Tuesday, November 2 dawned cold in the city, and as Charlie Horn, Harry Ledyard, Gary Blubaugh and I drove up to Windy Peak Outdoor Lab School, we expected to spend the day in the lab, teaching sixth grade students from Peiffer elementary how to tie flies. We were right. There were five inches of new snow on the ground and a skin of ice on the fish pond. That ruled out any thought of showing the kids how to get their flies on the water.

This was my first time at Windy Peak, but it won't be the last. It was a joy to see young students so intensely involved in learning the basics of fly tying. Charlie, Harry and Gary were engaging as they demonstrated the techniques and materials necessary to create something that might fool a trout. For young hands, the dexterity required to manipulate feather and fur requires a great deal of concentration and effort.

WDTU's involvement with Windy Peak is a gift to the students and staff of the Jefferson County school district. I encourage all chapter members to respond when Charlie asks for volunteers to spend a day working with the students at Windy Peak.