Local sets up free give-take exchange for fishing flies, plans for more in the works.
“I never noticed that there before,” says a man walking his dog who paused to look closer at the Squamish Flybrary.
“It is a really cute idea,” he adds as he carries on towards the trails along the Mamquam River.
The Flybrary the dog walker referred to is on a post on the dike near the rail bridge that goes over the river.
It consists of a wooden board with a corkboard attached. Stuck to the board are about 10 flies of various types, shapes and colours.
The idea of the Flybary is that fishers will take a fly if they need one and leave one if they have extra.
Flyberries are found from Florida to Alaska, but Squamish’s is the work of Adam Raymakers.
He put it up with five or six pink salmon flies during the pink salmon run in November.
“I was tying lots of flies, but I also had a new puppy. He wasn’t quite ready for fly fishing yet. So I had this idea just to get all the ties that I’ve tied — maybe I’ll just leave them by the river and other people will get to use them, because I don’t get to use them,” he recalled.
“And then I stumbled across the library project on Instagram and I thought, that is perfect. That’s just what I’m looking for.”
He had some spare wood lying around and soon the Squamish Flybary was ready to for its debut.
“I wasn’t sure how it would be received or if I was stepping on any toes,” he said, but the response has been all positive.”
The day after he put it up, Raymakers went by and most of the flies were gone.
“It was a very pleasant surprise. And it’s kind of been a lot of fun,” said Raymakers, who has been fly fishing for about six years.
He then transitioned into flies for coho season.
A cancer researcher by day, making ties at night is his relaxation, Raymakers said.
“It’s a nice distraction for me from sitting at a computer all day and working.”
The flies on the board on Friday, included two bull trout flies and a salmon fly.
Each fly is likely worth $4 or $5.
“The math might not work out, but it’s more fun this way,” he said, with a laugh.
He hopes local fishers enjoy it, he said.
“Come down, use it. Put up whatever they’ve got. Take whatever they need. Have fun with it.”
He has ideas for a few more places he would like to put a few more flybraries, one on the Cheakamus River and perhaps in Upper Squamish.
Find the Squamish Flybary on Instagram @squamish_flybrary.
Find the international Flybrary Project where Flybraries are registered at flybraryproject.com.
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