June 23rd meeting - Micropterus in Louisiana and beyond

KFF general meeting
Monday, June 23, 2025

5:30 pm - casting practice
6:30 pm - program
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube

For our June meeting, Ben Roussel of Baton Rouge will join us via Zoom to present on native Black Bass species in Louisiana and across the Southeast USA. He will also share new research on this topic.

Ben is an active member of Red Stick Fly Fishers and a board member of the Fly Fishers International Gulf Coast Council (GCC).  He serves on the GCC Conservation Committee, and is Director of the council's very popular "Suncatch Challenge".  He has spent most of his adult life researching various species of centrachids (black basses, sunfishes) and the watersheds they are found.  We are very excited to have Ben share his expertise about various species of black bass and where to find them. You can also follow Ben on his "Mountains to Marsh" website.  Click here.

Weather permitting, we'll have casting practice on the back lawn.  

As always, the public is welcome! Remote members can participate using the Zoom meeting number and password. All others can watch on the KFF YouTube Channel, use this link and go to Live videos -
http://bit.ly/3oBk106

June 9th fly tying - GFA Hopper

KFF monthly fly tying session
Monday, June 9, 2025
6:30pm
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube
Featured pattern: GFA Hopper

For our June tying session, we'll tie the GFA Hopper. Created by Walter Wiese of Montana, this easy-to-tie foam hopper is the perfect pattern for hopper-dropper rigs or for fishing alone as a terrestrial pattern. Hopper patterns are very effective in summer on a wide variety of waters for trout, sunfish, spotted and smallmouth bass. While most hoppers are complex to tie, this one is not – simple but still potent!

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. All others can watch on the KFF YouTube Channel, use this link and go to Live videos -
http://bit.ly/3oBk106 

Mixed Bag standings - June 1st

We're now at the halfway mark of our 8th annual Mixed Bag Contest. The MBC is our members-only, online tournament where size doesn't matter, but diversity does. The objective is to catch as many different species on fly rod and flies over the course of 11 months, over a limited geographical area. Click on "Mixed Bag" menu above for complete details.

Proof that you can catch just about anything on flies - check this photo of an Ozark Shiner caught by Jerry Patton on a Zebra Midge!

So far, 21 members have contributed 156 total entries - a record pace! While Bill Morrison is the clear frontrunner, don't let that deter you from submitting entries.  Remember that under the new format we started a couple of years ago, there are many more consolation drawings - and some really nice prizes too!  Every entry gets one ticket in the drawing. For example, enter 4 species in the Mixed Bag and you get 4 tickets in the drawing. More entries = greater chances to win!

Here are the current leaders:

Bill Morrison - 24
Eron Borne - 17
Jim Johnson - 14
Ed Jones - 13
Jerry Patton - 13
Chris Williams - 12
Noah Hoyt - 11

Remember - the Mixed Bag is as much an educational tool as it is a contest. The spreadsheet database, which is available online to anyone, can tell you:
- how many different species can be caught on fly
- the best places to catch a certain fish at a certain time
- what flies work best on certain fish

So to all KFF members - get on the water and make some entries!

Make plans for the Caddo Expo on July 19th

Caddo Fly Fishing Expo
Saturday, July 19th, 2025
9:00am – 5:00pm
Jefferson Tourism & Visitors Center
Jefferson, TX
hosted by North Louisiana Fly Fishers

On Saturday, July 19th, our neighboring club to the north, the North Louisiana Fly Fishers, will hold their  inaugural Caddo Fly Fishing Expo. This event will be held in historic downtown Jefferson, TX. The event will feature fly tying demonstrations, seminars, fly casting, exhibitors, raffles, and more. Held on the banks of Cypress Bayou which feeds Caddo Lake, there is fishing available as well as kayak rentals available locally.

KFF encourages all our members to attend this event.  NLFF has been very supportive of our Cenla Festival, and we need to be supportive of theirs.  The documents below should have enough information, but let us know if you need more.

Tiers wanted!  Included in the documents linked below are applications for tyers and vendors.  We have a good number of excellent tiers here in the Kisatchie club, so if you consider yourself one, please feel free to sign up.  Even if you're not as talented as Bill Morrison, Fred Hannie or Matt Bennett, sharing the skills of tying with all skill levels is what encourages others to take up the art of tying!  Spots are limited, so please don't delay.

Click on these links for Caddo Expo documents:

Caddo Event Flyer (pdf)

Caddo Expo Tiers Invite (pdf)

Caddo Expo Vendor Tyer Flyer (pdf)

Caddo Expo Vendor Invite (pdf)

May 2025 activities

KFF monthly fly tying session
Monday, May 12, 2025
6:30pm
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube
Featured pattern: Rubber Leg Fox Squirrel Nymph

This month we'll tie the Rubber Legged Fox Squirrel Nymph, a variation of Dave Whitlock's popular Fox Squirrel Nymph that we tied last year. Unlike the original, this version has a bead head and rubber legs. These additions make the fly somewhat buggier, and more likely to be a better bluegill and panfish pattern.  We will tie a version similar to the one in the picture.

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. All others can watch on the KFF YouTube Channel, use this link and go to Live videos -
http://bit.ly/3oBk106

KFF general meeting
Monday, May 19, 2025  *

5:30 pm - casting practice
6:30 pm - program
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube
Meeting topic: Crawfish!

* Please note the date. We're meeting on 3rd Monday since the 4th Monday is the Memorial Day holiday *

Everything eats crawfish, not just Cajuns! Many fish species, especially bass, find great nutritional value in mudbugs. That's why every fly box should have crawfish, or crawfish-like, patterns. What color works best for the flies we choose depends on many factors, including species, time of year, and even some genetic factors.

This month, our guest speaker is Jay Huner, retired biology professor and former Director of the ULL Crawfish Research Center. Jay has written several books on crayfish, and served as co-chair for the International Association of Astacology (crawfish studies). Jay will share the many facets of our favorite crustacean.

Come early for casting practice on the back lawn.  

As always, the public is welcome! Remote members can participate using the Zoom meeting number and password. All others can watch on the KFF YouTube Channel, use this link and go to Live videos -
http://bit.ly/3oBk106

Spring Picnic Updates

Monday, April 28th is our annual Spring Picnic.  Below are updates to the email sent out earlier to members. 

Side dish commitments:

Rich Hudson - Mexican Casserole with chips (it's actually a dip) 

Dessert commitments:

Debbie Coe - TBD 

Other:

Carlton Townsend - will bring paper plates and towels, and plastic utilities.
Rich Dewees - sliced tomatos, sliced lettuce, onions.

April 14th fly tying - Goober Bug

KFF monthly fly tying session
Monday, April 14, 2025
6:30pm
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube

Moving into our warm-water season, this month we'll be tying the Goober Bug - another throwback pattern from about 6 years ago. Like the Rio Bandito, it's a very effective pattern and also a creation of a Texas fly tier. Creator Bruce Sublett says that any fish that will eat a Wooly Bugger will eat the Goober Bug and it’s also easier to tie.

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. All others can watch on the KFF YouTube Channel, use this link and go to Live videos -
http://bit.ly/3oBk106

Registration now open for 2025 Gulf Coast Classic

3rd annual Gulf Coast Classic fly fishing festival
Friday & Saturday, May 2-3, 2025
Gulf State Park
20249A State Park Rd, Gulf Shores, AL
www.ffigulfcoastclassic.com

Click on the image for full size poster

Registration is now open for the 3rd annual Gulf Coast Classic on Friday May 2nd and Saturday May 3rd at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, AL.  The Classic is the largest fly fishing event on the Gulf Coast, and features seminars, fly tying demonstrations, casting and tying workshops, a fishing contest, a film festival, and much more!  Many of the tiers are nationally-recognized and some are even professional tiers. Several of the tiers will be leading workshops as well.

Hosted by the Gulf Coast Council (GCC) of Fly Fishers International (FFI), it's a fundraiser and community gathering for the council.  The GCC consists of clubs and members in Louisiana, Mississippi, south Alabama, and northwest Florida.  Kisatchie Fly Fishers is a proud member of the Gulf Coast Council.

On the registration pages, you can pay for admission, signup for a workshop, purchase film festival tickets, and even procure inexpensive onsite lodging on the campus. Or you can register for the Classic now, and register for the workshops later.  But don't wait too long...  workshops and lodging can book up in advance of the event!

Fly tier bios are currently available, and later this week schedules, seminar descriptions, and speaker bios will be posted. Seminar topics cover a wide range of fishing opportunities, from bluegill and bass to tarpon and speckled trout to Louisiana redfish and more.  In addition, there are speakers on conservation topics, including the Director of Alabama's Marine Fisheries Division, and Friday Keynote Speaker, William Strickland of Mobile Baykeepers.

There's also an incredible array of raffle and silent auction items courtesy of our amazing sponsors.  And our always popular "Mixed Bag" fishing contest - it's FREE entry with registration!

Again, to learn more about the Classic, and links to registration and workshops, go to: www.ffigulfcoastclassic.com.