No matter how many fishing flies you tie during a winter, by the time autumn rolls around, even the most avid tier has likely depleted the supply of the most popular options.

Of course, we don’t realize it until it’s too late.

On that fateful day, we’ll hook and land (or lose) a few spunky landlocked salmon on an old standby – a Mickey Finn or Barnes Special, perhaps – then look down to see nothing more than a mangled mass of feather and deer hair.

We reach for a replacement … a replacement that’s not there.

Maybe we burned through all the good flies when the fishing was good. Maybe we lost a few on rocks (which we swore were fish) … or back-cast them into those sneaky trees that always seem to live on the banks of the best pools.

Either way, we’re out of flies (at least, the flies that are producing) … out of luck … and the entire experience serves as an important indicator: It’s time to start tying again.

Tying is, after all, an ideal way to spend a few hours when the weather’s awful, the wood stove’s cranked up and our favorite haunts are covered with ice.

Thanks to the Penobscot Fly Fishers, you can get a jumpstart on this year’s tying season and learn from some of the state’s best.

The club is busily promoting the return of its Fly Tying Symposium, which enjoyed a four-year run before taking a four-year hiatus.

“We used to do it later, in November,” said Don Corey, who not only serves as the PFF president but also runs his own tying and rod-building business, Annika Rod & Fly.

For the record, and in the interest of full disclosure, during his full-time gig, he occupies an office two floors below me and is one of the BDN’s computer gurus.

This year’s symposium will take place earlier – on Oct. 14 – and will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The program will be held at the Brewer Auditorium.

Best of all, the event is free to everyone: Exhibitors won’t pay a booth fee, and visitors don’t pay admission. Food will be available, and donations are encouraged.

“We’re going to have tiers from Steuben to Mexico, from Sherman Station to Winthrop,” Corey said. “We’ve got some super tiers.”

So far, Corey and the PFF have signed up 23 tiers to show off their talents … but there’s plenty more room, if you’re inclined to join in.

“We would take 40,” Corey said. “We’d like to have as many as we can.”

The more tiers there are, the more chance to learn new techniques from the experts … and the more options you’ll have when you sit down at your own tying bench this winter.

“We’ve found there’s a real interest [in a symposium],” Corey said. “We ran an advanced [tying] class and found there was great interest in that. And there was more interest in doing something like this.”

Among the tiers: Dave Klausmeyer of Steuben, the editor of Fly Tyer magazine; Alvin Theriault of Stacyville, who invented the popular Maple Syrup fly; and Ed “Muzzy” Muzzeroll of Sidney, who specializes in beautiful classic Atlantic salmon flies.

In addition, plenty of professional tiers will show their stuff as will a number of local tying enthusiasts.

The format for the show is low-key, and visitors can stay as long as they want, stopping at different tables to watch the exhibitors tie different flies.

And if they want to try out those new techniques afterward, the PFF will have a club table with vises available for use.

“It’s a real social event. These tiers all know each other but don’t get to see each other very much,” Corey said. “We’ve found that people like to get together and share some ideas and talk about fishing. It should be educational for the public and the [exhibitors].”

PFF meeting on tap

If you’re looking to learn more about the Penobscot Fly Fishers, you can do so at their regular monthly meeting, scheduled for Wednesday at the Coach House Restaurant in Brewer.

Those who want to come early and learn a new fly pattern can show up at 5:15 p.m., as Mike Curtis will demonstrate Ron Newcomb’s GLS Special.

After that, it’s dinner time … always a popular part of the program.

This month’s guest speaker is Erika Haulk and two of her students. Haulk will discuss the Fish Friends Project, which allows local pupils to raise Atlantic salmon for spring release into the wild.

For years pupils have watched their salmon eggs mature, then headed afield in the spring to stock their fry. Teachers take the opportunity to educate those pupils about the life cycle of salmon and the salmon-fishing heritage of the Penobscot River valley and Down East Maine.

The PFF folks are a friendly bunch and are always happy to share fishing or tying knowledge with newcomers.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.