Gary Henderson with the Bella Vista Fly Tyers guided Bentonville High School sophomore Joshua De Souza through the delicate art of fly tying on Oct. 7 at the high school.
It’s a microscopic craft—crafting tiny hooks to mimic bugs on the surface of a stream—but today the classroom was chock-full of mechanical crimpers, floss, and feathers. Henderson didn’t just teach the mechanics of pulling thread through an eyelet; he showed how to build a ruse that trick a wary trout into biting.
For Henderson and his fellow anglers from the Bella Vista club, showing up at the high school isn’t a seasonal fling. They make the trip twice a year to coach students through the fly-tying process. It’s a hands-on break from the standard curriculum, allowing teens to fiddle with materials that feel more like art class supplies than a biology textbook.
There is a rhythm to tying flies that feels familiar to anyone who grew up casting a line at places like Roaring River State Park or the Buffalo River. It requires a steady hand and a quiet focus—a calmer pace than what you’ll find in the Bentonville Square during the Thursday Night Market.
The payoff comes later in the school year. The costume design students get to test their handiwork during a trout fishing field trip. You can’t evaluate an art project without putting it on display, so the class hauls those handmade lures to the water to see if they can actually bring a fish to hand.
Get your hands dirty
If you’ve ever wanted to learn the knot-less knot—the fundamental skill that turns a hook into a lure—local fly fishing clubs are usually delighted to teach. You don’t need the latest gear or a boat to start; you just need the willingness to learn from folks who have spent decades catching fish in Northwest Arkansas.
Reach out to the Bella Vista Fly Tyers to find out when their next meeting is.
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
