November 23rd general meeting

Our last general meeting of the year will be on Monday, November 23, at the Rapides Westside Library in Alexandria. Meeting starts at 6:30pm.

For this meeting, we'll have Kenny Robertson as our guest speaker.  Kenny is a wildlife agent for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.  He's also president of the Cotile Lake Environmental Association (CLEAN) that is working to improve recreational and family activities at the lake.  Kenny will talk about fishing and boating regulations, and safety on the water.  He will also talk about CLEAN and some of the projects and activities they are working on.

Also on the agenda:  fishing reports, upcoming events, nominations for the 2016 board, and details on the December Christmas Party at Tunks. 

As always, the public is welcome.

November 16 fly tying

Our last fly tying session of 2015 will be Monday, November 16, at the Rapides Westside Libary in Alexandria. Time is 6:30pm.

This month's pattern will be the Y2K Bugger.  It's a variation of the Yuk Bugger - half woolybugger, half Yuk Bug.  It's called Y2K because it was created in 1999, and at the time, had to be Y2K compliant and ISO 9000 approved.  Species: it's great for bass, bream, crappie and all species of trout.

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. 

Toledo Bend Rendezvous this weekend Oct 30 - Nov 1

What is Rendezvous?  Twenty-five years ago, a group of fly fishermen from Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and elsewhere decided to get together for a weekend to fish and tie flies.  They found the facilities at North Toledo Bend State Park to be ideal.  Since then, the tradition has continued and grown.  There's no planned activities, but plenty of fly tying, food, fly casting and fishing, with only a minimal fee to cover lodging and meals ($40 weekend, $20 day or night).  The activities take place at the park's group facility, which features a commercial kitchen and dining hall, and lodging available for up to 150 people in 5 heated log bunkhouses (30 beds each). There's also a heated central shower and restroom building with nice night lighting on all the sidewalks and a large main log building with A/C, picnic tables and a large barbeque trailer.

Held the first weekend of November each year, the Toledo Bend Rendezvous (aka Southern Fly Fishers Rendezvous) is co-sponsored by the IFFF Texas and Gulf Coast Councils.  It remains one of the top tying events in the country, with many of the attendees featured at regional and national expos.

For complete details, go to the Toledo Bend Rendezvous home page

October 26 general meeting

Our next general meeting will be Monday, October 26, at the Rapides Westside Library in Alexandria. Casting practice begins at 5:30pm - weather permitting - with meeting starting at 6:30pm.

For this meeting, our resident Calcasieu guru, Morris Houck, will talk about his favorite spots and strategies for fall fishing the Calcasieu estuary for redfish, speckled trout, flounder and other species.  Both fly fishing and conventional fishing will be discussed, with an emphasis on kayaks.  This world-class saltwater fishery is just two hours from here, and the best time of the year is now thru Christmas.

As always, the public is welcome.

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!