Fly Fishing Film Tour coming to Lafayette this Saturday

The 14th annual Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T) is coming to Pack & Paddle in Lafayette on Saturday, February 1st.

Prior to the showing, PnP will hold one of their "Fly Fishing Hangouts".  Things kick off at 3:00pm with complimentary beer, soft drinks and snacks.  There's a "MarshMan Sharpshooter Casting Competition" starting at 3:00pm, and an "Iron Fly Tying Competition" at 4:00pm. At 5:00pm, the film festival kicks off.

F3T is a collection of independent short films highlighting the adventure and conservation aspects of our sport. Shot across the US, Canada and around the world, these films celebrate fly fishing in all it's splendor.  F3T is shown at select venues across the country, which each  year bringing new adventures, new spectacular scenery, and new fascinating stories.

The films range from fishing adventures, to tales of conservation, stewardship and friendship.  One of the short films that many are looking forward to is "Time", which profiles Lefty Kreh and Flip Pallot, who both taught and inspired thousands of anglers.

Tickets are $15.  Check with PnP first to see if tickets are still available.  Tickets are available at Pack & Paddle or can be purchased online at their website.  For more info, availability, or to purchase tickets, go to www.packpaddle.com.

January 27th general meeting - Reel Recovery

Kisatchie Fly Fishers monthly meeting
Monday, January 27, 2020
5:00pm - casting on back lawn
6:30pm - meeting (speaker first)
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria

** Please note that we're now doing casting prior to each meeting starting at 5pm  **

Our guest speaker this month will be Clint Crowe of the Acadiana Fly Rodders in Lafayette. Clint is a 20-year hospice volunteer and is retired from his work in the water well industry. Clint fly fishes mostly in the marsh and on Colorado rivers and streams in southern Colorado.

Ten years ago, Clint and fellow AFR member, Dr. Skip Palmintier, helped establish the Louisiana Chapter of Reel Recovery. They currently serve as co-coordinators. Reel Recovery is a national outreach fly fishing retreat for men coping with cancer.  The Louisiana retreat is free for participants and can host 11 men in the White Lake Lodge near Gueydan.

The dates for this year are April 14-16, beginning at 2:00pm on Friday.  There are still a few slots open and they encourage all men that have dealt with cancer at any time in their life to apply.

For a full size poster, click on the image, then "view image" or "save image" with left click.

Also on the agenda: recap of the Cenla Festival, upcoming events and trips, Facebook changes, casting updates, Mixed Bag Contest updates, and fishing reports.

As always, guests are welcome. Invite a friend!

KFF now has a Facebook Group page

KFF member Denise Gatlin has created a Facebook Group for our club. The Group name is "Kisatchie Fly Fishers Members Share". While it is a public group for the time being, Denise says it may change over to a private group once all members have been invited.

Either way, the only way for anyone to be a member of this Group is to be a current member of Kisatchie Fly Fishers club.  Yet another reason to pay up those 2020 dues!

We now have both a Facebook "page" (Kisatchie Fly Fishers) and a "group" (Kisatchie Fly Fishers Members Share).  What's the difference, you ask?

A page is like an announcement. Only the Admin or Moderator can create a post. While there can be replies on a post, the replies are often moderated.

A group is like a forum. Any member can create a topic. If a member has a question such as, "Where are the bass biting?", other members can respond.

The KFF Members Share group will allow us to communicate on a regular basis without a long line of chain emails. While some members may not use Facebook, it has proven to be a very effective tool for sharing information and learning about regional events.

Our 2020 Festival recap - we made history!

For those who didn't make our Festival on Saturday, you missed another fun event!  Everyone had a great time.  If you would like to see some photos and read comments from those in attendance, you can find them on our Facebook page.  All of the tiers are looking forward to coming back in 2022.

The bad weather held off until the very end, allowing us to have a full day of casting on the lawn. Several newbies learned to cast - and do quite well thanks to instruction from Jeff Ferguson, Keith Richard and other instructors. Steve Breaux of Lake Charles qualified for the FFI Bronze Casting Certificate, while our members Cindy Griffin, Kristy Kelley, and Johnny Borden advanced towards their first certificate.

Inside, folks got to see some of the best fly tiers from several states, not just Louisiana. Everyone was impressed with the tying talent and variety of flies.  And several of us learned a few new tying tricks and techniques, as well as new patterns to enhance our fishing.

We also had some terrific presentations, a "very tasty" lunch prepared by our own Greg Babin, and one of the largest raffles you'll see at any fly fishing event - by count 82 items! We even had KALB-TV visit and do a segment for the evening news.

Can't say enough about H2GO Outdoors in Monroe and Mudfish Adventures for coming out despite the gloomy forecast and exhibiting at our event. H2GO has some exciting outdoors products and carries the BOTE and Crescent Kayaks. Mudfish makes the best casting short rods ever made!

And while attendance was down slightly from our last festival, we did end up signing 13 new members, the most at any one time in club history.  That brings our KFF membership up to 79 member families! 

We also made more than enough money to make a generous donation to The Food Bank of Central Louisiana.  More about the Festival will be discussed at our January general membership meeting on the 27th.

January 21st fly tying - Guides Choice Hares Ear

KFF monthly fly tying session
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
6:00pm - tying skills clinic
6:30pm - regular fly tying begins
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria

** Please note the Tuesday date, due to the holiday on Monday **

With rainbow trout stockings on the Little Mo, and rainbeaux trout stockings across Louisiana in LDWF community ponds, we thought another good trout fly might be worth knowing. 

The Guides Choice Hares Ear is great for both trout and bream. Like the original Hares Ear, it's buggy imitation mimics a number of aquatic insects. The addition of peacock herl and soft hackle adds to the attractive nature. It gets it's name because a number of prominent guides out west consider it one of the top five flies to have in their box!

For a video of tying this fly, click here.

As always, beginners are welcome!  Bring your tools, if none, the club has sets for use during these sessions. Materials are provided.   

Festival time is almost here!

Click on the image for full size

Cenla Fly Fishing & Light Tackle Festival
Saturday, January 18, 2020
9:00am to 4:00pm 
Kees Park, Pineville, LA
FREE admission!!

Every even-numbered year we hold our biennial Festival, a celebration of the light tackle lifestyle.  This event is a unique experience, vastly different from most outdoors shows.  With the Festival, it's all about education, instruction, and community.

We encourage attendees to come learn about a few new places to fish, how to fish them, how folks tie flies, or make jigs.  Cast a fly rod or a spinning rod.  Learn why kayaks are an economical and very effective way to fish.  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! Speaking of food, we'll have jambalaya cooked by one of our great "Bayou Chefs" for a nominal fee.

KFF members who wish to help the Events Committee as volunteers are encouraged to attend a volunteer meeting on Thursday, January 9th, at the Rapides Westside Library.  Time is 6:00pm.

For complete details, including schedule, list of fly tiers and jig makers, exhibitors, speakers, and much more, click on the "2020 Cenla Fest" menu above.

Happy New Year!

As we head into 2020, all the very best wishes for happiness, health and peace in the year to come. May all your piscatorial pursuits be fruitful, and the weather in your favor. 

With the new year comes many great club activities. Our 3rd annual Mixed Bag Contest kicks off today.  In a few weeks - January 18th -  we host our biennial Cenla Fly Fishing & Light Tackle Festival at Kees Park in Pineville.

Over the next several months we have a several trips planned, our annual Spring Picnic at Cotile Lake, continuation of the Casting Skills Challenge, and much more.

Also, many of our friends are holding events this coming year, including the Little Mo Fly Fishing Fest, the North Louisiana Fly Fishers Masters Series, and the FFI Gulf Coast Council's first-ever "Sweetwater Classic" fly fishing tournament and festival.  Our friends at Orvis in Baton Rouge and Pack & Paddle in Lafayette will also be hosting those fun fly fishing film events.

For all things happening in 2020 check out our Calendar page.