Tony, what a great story. I, too, when I do demo flies for the local TU always give my flies away..and only with the permission of the father or mother of the kid who sits quietly enthralled as I tie. Your story warmed my heart and made my day. Thanks for sharing.
I also try to tie some rubber spiders on safety pins for the little ones. It's helpful to tie up a supply of these ahead, because someone is sure to come up with five or six kids and they all want one.
And before I leave for tying, I stop by a camera store and get a big bag full of empty 35mm containers with the snap-on lids (the store I go to saves them for anyone who wants them till they get a big barrel full, then they throw them away). That way when you give a real fly to someone, they don't get it stuck in their shirt. And I also always de-barb every hook. After all, one never knows when the person on the other side of the table might be a "Sue-First- Ask-Questions-Later" type.
Allan
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Allan Fish Greenwood, IN [EMAIL PROTECTED]
