The Pine Meadow House Gang or A Fly Tyer?s Excellent Adventure

The weekend of February 11-13, 2005 was the 1st annual, Official, Salmon Fly get together held at Pine Meadow House Paul and Cheri Rossman's Bed & Breakfast in Pine Meadow Connecticut. The group is pictured below:



The following has been written by my friend Kyle Hand. ....Thanks Kyle


A Fly Tyer?s Excellent Adventure By Kyle Hand

Having only tied Salmon flies for a short time, I jumped at the invitation to go to Connecticut in February to tie some salmon flies. John McLain and Paul Rossman were putting together a weekend of tying flies using Kori Bustard feathers. There were only a couple of problems. First my wife would not let me drive that far in February and second, I do not like to fly. To make a long story short, scotch at 0745 in the morning gets one some strange looks on the plane, sitting on the tarmac at O?Hare because the Air Traffic Control computers crashed, and landing in 25-35 mph gusty winds in Connecticut were all part of my trip out.

I had arranged with Don Colman, who I had never met before to meet at my baggage claim area after we retrieved our luggage. Somehow Don figured out who I was. I wonder if it was the white knuckles or the hair standing on end that gave me away. Don and I went outside and waited for Paul Rossman to pick us up and take us to his B&B which is located in Pine Meadow, CT. After a very scenic 30 minute drive we arrived at Pine Meadow House which was to be our headquarters for the weekend festivities.

Pine Meadow House is a Bed and Breakfast themed to fishing. It is a 5-bedroom antique colonial home in a very peaceful setting. The walls are a virtual essay in fly tying, old pictures and prints, exotic bird mounts, butterflies and bugs. The book shelves in the parlor are filled with books relating to fishing, fly tying, ornithology and insects. The book case in the dining room is filled with books about food and cooking. The atmosphere is super and the hosts are gracious. The Farmington River is about a block away and there are two fully functional fly shops within a mile of the B&B. If you want more information you can go to www.pinemeadowhousebb.com.

We soon met Cheri, Paul?s wife and they got us situated in our rooms. I had to make the obligatory phone calls home to let everyone know that I had arrived safely. When I got back downstairs, we had been joined by another of the weekend participants, Ed Wolfer. At this time I was introduced to a new taste experience, Newcastle Brown Ale. Not bad, especially to calm what nerves I had left. Don brought some special turkey feathers for me to look at and I had brought tail feathers from my 6 new birds for everyone to see and to get their opinion. These are turkeys that have not been around for very long and nobody had seen them. Ed had brought a couple of sets of feathers he had purchased and we all complimented each other on the uniqueness of the feathers and all the possibilities that they presented.

Shortly after that, the instigator of this weekend, John McLain and another friend Gordon Chesney, hereafter referred to as Gordeaux, pulled in from Pittsburgh. To put it mildly they looked rough. Thursday night had not been kind to them and they paid for it Friday. They had stopped on the way to visit with Roger Plourde, another weekend participant, to see his establishment and setup in nearby Plainville. Once they arrived, Paul and Cheri went about the task of preparing the evening meal, pasta and homemade sauce. Did I forget to mention that as well as being the foremost authority on free style flies, and a lot of old style flies, Paul is a five star chef. Appetizers consisted of cherry peppers stuffed with Prosciutto and Provolone, olives, cheese, meat and bread. The meal that followed was excellent, pasta, salad and homemade blue cheese vinaigrette dressing. After dinner Roger showed up and we all sat around and chatted. Flies, birds, health issues, scotch and bourbon were the subject matter. I finally drug my tired rear end up to bed at about one am, some 36 hours since I had slept.

Saturday morning called for breakfast at 0800, followed by the reason we had all made the trek, a day of Salmon fly tying. It had been decided to tie flies utilizing Kori Bustard feathers or fibers. John provided the Kori and needless to say, I think the guys who have been tying for quite some time had a hard time realizing that there was this much available Kori just laying on the table in front of them. Gordeaux and I have not been tying that long so while we appreciate the beauty of the feathers, we cannot fully comprehend what these tyers have had to go through in the past to get good quality Kori. Our many thanks go to Sarah at the National Zoo for taking a stand and rectifying this situation. All of us sat around the dining room table trying to come up with something that would look nice. Roger tied a nice fly utilizing orange turkey and bustard, Don tied a Dee fly with Kori tail feathers for the wings. John finished a fly he had started the week before and Gordeaux tied a fly with orange, blue and Kori wings. Ed started tying a fly and got called away for a family emergency so was unable to finish the fly Saturday but will finish in time for Roger to get it in the frame. I brought a couple of flies I had been working hoping to get some much needed help with my winging techniques. One of those flies will be included in the frame which is a pretty special feeling. I forgot Paul. Paul went on the sun porch and produced a masterpiece. Tying with these guys was a little intimidating but they were so helpful and willing to share secrets and tips that they quickly made us feel right at home (right Gordeaux?).




The photos above depict Kyle demonstrating to John the Vulcan Death Grip method of mounting a wing.

While the tying portion of the weekend was the main reason for me going to Connecticut, I would not have missed Saturday night for all the money in the world. Paul and Cheri had planned a steak dinner for the group, but Ed called and said that he had made reservations for all us at Dakota, a fine eating establishment in a nearby community for dinner. If they had known what was about to happen they might have locked the doors.

The picture at left shows Don, John and Paul seated placidly on the couch. Click HERE to see their reaction to "how's it going?

John and Gordeaux rode with Ed and his wife Kim and Don and I rode with Paul and Cheri. I only bring this up because Ed and his car arrived first and by the time we got there the silliness had already started. John was walking around giggling about Gordeaux who had already gone to the lounge to order cocktails for himself and Ed?s party. You know that he took some serious grief from those of us riding in Paul?s vehicle for thinking of us. After a short wait we were seated and introduced to our waitress, a condescending young lady who shall remain nameless. She had been trained well as she was constantly trying to sell us appetizers, etc.

The fare on the menu was quite diversified. Some of the guys decided they wanted to try the bison steaks. After ordering we went to the salad bar and were reminded by Don to stay away from the ?chick-peas?. When we returned from the salad bar the waitress returned to the table to inform us that they were out of bison. Bad move with this group. This is where things really started going downhill. Gordeaux was in rare form by now (girly drinks will do that to you) and in his own inimitable way, Don became Gordeaux?s straight man. Ed and Kim who were seated next to Gordeaux were having a hard time eating as they were laughing so hard. John and Don started talking about Roger Plourde?s favorite student and somehow the conversation changed to trout streams in the Holy Land and the one-armed fly fisherman. Every new person who came into that part of the restaurant was informed by someone at the table to try the bison. I?m sure that Ed and Kim had a hard time talking or smiling on Sunday as they laughed so hard on Saturday night. John, Paul, Cheri and I did not have to say anything. Gordeaux had his stage and by now was on a full roll. We sat at our end of the table and I know I laughed so hard I was crying. Ribs, cheeks, jaws and chests were going to be sore for a few days to come due to the laughter. Getting the check taken care of was just as hysterical.

The trip to the cars was going to be just as comical as the rest of the night. Gordeaux decided he wanted to do some live lobster fishing. Don was greeting everyone entering or departing the restaurant, handing out candies (supplied by the restaurant) and informing everyone to try the bison. Ed and Kim came out of the restaurant doubled over in laughter and the rest of us just stood there taking the whole show in.

A couple of us stayed up late when we got back to the B&B for a little extra celebrating. Yes, I took one for the team but somebody had to do it. Thankfully, one of us did not know where the main stash of Newcastle was or it might have been a really long night. The Connecticut night off of Paul?s back balcony is a very calming experience. I believe Gordeaux referred to it as ?pristine?. Unfortunately, John got woke up so Gordeaux could take in that pristine setting.

Sunday came too early. Roger and Ed came by the B&B to say goodbye to everyone. John and Gordeaux took off and Paul and I took Don to the airport. On the way back to Paul?s place he took me on a tour of the Farmington River and the local area. What a setup he has. He then took me to one of the local fly shops and gave me a quick tutorial in looking for certain materials. When we got back to the B&B we relaxed a bit and Paul and I talked fly tying and even tied a couple of simple fly patterns. After another great dinner, Paul and I sat around and talked about old bass and trout flies and he showed me some more of his work. It was fantastic.

Monday it was back to the airport and DFW. Snow in Hartford, rain in DC and clear skies once we left Virginia led to a very uneventful flight. I did however catch myself laughing silently about the one armed fisherman, Roger?s favorite student and Don?s one liners, timed to perfection.

There were a couple of folks who were supposed to show up for the weekend and I won?t name names or rub it in but you missed a great time.

The flies that were tied will be photographed and put into a shadow box and presented to Sarah at the National Zoo.

There will be a few pictures attached to this article for John to put on his site.

As for the First Annual Pine Meadow House, Tie In, I think it was a great success. We worked through some issues and had a great time doing something we all love to do. John, Paul and Roger I had met before so I knew what to expect. Gordeaux, Don and Ed made a great impression on me and it is a friendship I hope to maintain for a long time to come.

Count me in for the Second Annual event.