FLY GIRL

While there are many flies that are productive in the Adirondacks, the following were designed by local anglers, with local waters the inspiration for the patterns.

You can’t talk about flies for the Adirondacks without mentioning Fran Betters. He was born and raised in Wilmington, and learned fishing and fly-tying from his father, who was a well-respected fly-fisherman and hunter. Fran was immersed in his father’s outdoors lifestyle and his inner circle of legendary angler friends like Ray Bergman and “Red” Wilbur. Fran went on to open his Adirondack Sport Shop, in Wilmington, where he tied flies and built fly rods until his death in 2009.

Fran was an innovative fly-tier. He designed flies that were specifically made for the