February 23rd general meeting - Big Catch, Survey, New products

KFF general meeting
Monday, February 23rd 
6:30 pm
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom & YouTube

Join us for our first general meeting of 2026 (our January meeting was cancelled due to weather). This month we will have 3 short presentations of interest to all members.

First, Bill Morrison will give an overview and take questions on our new "Big Catch" Challenge which kicks off February 21st. 

Second, Catch will give a short presentation on some of the many new items he saw and tested at the Denver Fly Fishing Show earlier this month.  

Finally, Catch Cormier will give the results of the Club Survey and touch on the items of most interest to club members.  Open discussion of the items will follow.

A reminder that 2026 dues are due!  They remain at only $25 per family... for now.  You can pay at our meetings OR online through our membership page.  

Also... we have a very special program lined up for our March  meeting - ONLY 2026 members will be able to view remotely (no YouTube either).  You will NOT want to miss it, so pay those dues!

As always, the public is welcome! Remote members can participate using the Zoom meeting number and password sent by email. The livestream is also available on our YouTube Channel. Click this link and go to Live videos -
http://bit.ly/3oBk106

Introducing the Big Catch

Kisatchie Fly Fishers is excited to announce a new annual contest, the Big Catch Challenge.  Unlike our Mixed Bag Contest, this is a fishing contest where size does matter!  This contest is open to all KFF members. There is no entry fee required.

Our Big Catch Challenge kicks off February 21st and ends November 30th at 11:59pm. Winners will be announced and participants will be eligible for prizes drawn at our annual Christmas party in December. 

The Big Catch Challenge is designed to see who is the club’s best lunker lander.  There will be 4 species categories: 

    Black Bass -  largemouth, smallmouth, Redeye, etc
    Bream        -  bluegill, redear, warmouth, etc
    Crappie      -  black, white
    Trout          -  coldwater trout e.g., rainbow, brown, etc

At our February general meeting, the KFF Tournament Committee will give specific details and answer any questions about the Big Catch.  In the meantime, you can learn about the rules on the "Big Catch" page (click on the menu item above).

February 9th fly tying - Tan Bead Belly

KFF monthly fly tying session
Monday, February 9th
6:30pm
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube

This month Bill Morrison leads us in tying Jeff Guerin’s Tan Bead Belly - one of Jeff's staple patterns for the Little Missouri.  It can imitate caddis, March Browns, or other insects.  

What makes this fly different from nearly all the trout nymphs we've tied is that the bead is tied near the middle of the hook rather than behind the hook eye. This gives the bead the impression of an air bubble. The pattern has classic soft hackle lines and fishes well under an indicator or stripped or pulled just below the surface.

As always, the session is open to the public. All materials are provided, and we have sets of tools for beginners to use during the session. For beginners, we can also pair you with someone who can help.

Remote members can participate using the Zoom meeting number and password sent by email. The video is also available on our YouTube Channel. Click this link and go to Live videos - http://bit.ly/3oBk106  

Cenla Fly Fishing Festival reset for May 30th

Cenla Fly Fishing Festival
Saturday, May 30, 2026

8:30am to 3:30pm 
Kees Park, Pineville, LA
FREE admission!!

We were all disappointed that our Festival in January had to be canceled due to a winter storm watch.  The good news is that now have a NEW date for our Fest - Saturday, May 30th.  And promises from the weatherman that this time there's an extremely small chance of frozen precipitation.

So mark your calendar, tell your friends, and come enjoy a celebration of the fly fishing experience.  Watch some of the top tiers from across the region tie flies and jigs.  Cast a fly rod and/or get casting instruction from top FFI Certified Instructors.  Learn why kayaks are an economical and very effective way to fish.  And please take part in our giant raffle and fundraiser to raise money for our friends at The Food Bank of Central Louisiana - and help feed some hungry families! 

We'll be posting the new schedule, speakers, and tiers for the event in the weeks ahead.  Click on the "2026 Cenla Fest" menu  for details.

January 26th meeting cancelled

In addition to the cancellation of our Cenla Fly Fishing Festival on Saturday due to weather concerns, the Rapides Parish Police Jury has announced closure of all offices and facilities, which includes the parish libraries.  For that reason - as well as continued travel concerns due to possible lingering icy roads - the club has cancelled our January general meeting set for Monday, the 26th.  See you all in February!

Cenla Fly Fest cancelled / postponed

Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for central Louisiana and all parts north. Icy road conditions may exist as far south as Lake Charles and Opelousas beginning Saturday afternoon. This was especially concerning since our special guest speaker, and many of our guest tiers were coming from the I-20 corridor and further north.

Out of abundance of concern for our guest tiers, speakers, and attendees, the Kisatchie Fly Fishers decided to cancel this Saturday's Cenla Fly Fishing Festival. Whether it will be cancelled for 2026 or postponed until late Spring or early Summer remains to be seen.

Many of you are disappointed I'm sure. Interest in the 2026 Festival was much higher than in the previous five events, so we were anticipating a record turnout. The board will meet in a couple weeks and discuss the possibilities for having this event this year.

PLEASE stay safe out there!

January 12th fly tying - Sunday Special

KFF monthly fly tying session
Monday, January 12th
6:30pm
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube
Featured pattern: Sunday Special

This month Robert Hughes will lead us in tying the Sunday Special.  Created by Clint Wilkinson, it's been called the ultimate Arkansas guide fly since it is a consistent, dependable pattern.   It is a buggy, bead head pattern that imitates a wide variety of insects, from caddis to scuds. It fishes well alone with an indicator or with a trailing midge.

As always, the session is open to the public. All materials are provided, and we have sets of tools for beginners to use during the session. For beginners, we can also pair you with someone who can help.

Remote members can participate using the Zoom meeting number and password sent by email. The video is also available on our YouTube Channel. Click this link and go to Live videos -http://bit.ly/3oBk106  

2026 Mixed Bag Contest is live!

Our Mixed Bag Contest is back for a ninth year! The MBC is a members-only, months-long tournament where the goal is to catch as many different species on fly rod. It's CPRE which means catch-photo-release encouraged. And best of all, there is no entry fee!

Are you ready?  Here's what you need to compete:

• Be a 2026 member of KFF
• Go to the Mixed Bag Contest page and review the rules
• Have your camera or smartphone available when fishing
• Take photos of your catch and include either the fly rod or fly, or both
• Log them in using the links on the Mixed Bag page.
• Bring your enthusiasm!  Remember, while the top 5 finishers get placement prizes, all other participants are eligible for several consolation prizes. Each entry gets you one ticket into the consolation drawing.  

Check out our website and Facebook page during the year for frequent updates.