6th biennial
Cenla Fly Fishing Festival
Saturday, May 30, 2026
Kees Park Civic Center
2450 Hwy 28 E, Pineville, LA
FREE admission!
Hosted by the Kisatchie Fly Fishers, this biennial festival - held in even years - is a celebration of fly fishing and kayak fishing. Unlike typical outdoor shows, our event is focused on instruction, education, and community.
The Cenla Fest brings anglers of similiar interests together
to exchange their expertise, share fishing stories, and educate the public about fishing and conservation. It's family friendly and free to the
public.
Activities include:
- Seminars
- Fly tying demonstrations
- Fly casting clinics
- Beginners instruction
- Kayak rigging
- Exhibitors
- Raffles
- and more!
See the Schedule below for more details!
GOOGLE MAP LOCATION - CLICK HERE!
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Event Details
Fly tying begins around 8:30am and continues until 3:00pm. Many of the
region's top fly tiers will be on hand tying flies for bream, bass,
trout, and redfish. See the list below (keep checking back as our list grows each day).
Seminars covering a variety of fishing topics will be presented by local
and regional experts. Seminars start at 9:30am and continue through the
day.
Need to improve your fly casting skills? Jeff Ferguson - one of the nation's top fly casting instructors - will be on hand giving casting presentations and casting coaching. Jeff is an award-winning casting instructor, certified Master Level by the Fly Fishers International. We'll also have two FFI Certified instructors on hand to help with beginners and intermediate instruction.
Lunch and choice of lemonade or tea will be available for a nominal cost. Bottled water will be available free during the day. Canned soft drinks will be $1.
There's also a raffle, a silent auction and a Gamblers Draw. Items include tackle, flies, lures, accessories, homemade goods, and many other
items. Net proceeds to benefit The Food Bank of Central Louisiana.
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2026 Schedule9:00 am - Fly Tying & Exhibitors - Main Room
9:30 am - Fly Fishing from Kayaks - Catch Cormier
10:30 am - Sight Fishing the Louisiana Flats - Capt. David Rogers
11:30 am - Lunch ($) includes jambalaya, lemonade or tea.
1:00 pm - Proven Bass and Bream Flies - Fred Dupre
1:00 pm - Advanced Fly Casting Skills - Outdoors
3:30 pm - Adieu and see ya'll in 2028!
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2026 Presenters
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David Rogers David is owner of Flats Drifter Guide Service, specializing in fly fishing the Louisiana marsh for redfish, black drum and sheepshead. He's also the Fly Tying Chair for the Red Stick Fly Fishers club and is a featured tyer at several events.
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Fred Dupre Fred has been fly fishing and tying since 1958 and has fished all 50 states, most Canadian provinces and 17 countries. He has been awarded by Fly Fishers International with the Dick Nelson Fly Tying Teaching Award and the prestigious Buz Buzsek Memorial Award which recognizes significant contributions to fly tying. He has also earned the FFI Bronze, Silver and Gold Fly Tying Excellence Awards and was an evaluator for all three levels. He lives in Georgetown, Texas with his wife Linda of 58 years. Fred will demonstrate a new articulated crawfish fly and several bass and bluegill flies as featured in the book, "Fly Tying for All Fish, All Waters". |
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Catch Cormier A native of south Louisiana, Catch is a former bass tournament angler who switched to fly fishing four decades ago and to kayak fishing over three decades ago. He's a former columnist for Louisiana Sportsman magazine and former kayak fishing field reporter for "Outdoors with Don Dubuc" weekly radio show. He’s written articles for various outdoor magazines and maintains the longest running website to fly fishing Louisiana. Catch is also an FFI Certified Casting Instructor, a member of the FFI Fly Tying Group, and recognized by the FFI Gulf Coast Council for “Lifetime Achievement in Fly Tying”. He currently serves as Conservation Director for both Fly Fishers International and the FFI Gulf Coast Council and was recognized by FFI in 2024 as "Conservationist of the Year". He and his wife live in Cotile, and travel often to fish, hike and visit grandkids. Catch will talk about the many great opportunities for kayak fishing here in Louisiana. |
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Jeff Ferguson Jeff is an award-winning fly casting instructor and experienced fly angler. He grew up fishing the Louisiana marshes and freshwater cypress lakes for bass and bream. He was introduced to the Fly Fishers International (FFI) Instructor Certification Program in 2012, and in 2014 became a Master Certified Casting Instructor. Shortly after, he achieved L2 examiner credential. |
2026 Featured Fly Tiers
We are delighted to have some of the top regional fly tiers and lure craftsmen on hand to demonstrate their craftsmanship.
Each will be tying their own creations as well as their personal favorites throughout the day.
The following is a list of committed tier so far. Keep checking back for updates.
| Name | Location | Bio |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin 'Doc' Andry | Baton Rouge, LA | Kevin is a nationally-recognized music director for St. Micheal High School in Baton Rouge. A lifelong angler, his passion for fly fishing began around 2006 when one of his "band dads" picked up his daughter from band practice with a kayak on his car and fly rods in the back. When asked where he one fishes with kayaks and fly rods in south Louisiana, the gentleman answered, "Anywhere I want to." A couple of fly rods and attendance to the local club tying sessions and Doc was hooked. In the near two decades since, Kevin has caught hundreds of fish on creations he has tied himself. While he ties a variety of flies with great detail and precision, he is best known for his work spinning Deer Hair. He has taught classes on deer hair and other patterns, and in 2022 was recognized with the FFI-GCC Lifetime Excellence in Tying Award. When he isn't fishing or tying, Doc enjoys spending time with his wife of 40 years, Lisa, his two children, and his four beautiful grandchildren. |
| Matt Bennett | DeRidder, LA | Matt Bennett is a previous full-time commercial fly tyer and the owner of Fly Geek Custom Flies. Matt enjoys many types of fly fishing, but most enjoys both tying flies and fishing for the native bass species of the Texas Hill Country and exploring the Southwest Louisiana waterways. Most of Matt's patterns have a universal appeal to fish species all over, and he very much enjoys sharing his tying and fishing knowledge with others. Matt has fished the waters of southwestern Colorado since he was a teenager and especially enjoys chasing native Cutthroat trout in creeks throughout the San Juans. Matt is a member of the Ahrex Hooks, Dr. Slick and Raidzap Pro Team, and a member of Umpqua Feather Merchants Signature Fly Designer program and has three patterns available in fly shops all over the world, with more to follow. Matt has previously served as the Education Director and VP of the Texas Council FFI, as well as President of the Austin Fly Fishers. He was awarded the 2015 Charles E. Brooks Memorial Award by FFI. You can often find him behind the vise at many fly fishing events and shows across the South and beyond. Matt resides in DeRidder, LA with his wife, Amanda, and has tied nearly 100,000 flies during his time as a commercial fly tyer. You can view more of his work on Instagram @flygeekmatt. |
| Ray Boudreaux | New Iberia, LA | |
| Ronald Braud | Prairieville, LA | I became interested in Fly Fishing during a visit to Montana when my daughter lived there for a year. Along the way I discovered that my primary interest was in tying flies and incorporated into it my earlier artistic work. |
| Kenneth 'Redbird' Breaux | DeQuincy, LA | Member of Contraband Fly Casters. Tie and fly fish mostly warm water. fish cold and salt water some, and I tie some cold water and salter flies but mostly I tie a coyote fly. |
| Mac Colvin | Metairie, LA | Mac is not only an excellent tier of many flies, but he does it with one hand! An ambassador for adaptive fly tying, Mac serves at Fly Tying Coordinator for the New Orleans Fly Fishers, and is organizing of the popular Dirty Carp Flyfishing Tournament. |
| Bill deCastro | Gretna,LA | Member of the New Orleans Fly Fishing Club, and FFI. I've been fly tying for over 45 years. |
| Fred Dupre | Georgetown, TX | Life member of FFI and FTG. Awarded the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Saltwater Tying Skills Awards. Awarded the Dick Nelson Fly Tying Teacher Award. Recipient of the Buz Buszek Fly Tying Skills Award. Originally from New Orleans and have fly fished in all 50 states. |
| Ronnie Foreman | Lake Charles, LA | Ron is a member and current Treasurer of the Contraband Fly Casters in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He is a member and supporter of the Fly Fishers International, and a member of the FFI Fly Tying Group. Ron has also served on the Gulf Coast Council as a former Treasurer and Fly Tying Chair. Ron has been involved in fly fishing since his high school days. He grew up fishing small streams and creeks in Louisiana. He is an avid bass fisherman having fished numerous lakes throughout the midsouth. After moving to the Lake Charles area, he began saltwater fishing. His passion now is fly fishing for reds, specks, and flounder. Ron also enjoys trips to cold water fisheries to try for rainbow and brown trout. He has tied at Sowbug on many occasions, and has tied at other fly shows throughout the south. Ron enjoys tying flies and teaching a newcomer to tie. Ron is always looking for ways to promote fly fishing, fly tying, his local club, the GCC, and FFI. |
| Jamie Franklin | Dubberly, LA | |
| Tina Franklin | Dubberly, LA | |
| Darin Lee | Opelousas, LA | Darin is a biologist and south Louisiana native, who is an active member of the of Acadiana Fly Rodders in Lafayette, LA. He began his fly fishing and tying journey over 20 years ago sight casting to redfish, and quickly expanded to warmwater and coldwater opportunities. |
| Steve Oliver | Marshall, TX | I am the current president of the North Louisiana Fly Fishers. Retired from RadioShack after 22 years. Currently drive an oversize load pilot car. I'm an avid fly fisherman, motorcyclist, kayaker, and camper and look for ways to combine all of these activities together. |
| Lance Renoux | Lockport, LA | I tie saltwater and freshwater predator flies and utilize natural materials to mimic natural prey items |
| Brian Roberts | Baton Rouge, LA | Brian is President of the Red Stick Fly Fishers and in 2024, was awarded the FFI Gulf Coast Council Flyfisher of the Year for his dedication to the sport. He has been a trailblazer in pursuing sunfish on fly rod, currently the only recipient of the GCC Suncatch Challenge Master Award for catching 16 of the 19 eligible species. Brian ties patterns for many species, but enjoys tying flies for - and chasing - the several species of gar. |
| David Rogers | Prairieville, LA | I started fly fishing and tying in 1997. Passion for sight fishing saltwater species and obsessed with fishing out west mainly Colorado. Progressive fly tying saltwater jig patterns and balanced jig patterns. Saltwater guide and USCG licensed captain. |
| AJ Rosenbohm | River Ridge, LA | AJ currently serves as president of the Gulf Coast Council of FFI. He has been tying flies for 12 years. He teaches fly tying and coordinates fly tying classes for the New Orleans Fly Fishers Club. AJ ties commercially for a number of fly shops along the Northern Gulf Coast and is a pro staffer with Finatics Fly Co. |
| Wayne Schnell | Metairie, LA | New Orleans native, with a life-long passion for fishing in any gear, Wayne has waited a long time to become a fly fisher, but now is completely immersed in the sport and anxious to bring his talents to the greater fly fishing community. |
| Bill White | Lake Charles, LA | Bill is a member of the Contrabad Flycasters and has tied at various conclaves |
| Rex White | Stonewall, LA | Former Quality Control manager for military construction on military bases. I was introduced to fly fishing while working at Ft Drum, NY. On my return to Louisiana I found my flyfishing mentor, Mr. John Fatherree with the NLFF. We fished and tied flies together. Former NLFF newsletter publisher/editor, NLFF Boatd member, NLFF President and served as a board member of GCC/FFI. |
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2026 Exhibitors - TBA
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If you wish to exhibit or tie flies, email Glen Cormier at catch@laflyfish.com
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