Robin Volke hugs her grandson Thomas Weidensee Saturday at the Mud in Yer Eye Lures & Flies booth at the Tinley Park Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo.
“I’m making him a custom rod for his fourth birthday,” Volke said.
Volke started tying flies and making lures for 30 years.
“I’m a walleye fisherman,” Volke said. “I want to color my own jigs and put hair on them that I’ve never seen before.”
About 10 years ago, he started making custom rods (now anything but fly rods) and repairing them. A hot item is putting flies and lures inside glass balls as decorations.
Mud in Yer Eye is the boat of his grandfather, Robert Hoffman, who taught Volke to fly fish at 10 in Wisconsin.
Family–Volke’s wife, two daughters, grandson and son-in-law–packed the booth. Count Volke’s grandfather and it is five generations deep.
“We made it a family thing and hung out all year,” Volke said. “I’ve been doing crafts shows. This is my first fishing show.”
His daughter Rebecca Weidensee and son-in-law Jim Weidensee bought the booth as a Christmas present.
“I fix high school anglers’ rods, for free,” he said. “They have work to do, qualifying for sectionals.”
Volke has been active in the Minooka Anglers Club since its inception in 2008 when Illinois made bass fishing an organized high school activity.
“You have to give back to the community, it’s not just about fishing,” Volke said.
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