Six legislative bills you need to know - and take action!

Years ago, a candidate for state representative aired a commercial that was the talk of the town. A woman awakens from her sleep, startled, grabs a flashlight and in the dark, stealthly approaches a closed door. The narrator said something to the effect, "They're back. The scariest thing imaginable.". The woman opens the door and screams. On the other side of the door is a group of well-dressed folks moving from desk to desk. The narrator concludes, "The Louisiana Legislature!".

The announcer had it somewhat right. Anytime the Louisiana legislature is in session, horrifying things can happen. However, sometimes legislators do the right thing and offer solutions to problems.  That's why it's important you know what their bills are, and take action - for or against - to protect our interests.

Nearly two dozen fisheries bills have been filed for the 2026 Louisiana Legislative session.  Of course, the one bill getting the most attention among anglers and conservationists is SB186 by Senator Michael "Big Mike" Fesi. It would establish a quota of 315 million pounds on commercial menhaden harvest.  

The 315M pound limit is actually far below the quota limit that was suggested by the Fly Fishers International (FFI) Gulf Coast Council (GCC) and American Saltwater Guides Association (ASGA).  We fully expect this bill to be amended upward, but it will be heavily lobbied against by the industry regardless of the final number.

Here are the six most critical bills we feel need to followed closely and what action needs to be taken.

SB186   by Senator Michael Fesi. 
Limits the total commercial menhaden reduction fishing catch within Louisiana territorial waters to 315 million pounds.  SUPPORT.

HB855  by Representative Joseph Orgeron.  
Establishes depth requirements for the commercial use of purse seines to a  minimum of 22 feet.  At this depth and beyond, the bycatch of redfish by menhaden nets begins to decline.  SUPPORT.

SB249  by Senator Caleb Kleinpeter.   
Constitutional amendment to add two members to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, to increase LWFC from 7 members to 9 members.  We strongly SUPPORT this bill.  Having only 7 members where 3 represent commercial interests grossly unrepresents hunters, anglers and other outdoor interests.  It's also one of the smallest commission sizes of any state.  SUPPORT.

HB688  by Rep. Joseph Orgeron. 
Adds Atlantic tarpon to the definition of saltwater gamefish. Would allow the LA Wildlife and Fisheries Commission to set regulations for this valuable sportfish.  SUPPORT.

HCR5   by Rep. Joseph Orgeron.  
Amends Department of Wildlife and Fisheries rules regarding red drum harvest to create an exception to the maximum size prohibition. It authorizes the department to issue special permits for bull red harvest for certain limited tournaments.  While we understand the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo and a few others would like to continue the "weigh in" of big reds, we suggest what kayak tournaments do - a measuring board, a photo, and an app.  OPPOSE.

SB111   by Senator Caleb Kleinpeter.           
Proposes a minimum size limit of 14 inches and daily take limit of 5 for black bass and a minimum size limit of 8 inches and daily take limit of 25 for crappie within the Atchafalaya Basin and surrounding tributaries and distributaries.  These regulations are similiar to what Texas has and has proven to reduce dips in reproduction cycles for bass and crappie.  For that reason, we have long supported the same regulations for Piney Hills region of Louisiana which are near identical to the Piney Hills waters of east Texas.

However, after watching a presentation by Brac Salyers, LDWF Fisheries Biologist Manager for the Atchafalaya Basin, it's clear that the issues with Basin gamefish are much more related to difficult environmental conditions than due to overfishing.  Bottom line: stricter regulations would have little effect. 

Process and Action 

House Bill (HB) must first be introduced into the House Natural Resources Committee.  Approval by the HNCR assures a full vote on the House floor.  Likewise, Senate Bills (SB) must be first introduced into the Senate Natural Resources Committee.  That's why it's critical to contact the appropriate Committee members first and let them know your position.

Members of the House Natural Resources Committee  (HB bills)
https://house.louisiana.gov/H_Cmtes/NaturalResources

Members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee  (SB bills)
https://senate.la.gov/Sen_Committees/NaturalResources  

Red Stick Day this Saturday

31st annual Red Stick Day
Saturday, March 7th, 2026
8:30am to 3:00pm
LDWF Waddill Outdoor Education Center
4141 North Flannery Rd, Baton Rouge, LA
FREE admission!

RSD is one of the longest-running fly fishing festivals in the South. There’s seminars by local and regional experts, fly tying demos by several of the top fly tiers on the northern Gulf Coast, casting instruction from FFI certified instructors, great food prepared by an award-winning jambalaya cook, loads of raffle items, and more. And best of all, admission is free!

The ponds on the premises at the Waddill Education Center are full of bass and bluegill. In addition, No Wake Outfitters in Metairie will be on hand with various rods for folks to demo cast.  

Details about the event, including speaker and tier bios, schedule of activities, and more can be found by clicking on the “Red Stick Day” at the Red Stick Fly Fishers website at www.rsff.org.

The spawn is on!

Around here in the Cenla area, the water temperatures have been close to the spawning range for bass.  And with a full moon coming up, everyone is getting their boat or kayak ready and anxious to hit the water.  Problem has been very windy conditions for the past week.  In fact, yesterday the wind was so strong, the Weather Channel gave it a name!

And then, just like that... calm!  And the result for me was the best bass fishing of the year so far. Took the canoe out and found the girls on the banks and eating olive Boogle Bugs. These bugs imitate small frogs which, here on the home lake, are seemingly everywhere right now. 

 

The only thing more exciting than watching a popper get consumed by a bass is watching that bass jump a few times after it gets hooked.  Yeah, maybe watching a redfish eat your fly is exciting too. But like white men, redfish can't jump, so there's that.

 

After landing several baskeens in the 13 to 15 inch range, I finally hooked into the big girl I was looking for. She came out the water entirely... not once, twice, but three times. The third time she spit the fly. Disappointing for my efforts to put a big bass into the Kisatchie Fly Fishers "Big Catch" and Red Stick Fly Fishers "Big Stick" contests. But there can never be too much disappointment when it comes to such a spectacular display! 

 

Incidently, all bass were released. These fish are in the process of creating a new supply for anglers to enjoy. Release them now and keep them later after the spawn (if you wish).

Learn fly fishing basics at these upcoming clinics

Fly fishing is a great hobby, but the learning phase can be somewhat lengthy if you don't have instruction to help guide you through the tackle, terminology, and most important, the casting basics. That's where fly fishing clinics can get beginners on the fast track.

With the closing of the Orvis store in Baton Rouge, which provided several clinics through the year, the options for those seeking a comprehensive course are fewer.  But at least two hands-on workshops are available coming in February - and both are free! 

Acadiana Fly Fishing 101 - Feb. 21

The Acadiana Fly Rodders of Lafayette will host  a "Fly Fishing 101" on Saturday, February 21st at the East Regional Lafayette Parish Library in Youngsville.  Time is 10:00am to 1:00pm. 
There is no cost, but pre-registration is required.

The agenda includes fly fishing overview, hands-on casting instruction led by FFI-Certified Instructors, hands-on knots and leaders, discussion of equipment and accessories needed for fresh and marsh fishing. For complete details or to register, go to www.acadianaflyrodders.org and click on "Fly Fish 101".
  
Cenla Fly Fishing 101 - Feb. 28

The Kisatchie Fly Fishers will host their annual "Fly Fishing 101" on Saturday, February 28th at Booker-Fowler Hatchery on Joan Stokes Rd in Forest Hill. Time is 8:30am to 12:30pm. There is no cost, but pre-registration is required.

The agenda includes fly fishing overview and terminology, hands-on casting led by FFI-Certified Instructors, hands-on knots and leaders, discussion of equipment and accessories needed for fresh and inshore saltwater fishing, and different types of flies for various fish.  For complete details or to register, go to www.kisatchiefly.org and click on "FF101".

Its rainbeaux trout time!

Every winter, rainbow trout are stocked in numerous public lakes and ponds across Louisiana, either by parish agencies or as part of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries "Get Out and Fish" community fishing program.

The first stockings began before Christmas, by East Baton Rouge Parish Recreation (BREC) in their parish lakes, along with Ascension Parish at Lamar Dixon.  Later in January, LDWF will stock ponds statewide.  A list of locations and dates is on the graphic to the left.  Click on the image to view an enlarged version.

The trout are stocked as put-and-take, with a daily limit of either four (4) or five (5).  In conjunction with their stockings, LDWF holds fishing tournaments at most of their community lakes, while BREC has a tagged fish contest.

Louisiana joins over 30 other states that have wintertime stockings of the popular coldwater species in small lakes and ponds where bank anglers have easy access. It provides a very active fishery at a time when warmwater species are fairly dormant. Whatever trout survive harvesting will likely die sometime in late March or early April when the water temperatures get too warm.

Fly anglers across the state, regardless of skill level, can be found at these ponds once the rainbeaux trout arrive. While corn, marshmallows, powerbait and other "commie tackle" might work best, once the trout become acclimated to the food life of the pond, they soon revert to those bugs. Advantage fly fishers!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Here's wishing everyone a merry and most blessed Christmas.  Hope Santa brings that one fishing gift you really need... a new fly rod, a new fly line, or perhaps a ruler to measure those 24-inch speckled trout you claim to catch!

While Christmas is a season of festivity, let's not forget the reason for the season: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us….” John 1:14. Please be giving to those in need, and pray for those who are less fortunate, for those in suffering, and for those away from their families this season.

We also wish everyone a prosperous and healthy New Year.  With the new year we hope to see a continuance of excellent marsh fishing as we've had the past couple  of months, and the restart of great freshwater fishing, beginning with crappie and chain pickerel.

Final days of Orvis Baton Rouge

Back in October, Orvis announced it was closing 36 retail locations across the country as part of a strategic shift to focus more on fly fishing and wingshooting. Among the reasons given by Orvis President Simon Perkins were "a need to focus on core products" and a difficult, "unprecented tariff landscape".

Before I get to that last statement, let's talk about the one concern on everyone's minds: the announcement that the Orvis store in Baton Rouge was on the hit list. It's set to permanently close on December 24th.  If you get a chance, go by the store and thank Matt and John for all they've done for the local flyfishing community.

To say many of us are disappointed would be the understatement of the new millennium. The store opened in November, 2008, to much fanfare. It's been the hub of fly fishing activity in south-central Louisiana ever since. Orvis-BR has held numerous special events, from film festivals to guest speakers to "Conservation Days" and much more. Their Fly Fishing 101 and Fly Tying 101 classes have introduced a few hundred anglers to the sport and the art of tying. 

There's a personal connection as well. My older son, Kevin, was one of the store's first fishing managers. During his short stint (8 months), he taught a couple dozen folks how to fly cast. Since him, the list of Managers and Fishing Managers includes a renown group of fly anglers, from Capt. Bailey Short to Ian Huang to Alex Beane and others. 

It's going to be a tough loss for sure. While Bass Pro and Cabelas will still sell some fly fishing gear and fly tying material, there's no comparison when it comes to knowledge, customer service and quality of product.

Now to get to the other part of this post: the aftermath. As you might expect, social media blew up when the announcement was made. And as always, the Facebook fact checkers were missing in action.

First, Orvis cutting back stores is not "another sign" that fly fishing is on the decline. In fact, since 2010, fly fishing participation has grown on average of 2% per year. We now have the most fly anglers in America since surveys began in the 1970s. If the industry is in decline, it's not surprising. As I've said a hundred times - and I'll say a hundred times more: most of the folks running fly fishing companies - and individuals in the industry - aren't qualified to run a lemonade stand!

Second, many folks are buying into this nonsense that tariffs are the culprit for Orvis discontinuing most of their clothing line.  Unless the clothes are made in China, tariffs haven't been that high - they certainly haven't devastated the rest of the apparel industry. Besides, margins in apparel are so high in most cases that the impact is minor.  Perhaps the reason is that the 1950s called Orvis and wanted their clothing back. Really. When was the last time you walked into an Orvis store and said, "Wow, that looks so fashionable - and so affordable!". 

Anywho, Kevin says Orvis is making a huge mistake getting out of the clothing line instead of renovating and expanding the line. "Clothes have a life cycle... fly rods with lifetime warranties don't.".  We shall see.  

In the meantime, No Wake Outfitters in Metairie and Pack & Paddle in Lafayette will remain the alternatives for fly anglers eager for a customer-focused experience.  

2026 Calendar reminder

It's that time of the year again.  Christmas, Hanukkah - and our annual request for calendar submissions. We collect submissions for several online calendars, newspapers and even a magazine or two. Deadline is December 21st for some publications, but for this website any time is good. 

If you know of a fly fishing event taking place next year, please check the LAFlyFish.com Calendar page and see if it's posted and the information is correct. If the event is missing, or info is incorrect, please email me at catch@laflyfish.com.

2026 is turning out to be an odd year as several events across the South had to be cancelled or postponed for a variety of reasons. That includes the very popular Atlanta Fly Fishing Show. So the list is small, but not insignificant!

Here are some regional events through July:

Jan. 24 - Cenla Fly Fishing Festival, Kees Park Civic Center, Pineville, LA. Free admission. This biennial event is hosted by the Kisatchie Fly Fishers in even years. Features fly tying, casting instruction, seminars, raffles, and more. www.kisatchiefly.org .

Feb. 6-7 - ALTO Little Mo Home Waters Celebration, Municipal Building, 204 E. Main Street, Murfreesboro, AR. No cost. Hosted by the ArkLaTexOma Fly Tyers, this is a weekend of tying, casting, seminars, vendors, raffles. For details, go to www.arklatexomaflytyers.com .

Mar. 7 - Red Stick Day, 4141 North Flannery, Baton Rouge, LA.  Free admission. The Red Stick Fly Fishers host the longest-running fly fishing event in Louisiana, featuring fly tying, casting, seminars, great food, and on-the-water activities including fishing on premises. www.rsff.org .

Mar. 26-28 - Sowbug Roundup, Mountain Home, AR. Hosted by the North Arkansas Fly Fishers, this is largest fly tying event in the nation, with as many as 140 tiers from across the country and even other countries at one time. There's also free introductory classes, and free beginner fly casting lessons. www.naff.org.

May 1-2 - Gulf Coast Classic, Gulf Shores State Park Learning Campus, AL. Admission $15 per day, discounts for family, some workshops are an extra fee. Hosted by the FFI Gulf Coast Council, this event features some of the nation's top fly tiers and casting and fishing experts, a film festival, a "mixed bag" fishing contest, raffles, and much more. For details, go to www.ffigulfcoastclassic.org.

Also, some clubs will be holding "Fly Fishing 101" for beginners. Again, check the calendar for dates and locations.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This day means many things to many different people. For most, it's a day of feasting with friends and family. Here in Louisiana, the dinner table will be adorned with turkey, roast, venison, duck or other hearty meat slowly cooked, along with Cajun favorites like sweet potatoes and corn machcoux. There's a good chance that the bird of choice is stuffed  with crawfish or shrimp.  I'm getting hungry just typing this, lol!

Here in the Cormier household, while we do enjoy our feasting and football, we still recognize Thanksgiving as a day to give thanks for all the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us. We're thankful for all the woods, waters and wildlife we have here in the Sportsmans Paradise. And for the numerous friends we've made through our love of outdoors.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!