Tie Team; the friendly tying competition for novices and experienced tyers
The January meeting is all about team work and fly tying - it's called "Tie Team".
Our popular friendly competition, the idea behind Tie Team is that an experienced tyer is teamed with a novice or less-experienced tyer and they have to tie a range of patterns of their choosing using only a Hook, Thread, Wire, Tinsel and materials in the form of Game that is suppled. This disallows the use of synthetics and many of the more usual materials such as Marabou and Hen or Cock for hackle.
Materials usually include; Pheasant, Mallard, Widgeon, Teal, Hare, Rabbit, Grey and/or Black Squirrel, Partridge (French & English), Pigeon, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Moorhen and Coot.
Over just 2 hours, both tyers in the team have to tie the same patterns for which there are prizes for; Best Team Tying, Best Dry Pattern, Best Nymph Pattern, Best Wet Pattern, Best Lure Pattern and Best Innovative Pattern.
Some tyers may bemoan that there is no hen or cock (chicken) for hackles, but if you look carefully there are planty of alternative materials within the allowed feathers for hackling etc. How these materials are used is totally up to the tyer and over the years there have been some excellent tyings, especially for the innovative category; there was a great little innovative sedge pattern tied and the winner of last year's Innovative Pattern tied a variation of a New Zealand Killer pattern. Although some simple to tie patterns have also been winners.
The patterns are judged by the Branch's President at the end of the evening.
