Fantasy Raffle Tying Session

Chapter member Charlie Horn called together a group of Fly Tier to get a jump on the 20 dozen fly's needed to cover the fly boxes we fill every year for the West Denver Fantasy Raffle. The Annual Fantasy Raffle includes a couple of beautiful fly rods along with a flask for snake bite remedy as well as a camera and radios and of course, the main attraction is the fly's that we, as members tie for the many dozen needed to fill the boxes of fly's that go along with the raffle. All this is encased in a beautiful custom made case to hold everything one could possibly need for a trip to any given destination.

10 of us and many of West Denver's best tiers, along with guys like me showed up that evening to give it our best and to fill those boxes with quality fly's that anyone who wins the Raffle would be proud to show off on their adventure.

We got started approximately 7pm at Charlies's house to begin our first annual "Fantasy Raffle Fly Tyin' Symposium". Everyone was tyin' fly's in earnest. Feathers and hackle and dubbing filled the air as members worked diligently on their chosen fly for the evening. There were Prince Nymphs and Caddis Specials as well as Blue Tongue Midges and Pheasant Tail Nymphs in a variety of colors. Just to name a few. The atmosphere was light with fishing stories and lies, that only fly fishermen can lay out. The fish got bigger as the night went on but the cups were filled as we worked through the laughter that was all a part of a good organized gathering with Fly Tying as our goal.

We managed to get darn near half of what is needed for our Raffle and again we shall get together another night in January to finish our quest.

If you wish to be a part of this Symposium or if you wish to donate fly's for our annual raffle, please feel free to contact the West Denver Trout Unlimited board and let them know that you have an interest in being a part of what we are as West Denver Trout Unlimited. With your help, our chapter can fulfill our dream of keeping trout and their waters clean as our main objective.



Here's the real Story, The truth had to be told to save others.

Charlie Horn demanded that we gather at his house to tie 20 dozen fly's for our annual Fantasy Raffle. He bribed us with mentioning that there would be Kegs of Beer and Dancing girls and we all thought that tying flies was just an excuse we could use to get away from our wives and have some real manly fun. No one thought that, when we arrived Charlie would be driving us every minute to reach a quota of more than a dozen flies each before we were allowed to leave for home. 10 men were forced into his cold dingy dark basement and locked there for hours listening to Screeching music to cover our Wails and Cry's coming from the dungeon. This, to fulfill his thirst for "More Fly's". Fantasy Raffle will never see any of these fly's as I am sure he will horde them for himself.

But then, A woman came down the stairs and we thought this was it. He was just fooling and here come the women and behind them would be all the booze we could handle. Come to find it was only his power hungry wife dressed in black leather wielding a camera and proceeded to take pictures of us sweating and slaving away as she Made' us smile for the camera to fool anyone into thinking we were having fun. They were working together and had their vicious dog at our heels to be sure no one got out of line.

We were driven and pushed like slave laborers as Boss Charlie kept his whip in hand as grown men were crying and groveling at his feet. They would not allow anyone to leave the table without his permission. I felt like Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke as we all had to answer to the Boss at every turn. I'm a Tyin' Boss, I'm a Tyin' was all we were allowed to say.

Men were working so hard and so fast they had no time to pull the hooks out of their fingers as we were beaten and whipped every time we slowed just a little. We were yelled at in terms of "You Call That a Fly?" That's not a fly!! Get it right and do it over". No one saw this coming and when we were finally allowed to leave, after each fly was thoroughly inspected and accepted for his personal approval we ran to our vehicles as verbal abuse was being thrown to "Never return unless you can handle the job in a professional manner." You Putz's. !!

The scars and wounds may heal in time but the nightmares may never end.


Name withheld upon request.

You know I am kidding. This was really a great way to get these fly's done and I think we all will be looking forward to our next Symposium.

Great Job Mr. Horn.

Mr Horns comments:

The fly tying party last evening (12/13/06) was deemed a success by the hard working participants. At least twelve dozen flies were completed for the Fantasy Raffle's big coming out party at the Fly Fishing Show on January 5,2007. The talented (at least willing) tiers that participated were Glen Edwards, Gil Hassinger, Bob Untener, Fred Portillo, Cooper Swenson, Thad Strom, Jim Arnold, Gary Blubaugh, Ric Tarr, Charlie Horn. Joe Cunningham also participated as the documentary film maker for the event. In spite of the abundant gourmet food items and over stocked beer cooler, the hardy eleven exhibited a high level of task orientation. No quality control expert supervised the products of this 'sweat shop' labor force.