LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 12 Many people begin their fly-tying hobby with the vi- sion of being able to create their own patterns, tie the patterns that work the best for them, or some people may think it's the cheaper option. My story, however, differs from the rest. My name is Caleb Thomas, and I am a 17-year-old senior at Lake Placid High School. Technically, I am a professional fly tyer, but I don't see myself as that. The art of fly tying allows the artist to always learn. I love learning, so as I kept tying flies, learning about new patterns, ordering materials, and trying new pat- terns myself. It began a continuous flow of knowledge. To the average person, fly-tying seems to be a small hobby until you start going down the rabbit hole. There are millions of patterns you can tie and there's always something to learn. So, the question still resides; how did I get into fly-tying, and make a successful small business out of it? I will always remember the key aspects that led me to this point. On the first day of school in my senior year, there was an announcement calling all seniors to the au- ditorium. I've heard of senior projects before, but I always thought it was just a mini presentation of some research you did. Instead, my high school's "Senior Capstone Project" is aimed as something you take on throughout the year to grow personally, professional- ly, or to give back to the community. As the presenter read off the requirements for our projects, I could immediately feel the pressure fall on my shoulders. I just kept asking myself one question: "What am I going to do? ". Obviously, every student in the auditorium was asking themselves the same thing. Still, as easy as I wanted this to be for me, I have always been raised to go above and beyond and wanted to do something for my Capstone that would give both meaning for my future, as well as complete this assignment with high expectations for myself. Kill two birds with one stone, right? I had some ideas at first. A few of them were taking on a shadowing opportunity at the fish hatchery, re- storing fire towers, and—the one that really clicked— tying my own fly fishing flies. Prior to moving to Lake Placid in 8th grade, my mom and I spent many years recreating in the Adirondacks. A few accomplishments that I have been fortunate enough to complete have been becoming a 46er at age eleven, finishing the Sa- ranac 6ers, the Tupper Lake Triad, and so much more! Moving to Lake Placid opened up the door to even more outdoor activities due to living right here in the heart of the Adirondacks and having these resources right outside of my doorstep. Living the Dream & Tying it All Together U P & COMER : By Caleb Thomas Photos by Janet Thomas

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