Missoula Fly Gals Take to Zoom to Build Community During the Winter Months

The Missoula Fly Gals have been busy this winter! We started a Monday Night Fly Tying series over Zoom back in November and the events have grown in attendance each week ranging from 30–60 tiers. Women of all ages from Missoula, the Bitterroot, California, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and even Australia and Canada have joined in the tying fun! Each week a new pattern is announced and a materials list is sent out.

We have hosted several guest tiers— Karin Flint led the wooly bugger, Camille Nelson led the Egan’s Frenchie, and our very own WSCTU board member, George Kesel led a holiday sparkle minnow. Other Missoula Fly Gals have taken to the vice to lead the San Juan worm, Pat’s rubber legs, elk hair caddis, purple haze, and Spanish bullet.

Recently we celebrated the end of the holiday season with a holiday party open tie, complete with ugly sweaters and Christmas pajamas. Attendees were able to catch up, help each other identify those mystery tying tools, and inspire each other to work on flies for our upcoming fly exchange! For the fly exchange, participants will tie 6 flies of their choosing and send them to someone selected for them at random who is also participating in the fly exchange. This has been a great way to showcase everyone’s new or sharpened fly tying skills and expand our community of fly gals!

If you would like to participate in the fly exchange, there is still time! Send Hannah an email with your mailing address and she’ll get you lined up: missoulaflygals@gmail.com.

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