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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-04-22, Page 13Second Section - April 22, 1998 Bruce Grant is hooked on fly tying Tied up. Bruce Grant from Lucan has been fly fishing and tying flies for • more than 15 years. �Iit�deJr'I the "But It is not alone the sport of catching fish which constitutes the charm of angling. There is in every one of us the innate love of Nature in her purest and her sim- plest phases. The meanest child will stop instinctively to pull the wayside flower. As of old. angling is still the contemplative man's recreation. The soothing influence of one bright day will linger with us through many a thoughtful hour and the mind will wander off to the valleys and the .hills to the clear skies and the flying clouds. and memory bubbles almost unconsciously of green fields. made musical by the harmony of a river and the songs of many birds." . From the book Yorkshire Trout Flies Bti T.E. Pritt. Published in 1883. • By Katt Monk T -A Reporter I.I'CAN - I)unng the day.. Bruce Grant leads a faa-paced lite as a co-op program• liaison at Fanshawe. College But after hours. his favorite past -time is far from stressful. Grant has delved Into fly fishing and fly tying, He even admits it has hecomc a bit of an obsession.. Fifteen years ago. Grant's lather -in-law ..gave, him a comhmauon spinning and fly rod for Christmas -'1 had . ori idea • at that time whai fly fishing as . ail awas. .so f .hcgan some research Into the sub - 'Net and became enthralled with its depth 01 literature. history and, science." Grant explained ✓ • "Countless volumes have Grant said he can. spend four -hours on a fly and • still not he happy. with it. His advice is to tear it apart and start again. it .was a very significant turnthg..poinl in brant's • lite when he applied fur.,"tcathet and tinsel to a hook and watched it evolve ink, a combination of : obis and to tures that were vet-% pleasing to the eve "There -waS • no turning ha. -k." he conte.scd "1 • always look -at a hart hook ;1..an empty cane as.and • develop the fly to the sweep-ot the iron 1 . uk1 tie. the same Ily on 1i -c_diflcrent hooks --• . and come up with ftyc .aria - lions yin thc'satne The hobbyof tly tying has- . • opened up a new world clot •.(rant - "This art form has given me the opportunity to pursue many other avenues of learning that touch on the art of ily tying such as ornithology. ento- mology. ichthyology as weds as, the • study of trees and flowers ttrat • . proliferate the land around rivers.' • - he explained • 'Hc has fished since he -was a child but has learned more about t he art of - fishing through fly tying --the insects -and coll, or different fish are -attracted to and .their habitat. The fly mimicks the food thus attracting the fish "It's -a -sport cif problem-%olv.rng: matching the ily to the fish." he -explained. Hc• said flies.: an he used to catch any kind of fish.. even salt, water species He -admits -fly fishing may . nOt .always he the best re.hniquc hurt! is the kind of - fishing he enjoys most • :'h:s opened up a new frontier." Grant said He fishes the Thames. Ausahle. Bay field and .He Rivers. Nine Mile Creek and waterways as • "far away. as Meaford - Grant uses harblcss hooks to catch and release the fish. To him. the real thrill u. in fhb hunt and in being outside "! enjoy -the solitude -- the sun coming urs listen- . i.ng to • birds. it's a :aiming'. influence in a crazy . , • world." he explained: - Grant has turned fly.tying into an an. A fiend saw - -his classic salmon flies from the l 7th and 1 Rth centu- ries and commented on their beauty and said they - were suitable for fro/ring - "Soo I began to look into -the possibilities -of ,mat.! ting and framing these flies for display. With all.thc, • beautiful frames and the mvrlal of mat hoards a. ail - able today. it became a natural progression to, learn ' the profession of framing to display my flies.".Grant . said. • " . -His collection Includes more than 62 pieces of framed flies. As a unique conversation piece. they . arc entoyed by people whcthcr or not they fish. His work is mounted to museum standards on acid -tree mats and boards and was- on display at the Ausahlc Centre until today He also sells trapped flies from hiri • home. - "] guess what I enjoy most is that this art fotin has put nig in .lose contact N ith nature and.all the w;m- ders of it Needless t�� say It has turned into a. life long learning -adventure an.) a wonderful iib.essn+n.-- he concluded been written lot hundreds ol vears on the suhtect of fly fishing • • "1.1% and also.on-the art of ih tying. These. writings have spared -my Interest.:• -he said. Fly fishing ts• in a .renaissance period since the li,(iuon picture -The -Rivet Runs Through. It was -released. Rut its definitely not :i nee sport.. According to Grant. fly' fishing was mentioned -In writings -daring hack to 200 A.f) whcn_someonc lashed a chicken leather to a chicken hone. most likely to catch trout - - In -I4%. English fishermen- ac tualls tired hair representative of insects. found on the water at that time•of -mean. Grant said noblemen would find vari- ous feathers in- hien travels and'send thcm.hack to- thcri gilhes trivet keepers to he - Compeilttons amongst the gilhes were common. The Jock .Scott fly used In the mid I R(I(ts had 2.7 ;tifferent leathers. The classic flies arc a large Part of British and Incl history. Grantfinds fishing and tying a way to aro on the. tradition by making the same tie some- one it ed •150 year: ago "It's neat to make that connection." he :.aid. "Fish .have an cvc for quality no mallet where they arc Grant teaches_ fly. tying .ourscs at Fanshawe -College' In London and the Ausahle Centre In Lucan He admits he gains -new knowledge every unit• ht. teaches• a class. -re -assessing and learning new techniques. His students come from all walks of file. "The act ol fly tying really gets people going." he said Grant believes the hobby. can ht• as involving as a • person Hants Some people 'tut—bask flies -and are very succ•esauf• - Put lc; Pursue-the.classic flies takes dedication: training.and sacrifice h can he a difficult process •• Others may not agree, but Grant doesn't consider tuniself a great, fly -Tye': He estimates he has tied 1(.,•(N1(1 flies and has SOfi-(,(f(i utilitarian. actual -fish- ing nits 111 boxes at any given time, . Ht divgcs people. regardless ut the degree it dicer • I cmcnt 1, aI- s 1, •e ung r •t u. • Iny p Int mist In mind TIC• -1(11 tourself not for others he emphasize, FACTORY OPEN HOUSE WITH PLANTTOURS. • FACTORY OPEN HOUSE WiTH PLANT TOURS Saturday. April 25 10:00 a.m till 2:00 p.m. MONTICELLO 'A 88'x48 2672 sq It PLUS FIVE MODEL HOMES FOR YOU TO VIEW Now is your uppununrt\ to sec how we build top quality custom homes INDOORS' Indoor construction allows Quality to build your new home to exacting standards. impossible to achieve using outdated site building methods. Then we can creel the home on your kit anywhere in Ontario' - DREAM HOME BUILDERS Quality was -chosen to build the Dream Horne for the 1998 National Home Show. because Of our outstand- ing ability to build a highly complex. custom home un -time and on -budget. At Quality we recugniie that every home we build is somebody's Dream Home. - TTOUR OUR iAPAN E HOUSE This Is your chance to see our Japanese model home. Built fur the export market. this lovely home is not normally open to the public Take advantage of this rare opportunity to view this twine and ask questions! If you are building a new home, you, can't afford to miss this opportunity. Visit this Saturday, April 25th from 10 till 2 to find out how you can get the best new home value in Ontario. Tel: (519) 323-2480 Fax: (519) 323-3897 Toll Free: 1-800-265-2648 Internet: www.qualityhomes.on.ca 8 km South of Mount Forest on Hw . 6, R.R. #2 Kenilworth, Ontario NOG 2E0 CALL US TOLL FREE 1-800-265-2648 • Would you like a colour or black and white copy of a photograph? NOW OFFERING... co OUR ,.., S 'R . ( PI .S. • ..,-; 7 _ , 4 ? -. I` S1Zed Onto 8 -1/2x111 , -1/2x1 ''' 4 Cost $2.00 each e ropy) .00 each (addlt Ortal0fsant t 424 Main St. Exeter. -f r' ' �• � (519) 235-1331 Z, NN.rf> Y: • By Katt Monk T -A Reporter I.I'CAN - I)unng the day.. Bruce Grant leads a faa-paced lite as a co-op program• liaison at Fanshawe. College But after hours. his favorite past -time is far from stressful. Grant has delved Into fly fishing and fly tying, He even admits it has hecomc a bit of an obsession.. Fifteen years ago. Grant's lather -in-law ..gave, him a comhmauon spinning and fly rod for Christmas -'1 had . ori idea • at that time whai fly fishing as . ail awas. .so f .hcgan some research Into the sub - 'Net and became enthralled with its depth 01 literature. history and, science." Grant explained ✓ • "Countless volumes have Grant said he can. spend four -hours on a fly and • still not he happy. with it. His advice is to tear it apart and start again. it .was a very significant turnthg..poinl in brant's • lite when he applied fur.,"tcathet and tinsel to a hook and watched it evolve ink, a combination of : obis and to tures that were vet-% pleasing to the eve "There -waS • no turning ha. -k." he conte.scd "1 • always look -at a hart hook ;1..an empty cane as.and • develop the fly to the sweep-ot the iron 1 . uk1 tie. the same Ily on 1i -c_diflcrent hooks --• . and come up with ftyc .aria - lions yin thc'satne The hobbyof tly tying has- . • opened up a new world clot •.(rant - "This art form has given me the opportunity to pursue many other avenues of learning that touch on the art of ily tying such as ornithology. ento- mology. ichthyology as weds as, the • study of trees and flowers ttrat • . proliferate the land around rivers.' • - he explained • 'Hc has fished since he -was a child but has learned more about t he art of - fishing through fly tying --the insects -and coll, or different fish are -attracted to and .their habitat. The fly mimicks the food thus attracting the fish "It's -a -sport cif problem-%olv.rng: matching the ily to the fish." he -explained. Hc• said flies.: an he used to catch any kind of fish.. even salt, water species He -admits -fly fishing may . nOt .always he the best re.hniquc hurt! is the kind of - fishing he enjoys most • :'h:s opened up a new frontier." Grant said He fishes the Thames. Ausahle. Bay field and .He Rivers. Nine Mile Creek and waterways as • "far away. as Meaford - Grant uses harblcss hooks to catch and release the fish. To him. the real thrill u. in fhb hunt and in being outside "! enjoy -the solitude -- the sun coming urs listen- . i.ng to • birds. it's a :aiming'. influence in a crazy . , • world." he explained: - Grant has turned fly.tying into an an. A fiend saw - -his classic salmon flies from the l 7th and 1 Rth centu- ries and commented on their beauty and said they - were suitable for fro/ring - "Soo I began to look into -the possibilities -of ,mat.! ting and framing these flies for display. With all.thc, • beautiful frames and the mvrlal of mat hoards a. ail - able today. it became a natural progression to, learn ' the profession of framing to display my flies.".Grant . said. • " . -His collection Includes more than 62 pieces of framed flies. As a unique conversation piece. they . arc entoyed by people whcthcr or not they fish. His work is mounted to museum standards on acid -tree mats and boards and was- on display at the Ausahlc Centre until today He also sells trapped flies from hiri • home. - "] guess what I enjoy most is that this art fotin has put nig in .lose contact N ith nature and.all the w;m- ders of it Needless t�� say It has turned into a. life long learning -adventure an.) a wonderful iib.essn+n.-- he concluded been written lot hundreds ol vears on the suhtect of fly fishing • • "1.1% and also.on-the art of ih tying. These. writings have spared -my Interest.:• -he said. Fly fishing ts• in a .renaissance period since the li,(iuon picture -The -Rivet Runs Through. It was -released. Rut its definitely not :i nee sport.. According to Grant. fly' fishing was mentioned -In writings -daring hack to 200 A.f) whcn_someonc lashed a chicken leather to a chicken hone. most likely to catch trout - - In -I4%. English fishermen- ac tualls tired hair representative of insects. found on the water at that time•of -mean. Grant said noblemen would find vari- ous feathers in- hien travels and'send thcm.hack to- thcri gilhes trivet keepers to he - Compeilttons amongst the gilhes were common. The Jock .Scott fly used In the mid I R(I(ts had 2.7 ;tifferent leathers. The classic flies arc a large Part of British and Incl history. Grantfinds fishing and tying a way to aro on the. tradition by making the same tie some- one it ed •150 year: ago "It's neat to make that connection." he :.aid. "Fish .have an cvc for quality no mallet where they arc Grant teaches_ fly. tying .ourscs at Fanshawe -College' In London and the Ausahle Centre In Lucan He admits he gains -new knowledge every unit• ht. teaches• a class. -re -assessing and learning new techniques. His students come from all walks of file. "The act ol fly tying really gets people going." he said Grant believes the hobby. can ht• as involving as a • person Hants Some people 'tut—bask flies -and are very succ•esauf• - Put lc; Pursue-the.classic flies takes dedication: training.and sacrifice h can he a difficult process •• Others may not agree, but Grant doesn't consider tuniself a great, fly -Tye': He estimates he has tied 1(.,•(N1(1 flies and has SOfi-(,(f(i utilitarian. actual -fish- ing nits 111 boxes at any given time, . Ht divgcs people. regardless ut the degree it dicer • I cmcnt 1, aI- s 1, •e ung r •t u. • Iny p Int mist In mind TIC• -1(11 tourself not for others he emphasize, FACTORY OPEN HOUSE WITH PLANTTOURS. • FACTORY OPEN HOUSE WiTH PLANT TOURS Saturday. April 25 10:00 a.m till 2:00 p.m. MONTICELLO 'A 88'x48 2672 sq It PLUS FIVE MODEL HOMES FOR YOU TO VIEW Now is your uppununrt\ to sec how we build top quality custom homes INDOORS' Indoor construction allows Quality to build your new home to exacting standards. impossible to achieve using outdated site building methods. Then we can creel the home on your kit anywhere in Ontario' - DREAM HOME BUILDERS Quality was -chosen to build the Dream Horne for the 1998 National Home Show. because Of our outstand- ing ability to build a highly complex. custom home un -time and on -budget. At Quality we recugniie that every home we build is somebody's Dream Home. - TTOUR OUR iAPAN E HOUSE This Is your chance to see our Japanese model home. Built fur the export market. this lovely home is not normally open to the public Take advantage of this rare opportunity to view this twine and ask questions! If you are building a new home, you, can't afford to miss this opportunity. Visit this Saturday, April 25th from 10 till 2 to find out how you can get the best new home value in Ontario. Tel: (519) 323-2480 Fax: (519) 323-3897 Toll Free: 1-800-265-2648 Internet: www.qualityhomes.on.ca 8 km South of Mount Forest on Hw . 6, R.R. #2 Kenilworth, Ontario NOG 2E0 CALL US TOLL FREE 1-800-265-2648 •