October 28th meeting - Robert & Carlton's Excellent Adventure

Kisatchie Fly Fishers monthly meeting
Monday, October 28, 2019
5:30pm - casting on back lawn
6:30pm - meeting
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria

** Please note that we're now doing casting prior to each meeting.  **

This month, our Coldwater Committee members and most excellent trout fishermen Robert Hughes and Carlton Townsend will share a powerpoint presentation on their three week western fishing adventure in Fall of 2017.  They fished across six states on a variety of waters catching many trout in a variety of methods.  Included in the presentation will be fishing in southern Colorado where we have a club trip planned for 2020.

Also on the agenda:
- update on the club's Casting Skills Challenge
- upcoming events, including Toledo Bend Rendezvous and Kirk Dietrich seminar
- recap of the KFF Marsh PAC Attack trip, other fishing reports
- upcoming club fishing outings to Calcasieu, local freshwater, and Little Mo
- Mixed Bag Contest update
- Cenla Festival update

As always, our meetings are open to the public. See you Monday!

October 21st fly tying - Clouser Minnow, LaFleurs Charlie

KFF monthly fly tying session
Monday, October 21, 2019
6:00pm - casting outside
6:30pm - fly tying begins
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria

Cooler weather is here and that means great marsh fishing is here also! Whether you're fishing Calcasieu (2 hours), south of Houma (3.5 hours), or other locales, there are two sure-fire patterns that work for reds, specks and flounder - and sometimes sheepshead and drum. They are the Clouser Minnow and the LaFleurs Charlie.

Here's an excellent video from Orvis on tying the Clouser Minnow.
video-how-to-tie-the-clouser-minnow

The LaFleurs Charlie was created by Mike LaFleur of Baton Rouge. His fly is a variation of the original Crazy Charlie that uses estaz for the body, lead dumbbell eyes, and a high modacrylic craft fur for the wing. Its been featured in a couple of books and several magazine articles.

As always, beginners are welcome!  Bring your tools, if none, the club has sets for use during these sessions. Materials are provided.

Make plans for Toledo Bend Rendezvous

Toledo Bend Rendezvous
November 1-3, 2019
North Toledo Bend State Park
Zwolle, LA

What is Rendezvous?  Thirty years ago, members of the Pineywoods Fly Fishers (TX) and North Louisiana Fly Fishers gathered for a weekend of camping, fly tying and fishing. The following year, the clubs rented the group facility at North Toledo Bend State Park, where the event is held to this day.   Rendezvous has expanded greatly since, with tiers from various clubs and states including Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and elsewhere.

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. 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.

Attendees can come for a weekend (lodging and meals included) or just for the day (Saturday). The event is open to the public.

In recent years, regional clubs and the FFI Gulf Coast Council and FFI Texas Council have contributed a small amount each to Rendezvous to offset the escalating rental costs for the group facility.   As to make it very affordable for families.  For 2019, Kisatchie Fly Fishers is proud to be a contributing sponsor for Rendezvous.

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

Mixed Bag Contest update - October 6th

Click on image above for enlargement

This September was the hottest month on record in Louisiana! Not a single night below 65 degrees. The fish didn't like the heat either. It was a tough month for KFF members trying to add entries into the Mixed Bag Contest. Still, Phil Havener and Jim Guillory had a great month, and several others added to their totals.

Good news is that cooler weather starts tomorrow... for good!

We have two months left in our Mixed Bag Contest, a CPRO (catch-photo-release optional) contest where size doesn't matter but diversity does. The goal is to catch as many species as possible on fly rod, and register that catch online.

October and November are also the best time for inshore saltwater fly fishing. But there are many freshwater species still available to members. For example, the image on right shows 11 common sunfish alone. Nine are found in Louisiana waters, the other two in Arkansas (included in the MBC region). Click on the image for an enlargement.

Here are the latest standings (number is different species registered):
Bill Morrison - 15
Carlton Townsend - 15
Robert Hughes - 12
Phil Havener - 10
Jim Johnson - 9
Glen Cormier - 8
Jim Guillory - 7
Joel Dinnat - 6

Others: Gene Taylor -5, Rich Hudson -4, Greg Babin -3, Robert Clark -3, Mike Carlin -2, Ronnie Richmond -2, Jonathon Bennett -2, Barbara Carlin -1, Tom Zabasky -1, Lindsey Torbett -1.

September 23rd general meeting - Butch Ridgedell

Kisatchie Fly Fishers general meeting
Monday, September 23, 2019
6:00pm - casting on back lawn
6:30pm - meeting
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria

** Please note that we're now doing casting prior to each meeting.  **

Our guest speaker this month will be Butch Ridgedell.  Butch is current president of the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club.  He's a member of the Hobie Fishing Team Member, Pack & Paddle Fishing Team and a Pack & Paddle Fishing Guide.  Butch is active on IFA Kayak Fishing Tour, and won the 2017 CCA Star Kayak West Division.

Butch likes to say, "If I'm not fishing, the weather must be bad!".  He'll talk to us about fishing the Calcasieu estuary for redfish and speckled trout, with emphasis on spots for kayak anglers.

As mentioned, we're doing casting practice and lessons prior to the meeting on the back lawn. Roger Breedlove is also facilitating for members participating in the KFF and FFI Casting Skills Challenges.

Also on the agenda:
- Saturday's National Hunting Fishing Day at Woodworth
- October "Sleep Late Saturday" local fishing trip
- KFF PAC Marsh Invasion, October 25-26
- Mixed Bag Contest Update
- fishing reports

As always, our meetings are open to the public. See you Monday!

September 16 fly tying - Yarn Crab

KFF monthly fly tying session
Monday, September 16, 2019
6:30pm
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria

This month, we'll be tying the Yarn Crab Fly. Crab patterns are a must-have when chasing redfish and drum in the Louisiana marsh. When other types of flies get refusals, it's a good bet that the fish will eat a crab pattern.

Materials we will use include:
- hook: Mustad 34007 or equivalent stainless hook
- body: McFlyFoam yarn
- legs: rubber or silicon legging
- tail: feather cluster

As always, beginners are welcome!  Bring your tools, if none, the club has sets for use during these sessions. Materials are provided.

September Sleep Late Saturday Summary: fishing poor, casting great!

Some blamed the unusually hot and dry weather we've had this month. Others blamed the full moon. Whatever the cause, the fish at Cotile Lake were mysteriously absent this morning. Even moreso than the last week.  Despite some good action of bass busting shad and redears biting along the dam, neither was happening today. A few small bream here and there, and that was it!

However, it was a great day for casting, and our "Casting Challenge" program. Roger Breedlove - our newest FFI Certified Casting Instructor - used the shaded grounds of Cotile Park to teach casting early on, then facilitate the Challenge for a number of club members. 

At our last meeting, Chris Perkins with the club's Education Committee presented on the particulars of the Challenge. Roger has been facilitator for the early testing. Last Sunday Bill Morrison rolled all 3 levels - Bronze, Silver and Gold - in about an hour!

Today, Chris finished up his requirements for the Gold Level, having already earned the Bronze and Silver. Jim Johnson and Lindsey Torbett swapped off for about an hour or so and both completed tasks for the Bronze Level.  Then Carlton Townsend breezed through the requirements for Bronze and he was followed by Rich Hudson.  Rich hesitated and then went to work in earnest.  In a half hour, he was casting beautiful loops and completed the Bronze Level.  Preston Keiser began work on his Bronze Level and  completed about half the list before hustling off to fish.  Gene Taylor is scheduled to do all 3 levels Sunday evening.

The club will recognize those members who achieve Bronze, Silver and Gold levels at the club level, and also at the FFI level if they are, or become, FFI members. In addition, FFI club members who achieve casting challenge certificates will be recognized on the FFI Gulf Coast Council website (www.gulfcoastcouncilffi.org).

The group gathered at 12 noon at Lillian's Lakeside Diner for lunch and to exchange fishing and casting stories. We all enjoyed the morning, and hope to have much better fishing - and cooler temperatures - for our October event.

Sleep Late Saturday kicks off September 14th

Crappie taken on Silli Minnow off the dock at Cotile

September "Sleep Late Saturday" club trip
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Cotile Lake near Gardner
7:00am to 12:30pm - fishing time
1:00pm - meet and eat at Lillian's Lakeside Diner
No entry fee!
Prize drawing - see below!

Please RSVP using this link

The KFF Warmwater Committee is initiating a series of monthly half-day trips within an hour of Alexandria, which we will refer to as "Sleep Late Saturdays" because you don't have to be on the water until daybreak (unlike our usual time of 3:00am).

While the weather is still hot/warm, the trips will be in the morning. When it gets cool, some trips might be in the afternoon (then you can sleep REALLY late!).

Our first-ever SLS outing will be to Cotile Lake. You can launch at the Hwy 121 public boat launch (south end) or at the Cotile Recreation Area (north end). Or fish from the bank at the Rec Area.

Bring your camera or smartphone and take photos of catches. At the Meet & Eat at Lillians, we'll share photos and stories. Later you can submit your photo for a chance at a $25 gift card.

* Please make sure to RSVP for Lillians so they'll know how many to set up for.