In this piece, the acronym stands for ‘Why The Flydressers?’
A good question.
The Flydressers’ Guild is a national organisation which has branches throughout the UK, all of which are run individually whilst also being members of the Guild overall.
The Wessex branch is unique in being the founder, the oldest of the network. In addition, it is more active than many of the other branches, meeting almost every week of the year for the membership to get together to practice their fly-tying, or discover new martials or techniques, or even hear from a special guest speaker. Apart from this, the Wessex members go fly-fishing as a group every month, visiting regular and new venues.
The tying evenings are informal and fun, and cater for all levels of ability, including absolute beginners, with the simple aim of promoting this absorbing and rewarding hobby.
The Guild also runs a fly-tying curriculum for any branch member to measure their progress with, comprising Bronze, Silver, and Gold award levels. It also runs an annual fly-tying competition, and has an archive of fly patterns. Along with these, it circulates an illustrated magazine every quarter. Some suppliers also offer discounts to Guild members.
Give the Wessex branch a try; come along to one of the tying evenings to see if it’s for you. There are absolutely no barriers to age, sex, or ability—and you can be sure of a warm welcome!
Image: One-on-one with Charles Jardine, during his fly-tying demonstration given at our January 2020 meeting