First Demo Today

[J-Kno 0]

I gave my first Fly Tying Demo today at the Elkhorn Fly Shop in Loveland, CO this morning. Seems my expectations and reality never match up like I intend...lol.

 

I was expecting 4-5 guys there, just some people I know through the shop, since it was announced as my first time giving a demo.

I was expecting the coffee I drank before hand to give me just a little "lift".

I was expecting to be more entertaining than educational.

 

Let's just say I am one for three...

 

I learned as much, if not more than those that attended. Some of those things included:

 

This place draws a big crowd, 30 people showed up!... must have smelled the "fresh meat"

Man, was I was shaking like a dog pooping peach seeds... I will start my next demo with a Bloody Mary instead of coffee...

I had a great time explaining each fly, how I tie it and why it is important to me. Each fly led into the next or had a connection.

I might be a better story teller than fly tier.

 

I am truly thankful for those that showed up and to the staff & owner that gave me an opportunity to tie.

 

Tight lines my friends!

[flytire 0]

So what did you tie?

[J-Kno 0]

Mostly knots.... lol. Sorry...

 

Here is what I tied:

Partridge & Orange

Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail

Biot Midge

Lightning Bug

Go2 Caddis variant

Lite Brite Soft Hackle

Woven Go2 variant

 

I had these lined up as well, but didn't get to them:

Copper Bead PT

Bear's Baetis (aka Big Bear's Baetis)

Garcia's Mini Hot

[mikechell 0]

Congratulations. Glad you had a good time with your first demo. It gets easier. Just remember, before you start your next one, how you felt at the end of this one.

 

As an instructor, I can only give you one piece of advice.

Butterflies and jitters come from the thought that "they" won't like you. However, all of your attendees will be "friends" by the end of your class, so just think of them that way right from the start. It's not a class your giving, it's a party, and you're the life of the party.

[phg 0]

Congratulations on getting through it. The first time is the worst, stick with the coffee.

 

My first thought is that you were too ambitious. and tried to do too much. Still it's better to have unused material than it is to run short. Also, being a good story teller is a great asset! Stick with it, and have fun doing it.

[J-Kno 0]

Thanks for the tips guys, I really appreciate it.

 

It did seem ambitious but I was told to have about 11-12 patterns for the 2 hours, and a few extras, just in case. I just took my time and tried to tie a good fly. I did cut my thread once and need to be mindful of my shirt color selection as I was the backdrop for the video. More light would have helped as well. Any time I do "public" speaking I get nervous, especially on things I am passionate about.

 

It really was a rewarding experience, especially afterwards helping people select materials and talking fishing. I am on the list for next tying season and will likely do some other venues.

[FlaFly 0]

Phg is right... it's always a good idea to provide a bit of extra stuff in case extra time becomes available, but the extra stuff is not essential to your basic presentation. We always go to a gig with extra songs in case there's time. (tho usually there isn't enough time).

[RoyalRenegade 0]

First time I tied in a demo was at the Fred Hall outdoor show in Long Beach, CA. I was tying mosquitoes as I recall, and some wise guy asks me. After you get all that stuff on the hook, how you get the worm on it?

[FlaFly 0]

Well, aren't you going to tell us how you answered his question?

[vicrider 0]

Congrats on a good show. I know how it feels to be very carefully trimming a fly and the bobbin goes "clunk" down into the catch basin. At least when you did it you could say, "See, if happens to all of us".

 

I've done a lot of public speaking and never have problems with that but whenever I've given demos on anything I seem to suddenly have 5 thumbs. I'm not good enough to demo but even when showing others in my house how you tie certain things I get nervous and have trouble. If I had to get up in front a 100 people and talk about tying I'd have no problem, trying to make my hands work when someone is watching is always tough for me.

[Crackaig 0]

Well done, that is the hardest one. The main thing is you enjoyed it.

 

Is there anyone in the audience that you would have a problem speaking to one to one? Then why not speak to them all together? That realisation was what got me over the nerves at first.

 

It is now over 20 years since I did my first demo. That was a baptism by fire, as it was a "tying clinic". No idea what I was going to be asked to tie.

 

Like any other presentation, a fly tying demo is a show before a tying exercise. The tying is not where your concentration needs to be. Concentrate on the people, and tie what you know well enough to tie well "in your sleep". Shows are perhaps the easiest place to start. There are other tiers around so you get lots of encouragement, and only need two or three patterns. The audience is passing, once they have seen two or three flies they will move on.

 

Doing a demo in front of a large crowd,, that lasts a couple of hours takes a lot of planning. Only rarely do I get to go back to do a second such demo within a year. That's why I plan a new demo once a year. As each demo for the year is to a new audience it is fresh to them. My guiding principal at a demo is that everyone laughs, everyone claps, and everyone picks up a tip to help their tying. At such a demo people are not there to learn about tying. They are there for an evenings entertainment based on fly tying. If you achieve those three, laugh clap and tip, then take a bow and run!

 

Everyone cuts their thread. Use it as a chance to show what to do. Also, if you can, have a second bobbin holder loaded with the same thread. When your bobbin drops, leave it there. Pick up the second bobbin, and continue. No one wants to watch you grovelling on the floor looking for your bobbin. If you are lucky someone will pick it up for you.

 

The one demo that phased me was at a Fly Dressers Guild branch. The audience was facing away from me, watching a very large screen. In front of me was a professional TV cameraman. Immediately I stopped tying he put the camera on my face and expected me to do a piece to camera. Had I known before hand I would have planned my demo very differently.

 

Demos are great fun once you develop the confidence. When's your next one J-Kno?

 

Cheers,

C.

[J-Kno 0]

All,

 

I really appreciate your sage advice. I had planned out 12 flies and had everything organized in a separate box for each pattern, along with one already tied to pass around while it was being "crafted". I got laughs, applause and I think just about everyone learned something. I hadn't planned on doing a demo this year. I was asked by one of the Shop managers if I would be willing to do it as a fill in, so I put everything together in 2 weeks.

 

Out here the fly shops have their demos planned out for the winter season, so I was luck to get my foot in the door with this one. A friend of mine said being prepared for when opportunity knocks is really important. I am ready to go the next time and I will start asking fly shops around town if they need a "Replacement/fill-in" I'm their guy. I am scheming a way to Arkansas for the Sow-Bug, but we'll see. Funds are a bit tight as we are on a budget to get all unsecured debt out of the way. After this Spring, we'll be debt free, besides the house. We can then work on fishing and/or tying trips after that.