Last week, Tom Rosenbauer put out an email to everyone in the building offering a cool workplace benefit:
On Monday, December 8 at noon in the Upland Birds room on the third floor, master fly tier Pete Kutzer will be tying the amazing Intruder fly, perhaps the most popular steelhead fly used today. (It’s also a very elegant-looking pattern.) Bring your lunch, bring your fly tying vise if you are a fly tier, or just drop in to see what fly-tying is all about. If you’re an intermediate fly tier, stop by to learn a new fly.
Beginners: This isn’t the fly for you. However, this is a good time to see what it takes and you can join us for the upcoming beginner classes.
Materials will be provided.
Only a couple brave souls showed up with their vises, but there were plenty of onlookers who wandered in and out during the session. Pete demonstrated the pattern on an articulated shank, while Tom tied one on a tube. Social Media Manager Tucker Kimball shot the Instagram video above. Cool stuff. Scroll to the bottom to see Pete’s and Tom’s finished flies.
Tom and Pete started by explaining the tube fly vs the articulated shank.
Photos by Phil Monahan
Pete’s materials suitcase is pretty impressive.
Tom considers his options for materials.
There were a few spectators during the tying session.
So far so good.
Look at the concentration on everyone’s face.
The aerial view of a tier’s mise en place.
Little-known fact: Pete wraps his thread backward. It’s unnerving to watch.
Tom finishes of the “bump,” which flares the marabou.
Pete’s articulated version has a classic steelhead look.
Tom’s tube fly features double cones and woodduck accents.
This is just like my office! Just replace fly tying with work, and the anglers with just normal co-workers. And there’s no fun.
Is that the new secret fly rod specs on the conference room white board?
Made you look.
Awesome, I need to do this in my office….or just get a great job at Orvis!
My lunch was spent at my desk by myself doing EOY stat analyses for people who will just take a cursory glance at the report and tell us to cut spending regardless of what the report says.
I need to come work with you guys.
What kind of vise is Tom using? I don’t recall ever seeing one with a U shaped bend like that before.
It’s an old TMC vise. Tom’s outta town, but I’ll ask him to give more info when he gets back.
Snap – shots from the Orvis home office are entertaining …..and inspirational when organizing Winter Season fly tying objectives. Please post more.
Also: there can never be too many Tim Flagler fly tying vids on the blog.
Thanks Phil and Tom!