Deaf fly tiers

From: IDEA - Philippines - Mar 30, 2006

Organization: IDEA - International Deaf Education Association
Location: Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines

A small business known as Asia Fly Tying Industries is operated by IDEA Philippines. This enterprise employees 12 Deaf who spend their days producing exquisite, first class, trout flies for fishing. Established three years ago, the group of 12 can tie between 600 to 800 flies a day, depending of the difficulty of the patterns. Mart Lerma, who is also Deaf Filipino, manages the Philippine operation.

With the addition of 12 more deaf fly tiers and the planned construction of a new production facility, it is envisioned that the Bohol group will be capable of ties 1500 flies per day.

The flies have unusual names such as the Yuck Bug or the Ray Charles. The 120 different patterns are exclusively produced for Yellowstone Fly Goods which is a fishing supply wholesale house located in Billings, Montana. The flies produced by the Deaf in Bohol have received national critical acclaim as some of the best in the industry.