Help Support Children's Fly Camp...They Need Flies!

The fly fishing tradition runs deep here in New England but surveys reveal that all too few of our youth are participating regularly in outdoor activities. I have long wanted to combat that trend, having been associated for many years with the Brotherhood of the Jungle Cock, founded by Joe Brooks. Many fly fishing luminaries have participated in that program that exits just to introduce young people to fishing and to lead them to the joys of fishing the fly- Lefty, Poul, Ed Koch and Leon Chandler to name but a few. But duplicating an annual event for 500 kids and adults is a daunting task so I started small using the TU Fly Camp model. Twenty states have fly fishing camps now and 2012 will be the second year for the Vermont Fly Fishing Camp for Teens. Vermont’s oldest fishing lodge, Quimby’s is the host and with the help of many volunteers, four of us have been able to develop and maintain this vital program.  This year I am asking all of you who tie to consider contributing flies for the campers to use. Quimby’s sits on the shore of Forest lake, near the Canadian border and it hosts an amazing Hex hatch during the week we are there. We fish everything from small mountain brooks to the UC (Upper Connecticut), so caddis, Sulphur, and little yellow and green stoneflies dries and wets, are needed and it never hurts to have some wooly buggers. Any of the flies you would tie for yourself for late spring would be greatly appreciated, and put to good use. Soft hackles work particularly well on the UC, as do sulphur emergers. Contributions can be sent to Fly Camp for Teens, c/o Broadside, 500 Minister Brook Road, Worcester, VT 05682.