Free Saturday Morning Tying Clinics

The Laughing Grizzly presents a fly tying clinic every Saturday from fall through spring from 10:00-12:00 featuring tyers from around the area-- some well-known and some not as well-known, but all have fly patterns, tying techniques and fishing tips that will help you become a better fly fisher and fly tyer. We serve coffee and donuts-- a great way to start the weekend.
Check back for schedule updates.

In addition to the tyers shown below, we are working with other presenters to fill out the schedule. If you are on our e-mail list, you'll receive a note each week announcing the Saturday program. If you know of a tyer you'd like to see us feature, let us know.

Date	Presenter	Notes
11/29/25	NO DEMO	No demo for Thanksgiving weekend, but the shop will be open.
12/6/25	Rick Takahashi	Rick Takahashi is a master fly tyer and Umpqua fly designer. He approaches his tying in the Japanese shibui tradition-- reverently creating each fly as an individual work of art. Rick is well known nationally as he is in our parts. He's the author of several fly tying books and many magazine articles. We're fortunate to have him as part of our fly tying line up on Saturday mornings.
12/13/25	Scott Drake	Scott Drake is an above average tyer and fly fisherman. His flies, from the lowliest nymphs to classic dry flies, are incredibly precisely tied and simply beautiful. He's also an excellent fly designer, coming up with effective patterns. Scott hails from Michigan, where matching the hatch is a way of life, but he's adapted to Colorado fishing as the true expert he is. Make sure you don't miss Scott's presentation.
12/20/25	Tom Ziegler	Tom has done tying demos at Front Range venues including the Denver Fly fishing show, the west Denver TU Fly Tying Clinic, The St Vrain Anglers TU Fly Tying Expo, and at many local fly shops.While Tom may be best known for his deer hair troiut and bass flies, he also shows how to use foam and CDC for creating effective trout flies. In addition to having managed a fly shoop, Tom's photography has appeared on the Fly Fish Journal, Southwest Fly Fishing, MidCurrent and The Best Bass Flies. He is also a FFI Certified Fly Casting Instructor.
12/27/25	No demo
1/3/26	John Majerus	John has tied here at the Laughing Grizzly every year that we've had a clinic program. He guides for the Laughing Grizzly and ties quite a few flies for the bins in the shop. In addition to his broad knowledge of standard patterns, John has designed quite a few effective patterns of his own. As a long-time professional production tyer, John has developed a lot of tips and tricks that he'll share with usthat make your tying more efficient. He has also developed a line of precut foam and faux leather bodies to make your tying quicker and easier-- Johnny's Quick Tie.
1/10/26	Eric Pettine	Eric is not only a fine tyer, he is a raconteur with many funny stories, He's tied at shows and clinics around the West, and he's been a regular here at the Laughing Grizzly for years. His flies are very precise, and they certainly catch fish. Eric has also guided extensively around Colorado, and has appeared at all the local tying events and shows, in videos and on the radio.
1/17/26	Tony McColl	Tony is an accomplished tyer who has conducted tying demos and shops around the area, including our local SVATU Fly Tying Expo. Tony mentioned that he has been tying some saltwater patterns as well as his usual freshwater flie; he'll tie some of both in this session.
1/24/26	Andy Johann	Andy is a very precise fly tyer. He ties patterns of his own design as well as old standards. Andy is a big fish hunter. If you fish with Andy, he disappears at 8:00 am and you won't see him again until 8:00 pm. His success rate is phenomenal. Last year, Andy treated us to a lesson on trout vision and the implications for fishing. He'll have another interesting program for us this time. You're gonna learn a lot by attending Andy's demo.
1/31/26	No demo
2/7/26	TBD
2/14/26	Mark Rayman and Barbara Luneau	Our favorite husband and wife team will showcase their excellent tying skills and show us some effective patterns. Their theme this year is Flies for Lovers-- souinds interesting. Mark is well known in our area; he's one of the best fishermen and fly tyers we know of. Barbara and Mark have fished all over the world in both salt and fresh water. Barbara is the President of Colorado Trout Unlimited, Director of the CTU River Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp and leader of the CTU/Girl Scouts Stream Girls program.
2/21/26	TBD
2/28/26	TBD
3/7/26	TBD
3/14/26	TBD
3/21/26	TBD
3/28/26	Anh Thai	Anh is a wonderful tyer who has made a name for herself in Northern Colorado. More details to follow
4/4/26	Teryll Monroe	This will be Teryll's third time as a demo tyer at the Laughing Grizzly. His first love in fly tying is soft hackle and wet flies, something we don't see enough of.  As a tyer at the St Vrain Anglers Fly Tying Expo, Teryll's flies have garnered a lot of attention, not least from Rick Takahashi, who complimented Teryll's flies That's a good enough recommendation for us.
4/11/26	Al Ritt	If you've been around the Northern Colorado fly fishing scene for any length of time, attended one of the Fly Fishing Shows around the country or attended a fly tying event at the Laughing Grizzly or elsewhere, you know of Al Ritt. A prolific author of magazine articles and the book 25 Best Most Versatile Flies, Al is constantly in demand, so we always feel lucky to have him here at the Laughing Grizzly. Al also manages the Laughing Grizzly fly tying club.
	Other Tyers	Many of these  tyers will be scheduked for the open dates above.
	Stephen Johnson	Stephen is a man of many fly fishing and tying interests, from small Rocky Mountain streams to saltwater flats and mangroves Some of his favorites are North Country Spiders (traditional English patterns) and Puglisi style saltwater flies. Both styles require the correct materials and precision in tying them on the hook. Stephen has tied at all the major events in our area; this is his first demo at the Laughing Grizzly; we're sure it wont be his last.
	Dennis Martin	Dennis has tied at the Laughing Grizzly quite a few times over the years and we're happy to have him back again this year. Dennis will tie a selection of trout and warm water patterns including some Dave Whitlock patterns.
	Chris Krueger	Chris is one of the most prolific fly designers in our area. It seems like he produces a new pattern every week. Many of his patterns are produced by Montana Fly Company. From the tiny Dark Knight Riser midge to his chunky Darth Invader streamer, Chris's flies have you covered. Chris is a featured tyer at fly shops, the West Denver Fly Tying Expo. the St Vrain Anglers' TU Fly Tying Expo, the Rocky Mountain Flycasters' TU Fly Tying Expo, the Denver Fly Fishing Show and more.
	Lydia Wickizer	Lydia has only been tying for a few years, but has become an excellent tyer in those short years. She has appeared at the SVATU Fly Tying Expo as well as other events. This will be her first Laughing Grizzly demo-- please come out and show your support.
	Steve Rogers	Steve was new to our Laughing Grizzly fly tying demo series a few years ago. We met him at one of the SVATU Expos, and he was eager to be part of our shop demo series. He's tied at the Denver Fly Fishing Show as well. Steve started tying at 13, and has become a self-proclaimed streamer junkie, with the scars to prove it. We're happy to have Steve back again this year..
	Phil Cavendor	Phil is a tyer with an extensive repertoire o just about every type of fly style. Phil has bveen behind the vise at the Laughing grizzly several times in the past. You'll want to come and see what Phil has to offer this time.
	Scott Drake	Scott Drake is an above average tyer and fly fisherman. His flies, from the lowliest nymphs to classic dry flies, are incredibly precisely tied and simply beautiful. He's also an excellent fly designer, coming up with effective patterns. Scott hails from Michigan, where matching the hatch is a way of life, but he's adapted to Colorado fishing as the true expert he is. Make sure you don't miss Scott's presentation.
	Marty Staab	Marty is a regular at the Laughing Grizzly, and we're always happy to have him back. With his great sense of humor, his outstanding tying skills and his encyclopedic knowledge of fly patterns, you're sure to learn a lot from Marty's presentation. In addition to doing shop demos and appearing at regional fly tying programs, Marty has a Loveland-based tying club and a fly tying channnel called Marty's Bench.
	Kevan Davidson	Kevan has fished all over the world for many species, but he cut his fly fishing teeth in Rocky Mountain National Park and other Colorado waters, both streams and lakes. He's a well-rounded tyer, and Umpqua has picked up several of his fly patterns. Given Kevan's busy schedule, we're lucky to have him.
	Frank Drummond	Bamboo rod builder and fly tyer par excellence, Frank Drummond knows his way around a river. Frank's fly patterns are fish catchers. Frank fishes a lot in Rocky Mountain National Park-- he was once a guide in the Park-- the Big T and on the Fryingpan. His wide experience and tying expertise will grab your attention.
	Mark McMillan	Mark has a talent for using found materials from craft stores, housewares departments and around the house, in addition to standard materials, to tie innovative fly patterns. His flies cover the gamut of game fish-- bass, walleye, crappie, carp and trout. You'll enjoy Mark's program.
	Frank Whispell	Frank Whispell is a fine fly tyer who has tied at all the major events and shows along the Front Range. In addition. Frank is a signature fly designer for Unpqua Feather Merchants and owns Frank's Fly Fishing Adventures, a company that organizes fly fishing trips around the world. This will be his second demo at the Laughing Grizzly. In addition to his tying and other work, Frank organizes the TU tying booth at the Denver International Sportsman's Show.
	Tony McColl	Tony is an accomplished tyer who has conducted tying demos and shops around the area, including our local SVATU Fly Tying Expo. Tony mentioned that he has been tying some saltwater patterns as well as his usual freshwater flie; he'll tie some of both in this session.
	Austin Carlson	Austin Carlson is a Laughing Grizzly guide and commercial fly tyer. He ties a wide variety of flies— from the tiniest midges to fantastic streamers. Austin’s skills will impress you. Don’t miss this one!
	Trenton Sendziak	Trenton is our past "shop rat." He has become a darn good fly tyer in addition to honing his fishing skills. Trenton has also been an excellent guide for the Laughing Grizzly.
		Scott Drake is an above average tyer and fly fisherman. His flies, from the lowliest nymphs to classic dry flies, are incredibly precisely tied and simply beautiful. He's also an excellent fly designer, coming up with effective patterns. Scott hails from Michigan, where matching the hatch is a way of life, but he's adapted to Colorado fishing as the true expert he is. Make sure you don't miss Scott's presentation.
	Dave Mosnik	Dave fishes a lot of lakes for both warm and cold water species, so we bet some of his patterns will be for lakes. He is the master of the woolly bugger and its many variants, but this time he's going to do something different-- flies using peacock. Every fly will include peacock as part of its construction. These flies will catch a broad spectrum of fish: trout, bass, sunfish and other warm water species.
	Marty Staab	Marty is a regular at the Laughing Grizzly, and we're always happy to have him back. With his great sense of humor, his outstanding tying skills and his encyclopedic knowledge of fly patterns, you're sure to learn a lot from Marty's presentation.
	Phil Iwane	Phil approaches each fly as a work of art, and describes both fly fishing and fly tying as Zen-like experiences. He enjoys teaching and sharing his techniques and patterns, and he'll tie his favorites in this clinic. His Iwane Dun and No Mercy Midge fly patterns were recently added to the Umpqua fly catalog. Phil has tied at all the local tying venues including the Denver Fly Fishing Show, the West Denver TU Expo and many others.
	Pat Dorsey	Pat's name conjures up guiding excellence and wonderful fly tying. He guides on the South Platte system, and he is in constant demand. An author of books about the South Platte, guide fly patterns, and magazine articles, Pat also travels around the US as a featured speaker at fly fishing shows, TU chapters and fishing clubs. On top of all that, he's a true gentleman who loves sharing his knowledge of rivers, flies and the insects they represent.
	Chuck Esch	Chuck will tie a variety of patterns from his wide repertoire. Chuck ties at many venues in the area, including the SVATU Expo and the West Denver Fly Tying Clinic. His fly boxes are a wonder of organization.
	Joe Johnson	Joe is an accomplished fly fisher, tyer and guide. That little kid we met back in 2005 is now pushing 30. Joe hasn't tied at the shop for a few years, so it will be great to see him again. Joe has become one of the premier guides at North Fork Ranch near Bailey, CO. He'll graduate from CSU in Environmental Engineering in 2020. Join us to welcome Joe back to his original fly fishing home.
	Landon Mayer	Landon Mayer is a well-known guide, angler and author. Landon has graciously volunteered to do a special program for Laughing Grizzly customers. We're excited! We'll publish further details as they are available.
	Steve Maldonado	Hunter. Fisherman. Fly tyer-- Steve does it all. He has appeared at local tying events and shops. Steve is a master of the streamer, and you'll not only learn some cool patterns, but Steve will also discuss how to fish them.

	Tom Ziegler	Tom Ziegler is another new tyer in our Saturday morning tying clinic series. He has tied at the SVATU Expo, and we were impressed with his flies. We'll post more as soon as we know more about his program.
	Tony McColl	Tony was another new face in our Saturday morning demo series last year. He is another one of the lesser known, but terrific, tyers that we are blessed with in Northern Colorado. He's tied at shops and tying expos in the area. You're sure to enjoy Tony's tying.