Post by yihunt on Feb 21, 2010 8:03:33 GMT -4
Uniontown angler wins state fly tying championship
Sunday, February 21, 2010
By John Hayes
Mark DeFrank doesn't rattle easily. When asked to tie flies in front of a bustling convention center crowd, the Uniontown fly fishing pro whip-finished like he was at his home vise. When challenged with a pattern he'd never tied before -- with top honors in the Pennsylvania State Fly Tying Championship at stake -- DeFrank tied the difficult duck quill wings onto a perfect Henryville Special.
Last week in Harrisburg, at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show, DeFrank took first place in the contest's pro division. His first assignment, a common Royal Coachman, was easy, he said. But tying the classic adult caddis pattern was a challenge.
"I'd never tied a Henryville before in my life," said DeFrank, a fishing guide and fly tying instructor. "They give you the recipe and materials, but how it looks is up to you. Working with the duck quill wing was the hardest part. The quills pull apart real easy when you work with them. You have to be careful."
The winner in amateur division tying was Al Edinger of Sharon Hill, Pa. Kyle Grego of White Haven won in the youth division.
In 2005, DeFrank closed his Fayette County fly shop to guide and teach fly tying full time. His flies are now sold only online (www.defranksflies.com). DeFrank placed third out of 360 entries in a Fly Tyer Magazine International Fly Tying Championship, and exhibits at regional fishing expos.
But DeFrank said he most enjoys teaching anglers to tie better flies and catch more fish.
"A lot of people have a hard time with dubbing or they crowd the eye of the hook a lot, but their biggest problem is with proportions," he said. "When I do a class I show them a proportion chart -- you measure by the hook."
In special regulations waters, where fish are often caught several times, trout get finicky. Precision tying, said DeFrank, can be crucial to the catch.
"They get wary. They may have seen a Wooly Bugger and they shy away from it," he said. "A weekend fisherman who maybe gets out four times a month may have no clue what's going on, what specific insects to expect that time a year. That's where [knowing] entomology is very important to becoming really successful."
DeFrank's next class, focusing on steelhead and trout flies, is 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at Braddock's Inn Restaurant in Farmington. $15 per student, materials and snacks provided, bring vise and tools. To hold a seat send $5 deposit via the Web site or to Mark DeFrank, 702 Duck Hollow Road Ext., Uniontown, PA 15401.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
By John Hayes
Mark DeFrank doesn't rattle easily. When asked to tie flies in front of a bustling convention center crowd, the Uniontown fly fishing pro whip-finished like he was at his home vise. When challenged with a pattern he'd never tied before -- with top honors in the Pennsylvania State Fly Tying Championship at stake -- DeFrank tied the difficult duck quill wings onto a perfect Henryville Special.
Last week in Harrisburg, at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show, DeFrank took first place in the contest's pro division. His first assignment, a common Royal Coachman, was easy, he said. But tying the classic adult caddis pattern was a challenge.
"I'd never tied a Henryville before in my life," said DeFrank, a fishing guide and fly tying instructor. "They give you the recipe and materials, but how it looks is up to you. Working with the duck quill wing was the hardest part. The quills pull apart real easy when you work with them. You have to be careful."
The winner in amateur division tying was Al Edinger of Sharon Hill, Pa. Kyle Grego of White Haven won in the youth division.
In 2005, DeFrank closed his Fayette County fly shop to guide and teach fly tying full time. His flies are now sold only online (www.defranksflies.com). DeFrank placed third out of 360 entries in a Fly Tyer Magazine International Fly Tying Championship, and exhibits at regional fishing expos.
But DeFrank said he most enjoys teaching anglers to tie better flies and catch more fish.
"A lot of people have a hard time with dubbing or they crowd the eye of the hook a lot, but their biggest problem is with proportions," he said. "When I do a class I show them a proportion chart -- you measure by the hook."
In special regulations waters, where fish are often caught several times, trout get finicky. Precision tying, said DeFrank, can be crucial to the catch.
"They get wary. They may have seen a Wooly Bugger and they shy away from it," he said. "A weekend fisherman who maybe gets out four times a month may have no clue what's going on, what specific insects to expect that time a year. That's where [knowing] entomology is very important to becoming really successful."
DeFrank's next class, focusing on steelhead and trout flies, is 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at Braddock's Inn Restaurant in Farmington. $15 per student, materials and snacks provided, bring vise and tools. To hold a seat send $5 deposit via the Web site or to Mark DeFrank, 702 Duck Hollow Road Ext., Uniontown, PA 15401.