will be featuring this technique at Sowbug. I first came across his flies when I participated in a fly swap. I received a couple of his patterns, a scud and a sowbug. I actually thought the scud was the better of the two but I tried the sowbug first. I was fishing with a young client on Dry Run Creek. We tied on one of Joe’s Hot Melt Glue Sowbugs and proceeded to catch 29 trout including a twenty seven inch rainbow before a huge trout broke it off, at the end of a significant struggle. I was impressed. Joe will be demonstrating his hot melt glue technique at sowbug.

 

Then there is Colby Pops Sorrels. He is a well known outdoors writer and photographer. Pops is known for his saltwater patterns. I have fished with him and aside from being a really nice guy I found him to be an accomplished angler. I generally spend a bunch of time, whenever I see him, picking his brain and trying to learn some of his skills. If you are an avid saltwater angler or are planning your first trip to the coast, you need to stop by and watch Pops tie.

 

There will be other tiers representing every style or species that you would ever be interested in. There will even be guys like me that tie down and dirty patterns that are only designed to catch fish.

 

My wife, Lori, and I will both teach seminars and she will teach a ladies fly casting class. There will of course be several other seminars by a variety of speakers. I noticed that they will even have free fly tying classes every day.

 

As usual they will have a silent and a live auction featuring a bunch of great stuff that I know you all need. Thanks to all of the local businesses and anglers that donated these items.

 

I encourage all of you to attend. It is a great show. Stop by and let me tie you a fly. I will be tying my green butt soft hackle which is an effective emerger to use on the caddis hatch that is just starting.