Beginners No More!
Our new fly tyers began their journey on Tuesday night, November 25, 2025, at the CPC Commons in Chesterfield. Ten beginner FATC fly tyers were each paired, one-on-one with an experienced FATC mentor. We also had two additional experienced tyers ready to step in when needed. FATC provided all the tying materials, and our experienced tyers supplied their vises and tools.
Our beginners were: Larry Mangels, Rob Siegel, Mike Harvey, Frank Sanfilippo, Jerry Boschert, John Bloss, Tom Kelly, Derrik Kassebaum, Wes Seabacher, and Scott Dougherty.
Jim and Kenny led the class. We taught thirteen foundational fly-tying skills essential for anyone continuing in this hobby. Jim and Kenny demonstrated each skill, step-by-step as they walked the group through tying three of the most effective trout flies in our area. The beginners tied along with them while their mentors—seated right at their sides—coached, encouraged, and clarified as needed. By the end of the evening, every beginner had successfully tied a crackleback, a woolly bugger, and a zebra midge.
We also covered:
- Variations of each fly we tied
- How to organize your fly-tying materials
- What tools to buy and where to find them
- Additional fly-tying learning resources (FATC website)
A heartfelt thank-you goes out to the twelve experienced FATC fly tyers whose tools, time, and patient coaching made this evening possible:
- John Steuterman
- Jeff Layton
- Dan Staggenborg
- Mike Bisaga
- Steve Baker
- Bob Born
- Al Blair
- Bill Keenum
- Dave Rodecap
- Sterling Short
- Richard Doerr, Sr.
- Denny Garner
What’s Next?
Everyone is invited to join us for our next fly-tying session—whether you’re a beginner or simply curious. We’ll have plenty of experienced tyers on hand to get you started.
Date & Time: 7:00 PM, December 16, 2025
Location: CPC Commons, 14885 Clayton Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017
Flies of the Night: The Bennet Spring Killer and the Foam Beetle
Watch your FATC emails and calendar for the full event announcement and details.
