Introduction to Fly Tying, Bloodworms

Introduction to fly tying Bloodworm style.  Welcome to the underwater world of Lake Cascade through the hungry eyes of perch.  Towards the late winter and early spring, the lake typically experiences a large hatch of what locals call Bloodworms ... small red worms around an inch or less in length.  These worms are actually in the larval stage of Midges, a small fly-like bug that hatches in cold water in early spring.  As the larva emerges from the water they stage on the bottom of the lake for a period of time then slowly migrate to the surface to transition to the flying insect.  Perch and trout love to eat the vulnerable worm-looking creatures which could easily number in the millions, and at times are the only food they will focus on. This is why it's important for anglers to learn about these creatures and how to imitate them with fly patterns.  

During this event, you will see live Bloodworms sampled from the lake bottom using a microscope and learn about their life cycle and importance from a local scientist, followed by Trout Unlimited fly tyers showing you the latest patterns to imitate the bugs and how to fish for them.   This class is aimed at high school/college students and new fly tyers.  All materials and tools will be provided for use during the event and no previous tying experience is needed.  You'll learn up to three different patterns along with how to fish them under the ice and in open water.