Cenla Fly Fishing Festival
Saturday, January 20, 2024
8:30am - 3:30pm
Kees Park Civic Center
2450 Hwy 28 E, Pineville, LA
FREE admission!
Special guests: Duane Hada, Todd Fore
Hosted by the Kisatchie Fly Fishers, this biennial festival - held in even years - is a celebration of fly fishing and kayak fishing. Unlike typical outdoor shows, our event is focused on instruction, education, and community.
The Cenla Fest brings anglers of similiar interests together
to exchange their expertise, share fishing stories, and educate the public about fishing and conservation. It's family friendly and free to the
public.
Activities include:
- Seminars
- Fly tying demonstrations
- Fly casting clinics
- Beginners instruction
- Kayak rigging
- Exhibitors
- Raffles
- and more!
See the Schedule below for more details!
GOOGLE MAP LOCATION - CLICK HERE!
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Event Details
Fly tying begins at 9:00am and continues until 3:00pm. Many of the
region's top fly tiers will be on hand tying flies for bream, bass,
trout, and redfish. See the list below (keep checking back as our list grows each day).
Also among the tiers will be jig tiers crafting lures that are effective for the area's "white perch".
Seminars covering a variety of fishing topics will be presented by local
and regional experts. Seminars start at 9:30am and continue through the
day.
Need to improve your fly casting skills? Jeff Ferguson - one of the nation's top fly casting instructors - will be on hand giving casting presentations and casting
coaching. Jeff is an award-winning casting instructor, certified Master Level by the Fly Fishers International. We'll also have two FFI Certified instructors on hand to help with beginners and intermediate instruction.
Lunch (pastalaya) and choice of lemonade or tea will be available for a nominal cost. Bottled water will be available free during the day. Canned soft drinks will be $1.
There's also a raffle, a silent auction and a Gamblers Draw. Items include tackle, flies, lures, accessories, homemade goods, and many other
items. Net proceeds to benefit The Food Bank of Central Louisiana.
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Special Guests
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Duane Hada is a nationally acclaimed wildlife artist and considered one of the South’s foremost authorities on stream smallmouth fishing, Duane has spent a lifetime honing his craft. Among many accolades and accomplishments, Duane is an Umpqua royalty tier for his Hada Creek Crawler and he is a 2022 inductee into the Arkansas Game and Fish Outdoor Hall of Fame for his work in the conservation of smallmouth bass and his work with faith-based outdoors mentoring program Cross Trail Outfitters. Duane is also the co-founder of The Smallmouth Tour, a traveling smallmouth clinic that gives the most in-depth study into chasing bass on the fly you will find throughout the Ozarks region. |
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Tadd Fore is a fly fishing guide for both smallmouth bass and White River trout as owner of Ozark Waters Fly Fishing. After a stint guiding in western Colorado, Tadd moved home to his first love - chasing smallies on the fly. He is a sought-after guide who loves nothing more than targeting trophy smallmouth bass in small Ozark streams. Tadd has worked closely with Duane over the last decade to fine-tune his craft and, along with Duane, is the co-founder of The Smallmouth Tour. Giving presentations throughout the South, Tadd has also had work featured in media like The Ozark Podcast, the Dally’s Ozark Fly Fisher Journal, and cameos in Southern Culture on the Fly Magazine and Undammed: A Buffalo River Adventure, a film celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Buffalo National River. |
Other Presenters
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Jeff Ferguson is Casting Director for the FFI Gulf Coast Council, has served on the FFI Casting Board of Governors, is a Master Certified Casting Instructor (MCI) and a Level-2 Examinar, as well as a member of the FFI North American Events Committee and the FFI Awards Committee. Jeff himself has been the recipient of various awards, including the prestigious Mel Krieger Casting Award. He has been a fixture at club events, regional events, and several national events. He’s helped organize the largest casting certification event in U.S. history, and conducts casting clinics at all levels from beginning to advanced. Jeff is a member of both the Acadiana Fly Rodders and the Kisatchie Fly Fishers. |
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Bill Morrison is Vice-President of Kisatchie Fly Fishers, and a highly accomplished angler and fly tyer. He also directs the club's annual Mixed Bag Contest where the goal is to catch a diversity of species. He is an FFI Certified Casting Instructor, and has taught numerous folks to fly cast, and directs the club's annual Fly Fishing 101. He has produced numerous fly tying videos, having learned production skills from legendary Tim Flagler. Bill has been honored by the Fly Fishers International for their Fly Fishing Skills Education Award, and the FFI Gulf Coast Council for Education Excellence. |
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Robert Hughes is a board member of the Kisatchie Fly Fishers, and a highly accomplished fly angler. He's routinely fishes from the Pacific Northwest to the Louisiana marshes, and elsewhere. One of his favorite fishing spots is the Little Missouri River in southwest Arkansas, for rainbow trout. Robert both wades and boat fishes from his skiff. He and Bill Morrison will be presenting on how they rig their skiffs for different types of fishing. |
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Fly Tiers & Lure Creators
We are delighted to have some of the top regional fly tiers and lure craftsmen on hand to demonstrate their craftsmanship.
Each will be tying their own creations as well as their personal favorites throughout the day.
The following is a list of committed tier so far. Keep checking back for updates.
| Kevin "Musicdoc" Andry | Baton Rouge, LA |
| Chris Arbelle | Covington, LA |
| Matt Bennett | Deridder, LA |
| Ray Boudreaux | New Iberia, LA |
| Ron Braud | Prairieville, LA |
| Kenneth Breaux | Dequincy, LA |
| Ted Cabali | River Ridge, LA |
| Bill de Castro | New Orleans, LA |
| Mac Colvin | New Orleans, LA |
| Kirk Dietrich | Kenner, LA |
| Ron Foreman | Lake Charles, LA |
| Jamie Franklin | Dubberly, LA |
| Tina Franklin | Dubberly, LA |
| Merv Herbert | Flora, TN |
| Jimmy Hyatt | New Orleans, LA |
| Jim Johnson | Lecompte, LA |
| Larry Offner | Denham Springs, LA |
| Steve Oliver | Shreveport, LA |
| Lance Renoux | Lockport, LA |
| A.J. Rosenbohm | River Ridge, LA |
| Flip Siragusa | Lafayette, LA |
| Wayne Schnell | New Orleans, LA |
| Bill White | Lake Charles, LA |
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Schedule9:00 am - Fly Tying & Exhibitors - Main Room
9:30 am - Fly Fishing Basics - Meeting Room
10:30 am - Ozark Smallmouth - Meeting Room
11:30 am - Lunch ($) includes pastalaya, lemonade or tea.
1:00 pm - North Arkansas tailwater trout - Meeting Room
1:00 pm - Advanced Fly Casting Skills - Outdoors
3:30 pm - Adieu and see ya'll in 2026!
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Exhibitors:
| No Wake Outfitters Metairie, LA www.nowakeoutfitters.com  |
Rivertown Gallery Mountain Home, AR www.rivertowngallery.com  |
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| Jim Johnson Photography Lecompte, LA www.jimejohnsonphotos.com  |
2 Sisters 4 Christ Deville, LA kathylynne1960@gmail.com  | |
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If you wish to exhibit or tie flies, email Glen Cormier at catch@laflyfish.com
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