October 20 fly tying

Our next fly tying session will be Tuesday, October 20, at the Rapides Westside Libary in Alexandria. Time is 6:30pm.

Please note that this is a Tuesday, not our usual Monday!

This month's pattern will be the Seaducer.  Catch Cormier featured it in the January, 2015 issue of Louisiana Sportsman magazine.  Seaducers are perhaps the most overlooked fly today. They’ve been around since the late 19th century, and have been used for every predator species from brown trout to tarpon, and even a world record redfish taken by Chico Fernandez.

The Godfather of Fly Fishing, Lefty Kreh, writes in his book, Presenting the Fly, that Seaducers are “one of the best patterns for both large and smallmouth bass that I’ve fished. I never make a trip without some of these in my box.”.  Despite its many accolades, this fly is seldom seen in fly shops. But if you tie flies, good news — they’re easy to tie.

As always, beginners are welcome. Bring your tools if you have some, materials will be provided.  The club has a few toolsets for those without tools. 

September 28 general meeting - Harry Boyd

The next meeting of the Kisatchie Fly Fishers will be on Monday, September 28, at the Rapides Westside Library in Alexandria. The public is welcome.

Casting outside at 6:00pm.  Our speaker will bring bamboo rods to demo cast.
Meeting will start at 6:30pm or slightly later, depending on how long casting goes.

Our special guest speaker this month is Harry Boyd.  For 23 years, Harry served as pastor of three different churches in Louisiana. While he continues to preach on a needed basis, most of his time these days is dedicated to his fun endeavors: fly fishing and rod making. While Harry has written many articles on both subjects, it's his bamboo rod skills - and associated business - that have earned him national recognition as one of the best. He restores, repairs and builds fine cane rods.

For this meeting, Harry will give us an overview of bamboo rods and the requirements for cane rod making. Come prepared to bring any questions you might have. For more info about Harry and his works, go to his website at www.canerods.com.

Prior to the meeting, Harry will bring a few cane rods for us to test cast. If you've never cast a bamboo fly rod, you're in for a real treat!

National Hunting and Fishing Day this Saturday!

Cenla National Hunting and Fishing Day Festival
Saturday, September 26, 2015
7:00am - 9:00am - Kids Fishing Derby
9:00am - 2:00pm - Main exhibits and activities
LDWF Woodworth Outdoors Center
661 Robinson Road, Woodworth, LA

FREE admission! Food and refreshments provided, BBQ sampling as well as wild game tasting.

Activities include: a Civil War re-enactment, falconry demonstrations, Alligator skinning SWAT Team Demonstration, cannon net demonstrations, target shooting with shotguns, .22 rifles, Muzzeloaders, air rifles, as well as archery target shooting, live snake display, free photos taken on the Air Boat, rock wall climbing, retriever dog demos, hay rides.  

Also fly casting and fly tying demos by the Kisatchie Fly Fishers. 

There will be free burgers and drinks courtesy of Burger King, Sayes Office Supply and the Alexandria Optimist Club. Also barbecue samples from the Woodmen of the World BBQ Contest.  For the Kids Fishing Derby, participants should bring their own bait and fishing gear. Ages 15 and under can fish for bream, bass and catfish.

For more info, click on the Cenla NHF Day poster above.

September 21 fly tying

Our next fly tying session will be Monday, September 21, at the Rapides Westside Libary in Alexandria. Time is 6:30pm.

This month Dan Fromme will demonstrate one of the most effective patterns for coldwater trout on small streams, or when midges are the predominant hatch.  The Griffith's Gnat was created by George Griffith, one of the founders of Trout Unlimited. It's a buggy dry fly that can be fished a number of different ways.

As always, beginners are welcome!

IFFF Gulf Coast Fly Fishing Fair - September 18-19

2015 Gulf Coast Fly Fishing Fair
Sponsored by the International Federation of Fly Fishers, Gulf Coast Council
September 18-19, 2015
Ocean Springs Civic Center, Ocean Springs, Mississippi

The GCC Fair is the largest "conclave" held on the northern Gulf Coast each year, with attendees having the opportunity to learn from a very diverse group of anglers and tiers, with specialties ranging from mountain trout to offshore fly fishing.

- Friday activities include specialty classes and casual dinner that evening at the Yacht Club with award presentations, auction featuring one-of-a-kind items, and more.

- Saturday begins with breakfast at Gulf Coast Research Lab, followed by programs, fly tying, vendor exhibits, casting, silent auction and raffles.

All classes and instruction are FREE!

For IFFF members, dorm suites available at the Research Lab for $15 or $22, first come, first served. Holiday Inn Express also has special rates for $77. 

For complete details on this great event, with contact info, go to www.gulfcoastfff.org.

August 24th general meeting - Chris Patterson

The next meeting of the Kisatchie Fly Fishers will be on Monday, August 24, at the Rapides Westside Library in Alexandria. Time is 6:30pm. The public is welcome.

For this meeting, we’ll have Chris Patterson as our guest speaker.  Chris was hired back in March as the new Parks and Recreation Director for Alexandria. A position he had held the last six years in Brownsville, Texas. Under Chris' leadership, the Brownsville department grew from 16 parks to 32 parks and youth recreational programs were expanded to several thousand youngsters.

Since joining AREC, Chris has initiated a series of activities to get kids outside and showing them more to life than video games and Facebook pages. Chris will talk about some of his programs and do questions and answers.

Chris will also address a hot topic on the minds of KFF members: can Alexandria have winter stocking of rainbow trout like they do in Baton Rouge, Gonzales, and Lafayette? You'll have to attend to find out!

The August, 2015 issue of "Lines and Leaders", the newsletter of the Kisatchie Fly Fishers, is now online in PDF format (901kb). Click here to download.

Contraband Fly Fishing Expo this weekend!

11th Contraband Fly Fishing Expo
Saturday, August 22, 2015
8:30am - 4:00pm
PPG - Porter Hall, 2250 Prater Road, Westlake, LA
FREE ADMISSION.
Sponsored by the Contraband Fly Casters / Tom Nixon Chapter

Fly Tying, Casting Demos, Lure Exhibits, Auctions / Raffles, Food and Refreshments, Equipment Displays and more! Also, the drawing for their Kayak Raffle.  Tickets will be sold during the event up until the drawing.

For a complete schedule of activities, go to http://www.warmfly.com/smf/index.php?topic=7863.0

August 17 fly tying

Our next fly tying session will be Monday, August 17, at the Rapides Westside Libary in Alexandria. Time is 6:30pm.

Coming soon!  Great fall fishing for bass and redfish. Redfish will be feasting on storm minnows, while bass will be chasing shad. There are several great patterns that imitate baitfish.  One of the most effective is the Coma Spoon.  Originated by KFF member Glen "Catch" Cormier, this fly is a "twist" on the popular spoon fly.  Unlike traditional teardrop spoons, the Coma Spoon - based on propeller science - sinks faster without weight, and can be retrieved at a fairly rapid pace without skimming at the surface.

For this session, we'll tie the Coma Spoon and give options for this fly.  Bring your tools if you have some, if not, the club has a few sets for use during these sessions. Materials will be provided.