An Evening with a Rising Star

Had the pleasure to spend an evening with April Vokey, fly gal, steelhead guide, and noted tier and learning to tie her version of Ed Ward's Intruder flies. April is rapidly building a solid reputation in the Pacific Northwest, and throughout other steelheading regions, as a rising star. So it was a real treat when Schultz Outfitters pulled together a limited seating class with her.

First and foremost - these are not the flies Midwestern steelheaders are used to. The finished product, when tied by someone more gifted than me, is truly a thing of beauty. And these suckers are quite large. Some of the materials are ones we know well, others (like polar bear fur) are going to be new to us.

During the evening April patiently worked with all of us - from newbie tiers, to experienced hands with decades of experience to transform a pile of feathers and fur into a fly that will live and breathe in the river. Most of the colors look like a whorehouse exploded, but all are proven on BC steel. April's patient teaching style and her ability to hang with a room full of guys (drinking beer...) made the evening a genuine pleasure.

One of the most interesting parts was watching how she responded to quizzing from some of the more experienced guys in the room - this lady knows her materials! I watched her stump tiers with multiple patterns in the Orvis catalog. Pretty sharp!

If April comes to your town, be sure to sign up - you'll enjoy AND learn a great deal!

-Sean-