August 2025 activities

KFF monthly fly tying session
Monday, August 11, 2025
6:30pm
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube
Featured pattern: Tullis Wiggle Bug

This month we'll tie the Tullis Wiggle Bug, created by Larry Tullis. It's basically a woolybugger with a foam back and swim lip.  It's action has been described as "pops, spits water, dives, and moves side-to-side".  We learned of this foam pattern from biologist Darin Lee in his presentation to KFF on creek
fishing. It is one of his favorite patterns and effective on bass in creeks and lakes.

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

August 16th - Summer Workshop

Check the post below for details. 

KFF general meeting
Monday, August 25, 2025
6:30 pm 
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube
Meeting topic: Casting for Recovery

This month we have a very special guest and program. Susan Brooks is Program Manager for Casting for Recovery - Southeast Region. CfR is a national program for women in treatment or recovery from breast cancer. These retreats connect women to each other and to nature using the therapeutic sport of fly fishing, and are offered at no cost to participants. 

Susan will give a presentation on CFR, and the work they are doing across the Southeast. Susan - who lives in Starkville with her family - is herself is a breast cancer survivor who began volunteering with CFR after attending a Southeast Regional fly fishing retreat in 2018. She fell in love with fly tying and turned that passion into a business, Damselflies, where she sells (impressive) hand-tied flies. She is also a published author.

Please join us for this special program!  As always, this meeting is open to the public.  Remote members can participate using the Zoom meeting number and password sent by email.

Deadline for Summer Workshop approaching

KFF Summer Workshop 
Tying the Matt Bennett Originals - with Matt Bennett

Saturday, August 16, 2025
9:30 am to 1:00 pm
135 Riverfront St, Pineville, LA
Cost $40 participant  (limited to 12 tiers)

* If you are a 2025 paid member of KFF and did not receive an email with info on the workshop - and the link for registration - please email catchcoma@gmail.com asap! *

We are excited for the return of a club tradition - our Summer Workshop.  On August 16th, we welcome nationally renown fly tier Matt Bennett.  Matt is a member of the Umpqua Feathers Signature Fly Designer program, and the creator of such patterns as the Lunch Money, Carp-It Bomb, Rio Getter, and Jungle Lunch. Matt travels across the country sharing his patterns, and in 2015, was awarded the prestigious Charles E. Brooks Memorial Award by Fly Fishers International.

The workshop is currently open only to 2025 paid KFF members. Cost is $40 per student, with a maximum of 12 students. If more than 12 register, up to 8 more registrants can still attend and watch only with a reduced cost of $10.  If a tying seat opens up due to cancellation, the next person on the list can take their place and will be responsible for paying the full cost.  After August 11th, if any seats are still available, we'll open up to members of other FFI clubs. 

Materials and instruction will be provided to students. Students should bring their own vise, tools, and thread. Matt will let us know what color and denier thread we'll be using.  Refreshments will be provided.

July 28th meeting - Menhaden bycatch in Louisiana

KFF general meeting
Monday, July 28, 2025

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

For our July meeting, we welcome Dr. Scott Raborn as our guest speaker.  Scott is Vice-President and Senior Fisheries Biologist with LGL Limited - an employee-owned environmental research and consulting firm. A graduate of Louisiana College (biology), and Mississippi State (Ph.D in Fisheries Science), Scott has been with LGL since 2007, where he has provided biometric support for several high profile fisheries research projects across the country.

LGL was selected by the LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to conduct research on the extent of bycatch by the commercial menhaden fleet. At the July meeting of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, Scott gave details to the scope of their research and the final results.  Of significance to the recreational community was the mortality rate of mature redfish. Many sports anglers believe that, in order for reduced stocks of redfish to make a rapid recovery, this mortality rate needs to be near zero.

Scott will give a shorter version of his LDWF presentation to the club. There will be plenty of time allotted for questions and answers.

As always, this meeting is open to the public.  Remote members can participate using the Zoom meeting number and password sent by email. 
 

July 14th fly tying - Basic Bass Popper

KFF monthly fly tying session
Monday, July 14, 2025
6:30pm
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube
Featured pattern: Basic Bass Popper

We have tied various poppers in the past, but for our July session, we will use a pre-made soft-head popper body to explore the various elements and options for bass poppers that you can employ in your own flies. We will tie a size #4 that is similar to 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 
 

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)