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!