What's happening this week 7/30

On Tuesday, the Acadiana Fly Rodders hold their monthly meeting at Grace Presbyterian Church on 415 Roselawn in Lafayette. Time is 6:30pm. Guests are welcome. On Wednesday, the Pontchartrain Basin Fly Fishers holds their monthly general meeting at Abita Brew Pub on 72011 Holly Street in Abita Springs. Time is 6:00pm. Guests are welcome. For more info, go to www.pbasinflyfishers.blogspot.com. On Saturday, Orvis of Baton Rouge will hold an "Advanced Casting Course". There are three (3) two-hour sessions: 11:00am, 2:00pm, and 4:00pm. Each session has a limited class size so pre-registration is required. There is NO cost for each session. The class will focus on improving basic casting skills to the next level. To register, call 225-757-7286. Also on Saturday, the Backpacker of Baton Rouge will hold a free "Paddle Demo Day" at BREC's Wampold Park on Stanford Avenue adjacent to University Lake. Time is 10:00am to 2:00pm. Models include Hobie, Wilderness, Perception, Mad River, YOLO, and others. In case of inclimate weather, check their Facebook page to confirm, or call 225-925-2667.

The August issue of Louisiana Sportsman

Louisiana Sportsman magazine, August edition, is now available in sporting goods and convenience stores across the state and parts of southern Mississippi. For fly anglers, there's a rare double treat this month. In addition to my Fly Lines column, Jerald Horst has an article, "Poppin' Bugs for Bream". Jerald features Northshore fly angler Todd Schultz who enjoys casting small hard-bodied poppers and foam spiders in Bayou Castine and other northshore waters. The Fly Lines column - "Mission Accomplished" - is all about the first active saltwater fly fishing tournament in Louisiana in 8 years, this past June's "Fly Fishin' for the Mission" tournament held out of Pointe-aux-Chenes. In his "Paddles N' Puddles" column, Chris Holmes tells us why the life you save might be your own when wearing a personal floatation device (PFD). Chris gives several options for PFDs depending on season and kayak use. In his "Creature Feature" column, Jerald Horst tells us why "Tripletails are triple threats". The "Seafood Bible" column features crawfish and crabmeat pasta and Tiger Salad. Feature articles include: "Sight fishing for Marsh Reds" by David Brown on taking reds in skinny water; "Night Moves" by Jerald Horst on night fishing for bass; and several more. As usual, there's Newsbreakers, solunar tables, tidal charts, and regional hotspots for August.

The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide revised

One of the best new books at IFTD was "The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide" by Tom Rosenbauer. You're probably saying, "This isn't a new book". You're correct - it's the first revision in 10 years. Fly fishing is a dynamic sport. Much has changed since Dame Juliana Berners wrote the definitive book on our sport in 1496. But there have probably been more changes in our sport in the last decade than any decade previously and a lot of that has come from a combination of the internet, competitive angling, the rise of kayak fishing, and rod technology. The book is well illustrated, and includes sections on tackle selection, casting and presentation, flies and techniques for various fresh and saltwater species. The 408-page book is available thru the Orvis store in Baton Rouge and sells for $24.95.

What's happening this week 7/23

On Monday, the Red Stick Fly Fishers hold their monthly fly tying session at Cabelas in Gonzales. Time is 7:00pm. Beginners and public invited. Bring your tools, if none, the club has sets for use during these sessions. Materials are provided. For more info, go to www.rsff.org. Also on Monday, the Kisatchie Fly Fishers hold their monthly general meeting at the Rapides Westside Library in Alexandria. Time is 6:30pm. This month, Catch Cormier will do a presentation "New Products for 2018" relative to fly fishing and kayak fishing from the recent Fly Tackle Dealer / ICAST trade show in Orlando. The public is invited. For more info, go to www.kisatchiefly.org. On Tuesday, the Bass Pro Shops in Denham Springs will hold their monthly fly tying clinic. Time is 6:00pm. Please bring your tying tools. If none, a few sets available for use during the session. Materials provided. On Thursday, the New Orleans Fly Fishers hold their monthly meeting at Lakeshore Marina and Fuel across the lot from Blue Crab restaurant. Time is 7:00pm. Guests are welcome. On Saturday, the Orvis store in Baton Rouge will hold another of their "Fly Fishing 101" sessions. Time is 8:00am to 10:30am. There is no cost. FF101 is a free one-day, 2-hour clinic designed to introduce the basics of fly fishing and fly casting. For more info or to register, call 225-757-7286. Also on Saturday, the Kisatchie Fly Fishers will hold their annual Summer Workshop at the LDWF Woodworth Education Center in Woodworth. Time is 8:30am to 1:00pm. For more info, go to www.kisatchiefly.org.

Kudos to the North Louisiana Fly Fishers!

Yesterday the North Louisiana Fly Fishers held their annual "Masters Series" event at the Red River National Wildlife Refuge in Bossier City. Approximately 60 folks showed up to listen to George Daniel, 2-time National Fly Fishing Champion and author of books on nymphing and streamers. George started with an excellent casting seminar before the heat set in. He followed up with a couple of slide presentations on his specialty areas. Then finished with a tying demonstration in which he tied five easy-to-tie but very effective nymph patterns. Congrats to Rex White who won a Cabelas CZN rod the club was raffling off for the event. According to organizers Scott Irwin and Tom Bullock, the 2018 Masters Series is already in discussion and a few names are being considered

National Hunting and Fishing Day in planning stage

National Hunting and Fishing Day is September 23rd. Although it's still two months away, planning has begun for Louisiana's celebration of this national event. Established by Congress in 1971, NHF Day - always the fourth Saturday in September - recognizes the many contributions that hunters, anglers and other wildlife enthusiasts have made towards sustainable use of fish and game, and towards conservation of waterways, forests, and other natural resources. In Louisiana, NHF Day is celebrated at four venues in Baton Rouge, Woodworth, Minden and Monroe, with average attendance nearly 10,000. Each venue has a wide range of activities and exhibitors. Fly fishing and kayaking are popular at the Baton Rouge, Woodworth, and Bodcau events thanks to the participation of local fly fishing and kayak fishing clubs.

What's happening this week 7/16

On Monday, the Kisatchie Fly Fishers hold their monthly fly tying session at the Rapides Westside Library in Alexandria. Time is 6:30pm. Beginners are welcome. On Tuesday, the Contraband Fly Casters will hold their monthly meeting at St Paul's Lutheran Center on East Prien Lake Road in Lake Charles. Fly tying and discussion at 6:00pm, meeting at 7:00pm. Among items on the agenda is next month's Contraband Fly Fishing Expo. Guests are welcome. Also on Tuesday, the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club will hold their monthly meeting at Pack and Paddle on 601 East Pinhook Road. Time is 6:00pm. Among the items on the agenda is this weekend's LA1 Slamboree. Guests are welcome! On Thursday, the North Louisiana Fly Fishers hold their monthly workshop at the Bass Pro Shops in Bossier City. Time is 6:00pm. Jerald Lewis will be leading the group in tying a Slow Sinking Spider. Beginners are welcome. Also on Thursday, the New Orleans Fly Fishers will hold the 2nd of their twice-monthly fly tying sessions at St. Francis Xavier Hall on 444 Metairie Road. Time is 7:00pm. Beginners are welcome. Bring your tools, if none, the club has a few sets for use during these sessions. Materials are provided. Starting Friday, and continuing thru Sunday, it's the Louisiana Sportsman Show - New Orleans edition. The state's largest and longest-running outdoors show has added a second venue. In addition to the March venue at Lamar-Dixon in Gonzales, the second show returns to it's roots at the New Orleans Convention Center. Times are 2:00pm to 9:00pm Friday, 9:00am to 9:00pm Saturday, and 10:00am to 6:00pm on Sunday. Numerous exhibitors and seminars. For complete details, go to www.louisianasportsmanshow.com. On Saturday, it's the 5th annual North Louisiana Fly Fishers Masters Series. More on that later. Also on Saturday, the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club will hold their annual "Highway 1 Slamboree" out of the Leeville Public Launch. Entry fee is $35. Categories include Cajun Slam (slot red, speck, flounder 12" or longer), and Leopard Red. For more info, go to www.lafayettekayakfishing.com. Also on Saturday, the Orvis store in Baton Rouge will hold a "Fly Fishing 101" clinic. Time is 8:00am to 10:30am. FF101 is a free, one-day course designed to introduce the basics of fly fishing and fly casting. Class size is limited, so pre-registration is requested. To register, call 225-757-7298.

5th annual Masters Series this Saturday

Hosted by the North Louisiana Fly Fishers, the "Masters Series" is an annual seminar which brings in one of the biggest names in our sport to share their knowledge and expertise. This year's event will be held at the Red River National Wildlife Refuge off Sunflower Road in Bossier City. Time is 9:00am to 4:00pm. Tickets are $40 and include presentation, lunch and refreshments. Seats are limited. As of this writing, only a few tickets were still available. This year's special guest is George Daniel, author of "Dynamic Nymphing" and 7-time member of the USA Fly Fishing Team. Having competed at a high level in international competition, Daniel is considered one of the best fly anglers in America. He will be doing a casting presentation, a fly tying demo, and a program on various fly fishing techniques designed to catch more, bigger trout. For more info, go to www.northlaflyfishers.org or contact Scott Irwin at 318-469-0854.

Another hectic IFTD / ICAST

This past week your intrepid reporter was in Orlando for International Fly Tackle Dealer Show (IFTD) held in conjunction with ICAST, the world's largest sportfishing trade show. While there were lots of new fly fishing products, as well as new fishing kayaks, it wasn't nearly as many as each of the last two years. But that's not to say it was a "down year" by any stretch. Readers will be delighted to hear that for 2018, the quality of rods and reels in the mid-priced range are stellar. With mid-range tackle so good, the rod companies had to up their game in the premium category to justify the higher prices - and they've done just that. It all keeps getting better! We tested over three dozen rods, took over 40 pages of notes, and collected over 60 publications on new and existing products!  Once again, we summarize our findings - and best products overall - in the Fly Lines column of the September and December issues of Louisiana Sportsman.