Tying times

Thousands of fish landed in hot oil because of Virginia Splawn. For nearly 60 years, Splawn has hand-tied fishing flies at her Spokane Valley home, which doubles as Terry Tyed Flys shop. At 86, she might be considered aquatic enemy No. 1 to trout, perch and other fish that swallow her barbed creations hook, line and – sometimes – sinker.

“She always treats you good. It’s old school. Today’s stuff, there’s no heart in it,” said 36-year-old Shawn Bongers, an employee of the family-owned Skipper Bills Inc.

Skipper Bills, a Spokane Valley shop that specializes in fishing boats, accessories and services, refers many of their own customers to Splawn’s business. Bongers said visitors get personal service, quality lures and even some history and a fishing story or two.

In a small pine-paneled den at 220 S. Custer Road she transforms peacock feathers, animal fur and fishing hooks into lethal attractions with names like Terry’s Black Ants and Muddler Minnows.

“We use lots of tinsel and pretty stuff to make them sparkle,” Splawn said, while holding up a package of thin purple tinsel.

Fisher-people of all ages drop by the tiny white house with a green fence and potted red geraniums. They browse through plastic organizers filled with hundreds of fuzzy bee, fly and fishlike creatures and pay $1.25 each or $14.50 for a dozen.

“They come by and then you don’t see them again for another six months – until they lose the things,” Splawn said

As a customer for four decades, Robert Stier, 84, hooked a boatful of fish with flies purchased from her shop. “She knows what works in these areas and she keeps up on that,” said Stier, a retired physician.

The shop’s Muddler Minnows are a draw for Dean Oakes, a 56-year-old Liberty Lake resident and lifelong fishing enthusiast.

“I send them all over the country to friends of mine,” Oakes said, adding the flies are “a secret weapon.”

The business was started by Virginia and Terry Bryant, her first husband.

When Bryant died 42 years ago, regular customers kept calling for flies. So, his widow continued tying flies with a friend, Vaneta Sampson, who died about a decade ago.

While attending a dog show in Oregon, she met Raymond Splawn, her husband of nearly 41 years. The two were handling wire fox terriers. Virginia noticed how capable he was with the canines and the rest was history.

At 78, he is eight years her junior and she jokes that she “robbed the cradle” when they married.

The couple breeds the dogs that brought them together through their business, Wyrequest Wire Fox Terriers. “We’ve had 72 champions to date – lots of dogs,” she said.

As a professional handler, her husband trained and showed dogs that won top honors at national competitions.

He plays the major role in operating the couple’s dog grooming service and kennel, which accommodates 10 to 12 pets. Still, he found time to build shelves to hold the 18-compartment storage boxes that display his wife’s creations.

“Some good lookin’ guy made these for you,” he said with a smile.

Each helps the other with their multiple home-based businesses.

“When I get tired of tying, I go outside and help him. When I get too many orders of a fly, he’ll help me,” Virginia said. She occasionally gets help from Terry’s nephew, James Jones, a retiree who finds time to tie between his fishing trips.

Flies are fashioned in a tiny vice. The couple peer through a mounted magnifying glass as they select from several materials nearby.

“You just don’t sit down and tie a fly, you have to get all your material out,” Ray said.

Virginia between three and a dozen flies an hour, depending on the intricacy of the design. Woven bodies take longer and Yellow May Flies – one of the fancier creations – are one of her favorites to make.

The flies were originally sold in sporting goods shops. Several decades ago sporting goods stores started closing, however, because surplus stores entered the market with cheap goods. After losing their largest retail buyers, the couple created a bait display and opened their home to customers.

Demand at the shop is steady, but Splawn is hard-pressed to estimate how many customers visit on any given day.

“I may not have anybody for days and then they’re standing in line,” she said.

Year-round fishing at Lake Roosevelt has increased sales during the traditional winter off-season and more women purchase flies, armed with enough knowledge to get the perfect lure for any given lake, she said.

Customers come from the region and even worldwide. One past buyer lived in England. He called whenever he was in town and stocked up.

“He’d say get me about 30 dozen flies quick. I’ll be in a cab,” she recalled.

Bongers of Skipper Bills swears by Virginia’s flies, which he said feature tried-and-true custom designs. They also stay intact after a few hearty chomps.

“She has a fly that will handle a beating. You can catch a lot of fish on them,” Bongers said.

Over the decades the couple have experience their share of loss. They’ve said goodbye to cherished canine companions and mourned the passing of close friends, longtime customers and business associates.

A new generation of fishing enthusiasts is appearing on the doorstep with their moms and dads. The kids are captivated by the brightly colored tinsels, fine feathers and mystique of tying.

She has a few hired helpers and hopes to pass along the nuances of the craft to a younger group.

“You know, I’m not going to be able to do this forever.”