Why do I demonstrate my fly tying skills

Last month I did a demo at Royal Treatment Fly Fishing. One of the attendees was a young lady that was fairly new to tying flies. This was her first time watching someone work with deer hair. She asked a lot of very good questions. The first fly I tied that day was a deer hair diver. I have an unwritten rule when I do a demonstration; I like to give the fly to someone in the audience after is is tied. I have a criteria that I use when selecting the recipient. If I feel someone is showing a genuine interest in what I am doing (ie taking notes, filming, asking a lot of questions), they should take home the fly as a reference. When there is a large group watching, I usually select the first person that sits down to watch me. All that being said, I gave the diver to the young lady. She was completely shocked that I would give her the fly. She immediately named it “Shawn”.

I do not usually get much feedback on the flies I give away, but this young lady was different. She wanted to give “Shawn” a home. A couple of weeks later, I received an e-mail from her with an attached photo. I enjoy sharing the skills I have learned at the vise over the years. I get a lot of satisfaction paying forward the gift Gary Hitterman gave to me so many years ago. this young lady is proof I am doing it right. Thank you Miss Tawnya!!!

“Shawn’s” habitat