October 27 meeting

Our next meeting will be on Monday, October 27, 2014 at 6:30pm at the Rapides Westside Library in Alexandria.  The public is welcome, so bring a guest if you can.

For this meeting, we'll watch the video of Lefty Kreh on fly casting that we had to postpone from earlier this summer.  Lefty is the dean of fly fishers... his video contains numerous tips to help improve your casting.  Following the video, we'll have open discussion of casting topics.

Also on the agenda:  fishing reports, update on the Cenla Fly Fishing Festival, other upcoming events including Rendezvous, and updates on proposed club trips.

Note: our November 24th meeting will feature LDWF regional biologist Rickey Moses who will talk about area fisheries, including results of their current surveys.  Make plans now to attend this one!

Make plans for Rendezvous October 31st - November 2nd

What is Rendezvous?  Twenty-six 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.  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 fly 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 20 Fly Tying - Clouser Minnow

Our next fly tying session will take place on Monday, October 20, at the Rapides Westside Library in Alexandria.  Time is 6:30pm. The public is invited.

The pattern this month will be the Clouser Minnow.  Developed by Bob Clouser for smallmouth bass, it may be the most universal pattern ever created.  Lefty Kreh claims to have caught 87 different species on this fly, and our response is "That's all?".  Here in Louisiana, Clousers are the best fly for speckled trout, sand trout, and white bass, and a good fly for redfish.  It's also a great pattern for schooling largemouth. It's also fairly easy to tie.

Bring your tools if you have some, materials will be provided.  For those without tools, the club has 3 sets of tools for use only during tying sessions.  See ya there!  

CCFC Deer Hair Tying Workshop - Sat, Oct. 18th

Mike Hawkins Instructs Deer Hair Tying Techniques -
Including Dave Whitlock's Diving Frog & Deer Hair Bream Flies

A Cane Country Fly Casters Fly Tying Workshop
Saturday - October 18, 2014
8:30am to 1:00pm
Location: Alligator Farm Rd, Natchitoches, LA (Jim Pierson's Hunting Camp)
This is limited-seating workshop for tyers, with some experience, throughout the region.
Cost is $20 per person and includes: tying supplies, beverages, breakfast snacks and lunch.

Schedule:
7:30 Coffee, Doughnuts, Snacks & Set-Up Your Tools
8:30 Workshop Begins
12:00 Burgers and Dogs

Bring your tying equipment. Reservations are based on 1st come 1st serve.
For more Information, contact either: Burley Johnson 318-471-5049 or Vic McClain 318-228-9729
To pre-register, please fill out the form above and mail it in with your check. Make checks
payable to CCFC and mail to:
       CCFC
       915 3rd Street
       Natchitoches, LA
Fill out form the form below and mail it in with your check:
Whitlock Flies Workshop Form (16k, PDF format)

Cenla NHF Day this Saturday

National Hunting and Fishing Day is a national event celebrated on the fourth Saturday in September. It was established by Congress in 1972 to celebrate the conservation contributions of our nation's hunters and anglers.  For over 30 years, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has celebrated NHFD at four venues across the state, including their Woodworth location.

Kisatchie Fly Fishers is proud to once again be part of the Cenla NHFD activities.  We will doing fly tying demos, hands-on tying, hands-on fly casting, hands-on knot tying, and talking about fly fishing, including opportunities in the Cenla area, on the coast, and beyond.

2014 Cenla National Hunting and Fishing Day
Saturday, September 27
7:00am - 2:00pm
LDWF Woodworth Outdoor Education Center
661 Robinson Rd, Woodworth, LA
FREE admission!  Free lunch!

Schedule of Activities:
7:00am - Gates open, registration begins for kids fishing rodeo (ages 15 and under)
9:00am - Opening ceremonies, national anthem, exhibits and activities open (including fly casting and fly tying)
10:30am - Alligator skinning demonstration
11:00am - Door prize drawings
11:15am - BBQ judging followed by BBQ and Burger King lunch served
12:00 - Door prize drawings
1:00pm - BBQ winner announced
1:30pm - RPSO SWAT Team Flash/Bang demonstration (rifle range)
2:00pm - Event ends - thanks for taking part in NHFD

September 22nd meeting - casting at Buhlow

Our next meeting will be on Monday, September 22, 2014.  Please note a change of time and location for this meeting...  we will meet starting at 6:00 pm at the park on Lake Buhlow in Pineville (off Highway 165).   The public is welcome.

This meeting will be dedicated to casting practice and instruction.  Bring your fly outfit (rod, reel, line) that you wish to improve your casting with.  You might even want to bring a few flies as there are bass and redears that frequent the banks near the park area. If you don't have a rod, or can't bring one, you can use one of the club rods during this meeting.

We're starting a half-hour earlier to get in as much daylight - and casting - as possible. A cool front is expected to move through the night before, so it should be comfortable.  In addition, having a nice breeze to cast into makes for a more realistic learning experience (the wind ALWAYS blows when fishing).

If you can't make it as early as 6:00pm, just come when you can.  We'll gather around 7:30pm to go over a few club items including this Saturday's Cenla National Hunting and Fishing Day to take place at the LDWF Environmental Center in Woodworth.

Gulf Coast Fly Fishing Fair - September 12-13

2014 Gulf Coast Fly Fishing Fair
Sponsored by the Gulf Coast Council, International Federation of Fly Fishers
September 12-13, 2014
Ocean Springs Civic Center, Ocean Springs, Mississippi

This event is free and open to the public.  The Fair features free casting lessons, free tying lessons, free beginner classes, tying demonstrations, and free classes.  Class size is limited, so registration is strongly suggested as some classes will fill up early.

On Friday during the day, there will be workshops, including Continuing Education for IFFF Certified Casting Instructors (CCIs).

On Friday evening, there will be a Jambalaya Buffet, followed by Awards and a Live Auction at the Ocean Springs Yacht Club, 100 Front Beach Drive.  The Auction will feature fly tackle, guided trips, artwork, fly plates, and much more!  Half of the proceeds will be donated to the University of Southern Mississippi - Gulf Coast Research Lab, which is responsible for a number of projects in conjunction with the Gulf Coast Council.

Saturday is a day full of activities, including casting, tying, vendors, exhibitors, workshops, raffles, and much, much more.  The list of casting instructors is impressive, with a number of IFFF Certified Casting Instructors (CCIs) as well as Master Certified Instructors (MCIs).

To register for the event (free registration) simply click on this link for the GCC Fly Fair 2014 website:
www.gulfcoastifff.blogspot.com/p/gulf.html

August 25th meeting

Our next meeting will be on Monday, August 25, 2014 at 6:30pm at the Rapides Westside Library in Alexandria.  The public is welcome, so bring a guest if you can.

As of this posting, our scheduled speaker was not able to confirm. If they are unable to show up, we'll see a video by Lefty Kreh on fly casting.  Lefty is the dean of fly fishers... his video contains numerous tips to help improve your casting. 

Also on the agenda:  upcoming events, our participation at the Cenla Hunting and Fishing Day (September 27), update on the Cenla Fly Tying Festival now set for January 24th, and proposed trips to Calcasieu for reds and specks (fall) and to the Lower Mountain Fork (winter).