And please 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!
For complete details, including schedule, list of fly tiers and jig makers, exhibitors, speakers, and much more, click on the "2024 Fest" menu above.
Our final club meeting of the year will feature guest speaker Lindsey Adams, biologist with the National Fish Hatchery in Natchitoches. Lindsey has worked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife since 2015, with a specialty in freshwater mussels.
Lindsey will give a brief overview of the current operations at the Hatchery, then discuss the Louisiana Pearlshell Mussels. Mussels and clams are of great importance to our fisheries, and Lindsey will explain reasons why and projects NFH-N are undertaking for the recovery of a native species to Rapides and Grant parishes.
Also on the agenda: Keith Breazeale will give details on the December 4th Christmas Party, and Catch Cormier will update us on the Cenla Fly Fishing Festival on Jan. 20th.
As always, the public is welcome. For Zoom connection, email Mike or Bill for meeting number and password. For the KFF YouTube Channel, use this link and go to Live videos - http://bit.ly/3oBk106
KFF monthly fly tying session
* Monday, November 6, 2023
6:30 pm
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
* Please note that this month's tying session is on the 1st Monday instead of 2nd Monday, due to the Veterans Day holiday
For our last tying session of 2023, Chris Williams will be on hand to lead us in tying the Glades Minnow. This fly was created by Mike Connor, former south Florida guide and Conservation Editor of Florida Sportsman magazine. According to Chris, this pattern imitates the abundant Mosquito Fish & Mollies that call the tanic waters of the Everglades home. These minute craft fur streamers are a quick and effective tie for targeting largemouth, snook, peacock bass, redfish and many other Florida (and Louisiana) species.
Chris will be making the 3 hour trip to join us in person. He is an excellent tier and instructor and always a wealth of tying knowledge. Please join us to welcome Chris!
Newcomers are welcome to participate or watch. As always, all materials other than thread will be provided, and we have several sets of tools for any who do not have their own.
As always, we broadcast the sessions live via Zoom for those who cannot attend. The livestream will be posted to the Kisatchie Fly Fishers YouTube channel. If you would like to join the Zoom but do not have the link, please email Bill Morrison.
* Please note that our October tying session is on the 3rd Monday instead of 2nd Monday, since the latter is a holiday
This month's fly is the Redfish Crack, created by Andy Packmore of Houston, and then popularized by Port O' Connor fishing guide, Capt. Scott Null. It's gone through several iterations, and there are numerous variations, so it's more of a style than an exact pattern. Regardless, the Redfish Crack uses a variety of synthetic materials to create a impressionitic form of shrimp or other crustacean that rides hook up.
Newcomers are welcome to participate or watch. As always, all materials other than thread will be provided, and we have several sets of tools for any who do not have their own.
As always, we broadcast the sessions live via Zoom for those who cannot attend. The livestream will be posted to the Kisatchie Fly Fishers YouTube channel. If you would like to join the Zoom but do not have the link, please email Bill Morrison.
As always, all materials other than thread will be provided, and we have several sets of tools for any who do not have their own. This fly uses 140 denier thread in white, red, olive, or purple depending on your color choice of feathers. Of course, black always works.
As always, we broadcast the sessions live via Zoom for those who cannot attend. The livestream will be posted to the Kisatchie Fly Fishers YouTube channel. If you would like to join the Zoom but do not have the link, please email Bill Morrison.
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube
* fly casting prior to meeting starting at 5:30pm
This month we'll have a guest speaker, Darin Lee, of the Acadiana Fly Rodders. His presentation will focus on fishing Poverty Point Reservoir State Park. A little over 2 hours from Alexandria, this lake offers some great fishing opportunities for a wide variety of warmwater species.
Topics will include lodging on the water, boat and kayak access, good areas to fish, various types of gear and flies to use. Mike Carlin attended this presentation at an AFR meeting and describes it as useful to just about any warmwater fishing situation. Darin is an excellent speaker, instructor and fly tier.
As always, the public is welcome. For Zoom connection, email Mike or Bill for meeting number and password. For the KFF YouTube Channel, use this link and go to Live videos - http://bit.ly/3oBk106
As always, the public is welcome. For Zoom connection, email Mike or Bill for meeting number and password. For the KFF YouTube Channel, use this link and go to Live videos - http://bit.ly/3oBk106
6:30 pm - tying session begins
5:30 pm - casting outside, weather permitting
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube
This month, Chris Williams will be on hand to tie the Extended Body Hopper. This fly is very interesting as it uses a needle to extend the body of a terrestrial fly. There are several variations of this fly, here is a video of one by renown tier Jerry Coviello as shown in the photo above. CLICK HERE. Like the variation we will tie, it uses a needle for the extension.
This extended body technique will be new to many of our tiers. So come out and learn another method of enhancing the flies you tie! As always, materials other than thread will be provided and we have several sets of tools for any who do not have their own.
As always, we broadcast the sessions live via Zoom and YouTube for those who cannot attend. The YouTube sessions remain for future reference on the Kisatchie Fly Fishers YT channel. If you would like to join the Zoom but do not have the link, please email Bill Morrison.
KFF general meeting
Monday, July 3rd, 2023
6:30pm
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube
* fly casting prior to meeting starting at 5:30pm
This meeting was postponed from the June 26th date because of the LSU-Florida College World Series final game... which our Tigers won in grand fashion! Congrats to the 2023 National College Baseball Champion Tigers! We will still have the regular July tying and general meetings on July 10th and July 24th respectively.
KFF monthly general meeting
Monday, May 22, 2023
6:30pm
Rapides Westside Library, 5416 Provine, Alexandria
Also livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube
* fly casting prior to meeting starting at 5:30pm
Our speaker for this month had to cancel his presentation due to a health issue. So instead we'll have the usual presentation of reports followed by a short summary of the recent "Gulf Coast Classic" put on by the FFI Gulf Coast Council in Gulf Shores. That will be followed by an "Open Fly Tying Session". We'll have materials for several flies, as well as equipment for those without tools.
As always, the public is welcome. For Zoom connection, email Mike or Bill for meeting number and password. For the KFF YouTube Channel, use this link and go to Live videos - http://bit.ly/3oBk106
In addition to tying the fly, Catch will share a few stories of his encounters with Dave Whitlock over a 30 year span.
As always, all materials other than thread will be provided, and we will have several sets of tools for any who do not have their own. For thread, we recommend 6/0 thread in either orange, brown, rust or even red. Again, almost any color or size will work - fish don't mind!
Materials:
In this variation, we'll be using a Saber 7230 size 12, a black finish barbless hook. Unlike the TMC 5262, this is a 1x long hook rather than 2x long. Catch says this variation that has had great success for trout in north Arkansas as well as slightly more appeal to sunfish.
As always, we broadcast the sessions via Zoom for those who cannot attend, and record the session on YouTube for future reference. If you would like to join the Zoom but do not have the Zoom numbers, please email Bill Morrison. The recording will be posted to the Kisatchie Fly Fishers YouTube channel.
CLICK HERE to signup!
Postponed from March due to weather, our annual Spring Picnic will take place April 24th in lieu of our regular monthly meeting. Location is the Cotile Lake Recreation Area. Kisatchie members, family members and member guests are welcome to attend! Come anytime that afternoon and fish from the bank. Or bring your boat, kayak, pirogue, and launch at the Rec Area. Or take in some casting lessons and/or participate in our Casting Skills Program. Then at 6:30pm, we'll start gathering at Pavilion #2 (the open pavilion overlooking the lake) and share fishing stories while enjoying grilled burgers and hot dogs.
Participants are welcome to bring side dishes and desserts. Please respond to the "Spring Picnic" email regarding side items.
Please note the following:
If you plan to attend, please CLICK HERE to signup. Please signup if you plan to attend so we'll know how much food to bring.
* fly casting prior to meeting starting at 5:30pm
This month in lieu of one prime presentation, we'll have a trio of brief presentations, each about 15 minutes long:
Also, details about our annual Cenla Fly Fishing 101, the club's Spring Picnic in April, and fishing reports.
Our annual Spring Picnic has been postponed due to weather (cold, rainy, windy)! The new picnic date will be April 24th, the regular meeting date for that month. One thing is certain - it will be warmer. If not, climate change is here and we're all in trouble!
If you have already registered for the picnic, and can make the new date, your registration will be retained. If not, please email catch@laflyfish.com and your entry will be removed.
We will now have a March general meeting on our regular date. That's March 27th (4th Monday). Location at Westside Library. Time 6:30pm. Program details to be posted in a few days.
From Tying Chair Bill Morrison:
For our March tying, I will lead us in tying the March Brown Flymph in #14 (see attached picture). It is a leggy soft hackle that is unweighted and rides just below the surface or a little deeper with a slow retrieve. It’s simple to tie and uses only two materials other than hook and thread. The pattern is from Morgan Lyle’s current book, Simple Flies (a great book if you don’t have it). However, it was created, along with other flymph patterns, by Pete Hidy in the early 1950’s, and the term flymph is a combination of “fly” and “nymph.” Flymphs are basically emergers before they were called emergers.
The March Brown color comes at just the right time for those who are headed to the Little Missouri the end of this month for the annual club March Brown trip. This brown dubbing is similar to Jeff Guerin’s March Brown color that he developed specifically for the Lil Mo. But, the great thing about these buggy soft hackles is that they are so versatile. They work equally as well for bluegill and panfish in our warm water fisheries as they do for trout. Add a little lead wire or a bead and they can be fished in deeper water. All around, a very versatile, basic soft hackle pattern.
As always, all materials other than thread will be provided, and we will have several sets of tools for any who do not have their own. And if you have never tied, we can pair you with someone who can help. The fly uses red 70 denier or 8/0 thread. If you don’t have red, we will have several spools, but almost any color or size will work.
Materials:
Important News!
As always, we broadcast the sessions via Zoom for those who cannot attend, and record the session on YouTube for future reference. If you would like to join the Zoom but do not have the Zoom numbers, please email Bill Morrison. The YouTube livestream and recording will be posted to the Kisatchie Fly Fishers YouTube channel.
The club has invested in new audio/video equipment for our meeting and tying sessions. Based on our testing, the quality of our Zoom - and especially YouTube - will be greatly improved! Also, our post processed tying videos (usually 30 minutes) have been getting about 10 times as many views as the full length sessions (usually 45 to 90 minutes). So we may be post processing all of our tying videos from now on. Many thanks to Tim Flagler of Tightline Videos for his help and recommendations!
We will continue to broadcast the sessions via Zoom and YouTube Live for those who cannot attend, and we will record the session for future reference. If you would like to join the Zoom but do not have the Zoom numbers, please email Bill Morrison. The YouTube livestream and recording will be posted to the Kisatchie Fly Fishers YouTube channel.
As always, the public is welcome. For Zoom connection, email Mike or Bill for meeting number and password. For the KFF YouTube Channel, use this link and go to Live videos - http://bit.ly/3oBk106
