Since I relocated my guide service to Cotter, Arkansas, trout Capital, USA, I have joined the North Arkansas Fly Fishers and began giving seminars and tying flies at the Sowbug Roundup. Sowbug is a fly tying show held every spring at the Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church Family Center. It is sponsored by the North Arkansas Fly Fishers. It is a world class show that features some of the finest tiers in the United States and includes some international tiers. It should be noted that the standards were lowered so that I could participate.
The highlight of the show, as far as I am concerned, is the food. It is catered by the ladies of the Church. Everything is home made and tasty. Better yet, the church ladies are very friendly and provide top notch service. If that were not enough, they feature some of the lowest prices around. Throughout the day coffee and tea are provided at no charge.
For breakfast I usually go for a cup of coffee and a bag of homemade cookies. There is an infinite variety that includes all of your favorites, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip and sugar cookies just to name a few. I have personally tried half a dozen different selections and they were all excellent. My favorite was the buckaroos. These were essentially rice crispy treats slathered with a thick topping of milk chocolate. They cost a bit more but were well worth the price.
Lunch is also good. No one seems to leave the building. A lot of tiers just eat at their table. A lunch room is provided and is always crowded. This is a great place to meet and chat with attendees and tiers. My favorite lunch is the Sloppy Joes. I am always a sucker for these and Lori frequently makes them at home. The church ladies make them from scratch and they are meaty and flavorful. They are a real bargain. Add a bag of Chips and a canned soft drink and you have a great lunch. Don’t forget to save room for cookies.
I also like the Chili served with your choice of cheese and chopped onions and accompanied by saltine crackers. As an experienced chili judge, I can tell you that this is not competition chili. It is not very spicy and it contains beans. It is however, very meaty and tasty. I would recommend this as a good alternative to the Sloppy Joes.
On Friday night they always have a social for tiers and club members that this year featured a barbeque dinner at no charge. The barbeque and the fixings were catered. The desserts however, were home made by the church ladies. There were several tables groaning under the weight of hundreds of servings of pies and cakes. I went for a generous slice of cheesecake. It was New York style and was creamy and delicious.
Next year, if you find yourself at Sowbug Roundup, give the church ladies home cooking a try. You will be glad you did!