January 23, 2026
THE PIKES PEAK FLYFISHERS
http://www.pikespeakflyfishers.com
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President's Hatch Here we are in the depths of winter, staring down February like it's a trout that just refused our best Blue Wing Olive. You know the feeling: rod in hand, hope in heart, and the fish laughing at us from under the surface of the water. It's almost comical how we spend months tying or researching flies, dreaming of perfect drifts, only to stand in freezing water convincing ourselves that "one more cast" will change everything. But hey, that's the charm— we're all just gloriously focused people waving expensive sticks at intelligent fish, and somehow, we wouldn't trade it for any other sport.
Upcoming Club events: - Club Banquet Reminder — Don't forget Thursday, February 12th! Our annual banquet at Biaggi’s at 5:00 pm, is the perfect excuse to eat well, swap exaggerated stories, and pretend we're all famous fly fisher people. Great food, camaraderie, and the chance to score some killer gear—be there or be square. Brad and Sherry Tomlinson, will be speaking on “Fishing in Patagonia”
- Club Luncheon Reminder — Swing by Wednesday, February 11th at 11 AM at Mollica's on Garden of the Gods, for the monthly luncheon. Italian food, solid company, and zero judgment for ordering seconds while debating dry-dropper rigs. It's the midweek recharge we all need.
- Upcoming Auction Alert — Spring is coming, and so is our major fundraiser: the big auction on Saturday, April 11th. To make it epic, we're rounding up silent auction items now. Got spare rods, reels, fly boxes, artwork, or even that mystery box of "experimental" materials from last winter? Donate them! Every item helps keep the club rolling and our rivers accessible. Hit up a board member or shoot us an email—your dusty gear could be someone's new obsession.
- The Peak Fly Shop – Lets all continue to support the Peak Fly Shop’s open fly-tying nights scheduled for every other Wednesday (Wednesday Feb. 11th and 25th at 6:00 pm. They have some spectacular seminars planned for February. Sign up for their newsletters or follow them on Facebook, to keep updated on the speakers and times.
As the days stretch longer minute by minute and hopefully snowpack grows to provide spring and summer moisture, let’s borrow a bit of wisdom from the legendary John Gierach: "The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope."
Spring is only 2 months away and it's bringing eager hatches, and that personal best brown trout awaiting that one perfect cast and perfect fly. The willows will green up, the rivers will wake with that familiar roar, and we'll all be back out there, chasing rises and those deep shadows that chase our nymphs. Dust off your waders, sharpen those hooks, and get excited—the good days are coming, and they're going to be worth every winter day we endured. Tight lines, warm coffee, and see you soon on (or near) the water! Kevin Thomason
President |
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Programs
February 2, 2026: Bill Kirk. Fly tying demo. Bill needs no introduction as he is one of the best tyers in the West.
February 12, 2026: Brad and Sherry Tomlinson of The Peak Fly Shop will present on fly fishing in Patagonia. This will show us some truly spectacular country, water, and trout.
March 2, 2026: Some winners of auction trips in the 2025 auction will present and talk about their experiences.
Saturday, April 11, 2026: Auction
June 6, 2026: Picnic
July 6, 2026: Open
August 3, 2026: Erin Hale, Cord 3 Outfitters - Wyoming and Idaho
October 5, 2026: Open
November 5, 2026: Banquet
December 7, 2026: Open Charlie Huff
Program Director |
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Rod Building
Pikes Peak Flyfishers rod building classes will start on February 9 at 6 PM. The class will cover all aspects of building your very own custom rod, and will run from 8-10 weeks depending mostly on weather. We have 6 members signed up for the class which is the limit for the class. We will email the attendees an information packet with additional information shortly.
Registration fee for the course will be $20.00, to help with the cost of club-supplied tools and consumable items. The cost of building your rod will be determined by the grade of components that you select.
Charlie Huff
Dave Hoover |
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Fly Tying
Well, the weather has been one heck of a ride this winter. We had one of the warmest Decembers on record, and January has started off colder and with a nice snowstorm. This has thwarted my 2026 fishing adventures, resulting in me not having a chance to discover new flies that work for the winter. However, I decided to learn how to tie one of the favorites of euro/tightline nymphing, Walt’s Worm. Created by Walt Young in the 1980s to resemble a cranefly larva or “water worm” as Walt called it, thus becoming Walt’s Worm. Since its inception, a tungsten bead was added to provide the perfect point fly for tightline nymphing. |
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Walt’s Worm Walt’s Worm is a fairly simple fly to tie with only four materials: bead, thread, lead wire, and hare’s ear dubbing. It can be tied in sizes 12 to 18 on a jig-style hook. The size of the bead and lead (or lead-free wire) will depend on the hook size. Here is the recipe:- Jig-style hook by your favorite manufacturer in sizes 12 to 18.
- Slotted tungsten bead in sizes 2.4 to 3mm, depending on the hook size, and either silver or copper.
- Lead or lead-free wire ranging between .012” (0.3mm) to .020” (~0.4mm), depending on hook size.
- Olive 6/0 thread.
- Natural hare’s ear mask dubbing.
Place the bead on the hook (slotted part pointed to the hook shank) and add 5 to 10 wraps of lead wire. Push the wire to the bead and add your thread just behind the wire. Wrap the thread forward to the bead and then flatten the thread (counterclockwise spin) and wrap back to the tie-in spot to lock in the wire. Build up a ramp from the hook shank to the wire, allowing a smooth transition for the dubbing. Wrap forward to just behind the bead (leave a small gap behind the bead), as the dubbing will be added starting there. Create a thin noodle of dubbing and start wrapping back to the start of the hook bend and then wrap the dubbing forward to the bead, creating a nice carrot shape. Finish off with two whip-finish wraps of 5 turns each. |
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Sexy Walt’s Worm A variation of Walt’s Worm is the Sexy Walt’s Worm, with some tinsel wrapped over the dubbing and a bright orange hot spot behind the bead. The recipe is the same with the addition of Sulky Sliver Metallic thread, opalescent or holographic tinsel, and substituting bright/florescent orange thread. Start off the fly the same way as Walt’s Worm with the exception of using the orange thread and bringing the thread back to the hook point. Tie in the Sulky/tinsel, wrapping back to the hook bend, and snip off the excess. Create a thin dubbing noodle and wrap forward over the wire to the bead. Now wrap the Sulky/tinsel forward in spaced-out wraps and secure behind the bead: snip off the excess. Complete the fly with whip finishes to create a nice orange collar behind the bead. Tim Flagler provides a really nice video that covers both flies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g870d2SviOU&t=203s Tips and Tricks If you are new to fly tying, or even a seasoned tier, I highly recommend watching the Orvis One Minute Fly Tying Tips, hosted by Tim Flagler:
https://howtoflyfish.orvis.com/one-minute-fly-tying-tips Tim is one of my favorite fly tiers, as he explains things clearly and occasionally provides some form of technique that will make your life easier. Tim has also teamed up with Brian Flechsig from Mad River Outfitters to demonstrate a number of flies and techniques that will help improve your tying skills. I’ll be tying one of those flies for next month’s newsletter. You can find Tim at his Tightline Video YouTube channel and Brian at his MadRiver Outfitters YouTube channel. Until next month, happy tying! Greg Walters |
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Support our Sponsers!!Special Shout Out to our most excellent sponsor The Peak Fly Shop 5632 Academy Blvd Colorado Springs, CO 80918 (719) 260-1415 |
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