Red Stick Day this Saturday

This Saturday is the 27th annual "Red Stick Day" fly fishing festival, which this year returns to the LDWF Waddill Outdoors Education Center on 4141 North Flannery Road in Baton Rouge. Time is 8:30am to 3:30pm. Admission is free.

Hosted by the Red Stick Fly Fishers of Baton Rouge, Red Stick Day is the largest and longest-running event of its kind in Louisiana.  Originated by the late Lynn Tolleson, a founding member of the club, the event has featured some of the biggest names in fly fishing such as Gary Borger, Jason Borger, Ed Jaworoski, Chrystal Murray, Craig Mathews, Nick Curcione and others. In recent years, it's featured some of the rising stars of our sport, such as Zach Matthews and Ben Roussel.

Red Stick Day also routinely features some of the most renown tiers in the country, several of whom have been featured in books and magazines. Those include Fred Hannie, Kirk Dietrich, Ted Cabali, Ron Braud, Ed Lash, Bob Lemay, Bill Laminack, and others.

The casting sessions have featured headliners as well as Fly Fishers International Masters and Governors level instructors.

This year's lineup of speakers include: trophy speckled trout master Vic Tedesco, Tennessee tailwater trout guide Jim Davis, and Orvis travel expert Ian Huang. Conducting the casting clinic is Jay Clark, an FFI Master Instructor, member of the U.S. Casting Team, and world casting competitor.

While the programs, fly tying demos, and casting sessions appeal to both beginners and experts, many attendees enjoy the great food, comradery, and fishing on premises. There's also one of the largest raffles of any event in the Southeast, which raises money for the club's various educational and conservation projects.

For more info, including a schedule of activities, go to the Red Stick Fly Fishers website at www.rsff.org and click on "Red Stick Day".

Acadiana Fly Rodders news

The Acadiana Fly Rodders held their February meeting this past Thursday at their new meeting location, Pack & Paddle in Lafayette. Keith Richard thanked PnP owners John & Becky Williams for the generous use of their facility. He also thanked Bob Tabbert, Beverly Vidrine and Rick Latiolais for their work in guiding the club the past year.

Newly elected officers for 2019 are Keith Richard (President), Rick Latiolais (Sec. Treasurer), Jay Clark and Flip Siracusa (Program Co-Chairs). Several activities are being planned for the year, as well as topics for meeting programs. The club will also continue their support of Reel Recovery.

Keith also mentioned that his website www.TheCampFlyFishingSchool.com now has over 65 instructional videos reviewing fly fishing and fly casting. It's a free resource to anyone to use.

The Acadiana Fly Rodders meet every third Thursday of the month at Pack & Paddle in Lafayette. Meeting time is 6:00pm.

Special events this week - 2/10

On Saturday, it's the 17th annual Little Mo Fly Fishing Festival at the Municipal Building in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, celebrating southern Arkansas' year-round trout water and fly fishing in general. Cost is $5 per person or $10 per family. Programs, tying demonstrations, exhibits, retailer tables, biologists "State of the River" presentation and more. Saturday evening is the annual "Fly Draft". Sunday morning at 10:30 is the "Can You Taken It" casting clinic on the river. Cost of the casting clinic is $5, registration at the event. For more info, go to www.littlemissouriflyfishing.com.

Saturday is the 7th annual "Sheepy" fly fishing tournament out of Hopedale Marina. Registration deadline has passed.

Also on Saturday, it's the annual Fly Fish Texas at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, Texas. Time is 8:30am to 4:00pm. Programs, fly tying demonstrations, casting demonstrations, exhibitors, fishing on premises. All Fly Fish Texas activities are free with regular paid admission to the center. For a complete list of activities, go to www.tpwd.state.tx.us and click on the "Fly Fish Texas" link.

Special events this week - 2/3

On Saturday, it's the 27th annual Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival in Houston.  Location is Bethany Christian Church Community Center at 3223 Westheimer.  Time is 8:30am to 3:30pm. Admission is charged.  Hosted by the Texas Fly Fishers, this event features the largest group of fly tiers of any event on the Gulf Coast, with anywhere from 70 to 100 tiers. It also features one of the great names in fly tying, and this year's special guest is deer hair specialist Pat Cohen. In addition to tying demos, there are several seminars during the day, as well as casting instruction. For more details, go to www.texasflyfishers.org.

Acadiana Fly Rodders have a new meeting date, location

One of the oldest fly fishing clubs in the state, the Acadiana Fly Rodders of Lafayette have had a steady decline in membership over the past decade.  Hoping to reverse that trend, the club has taken advantage of Pack & Paddle's offer to use their adjacent "Outpost" venue as a new meeting location. In addition, the club has a new meeting date - the 3rd Thursday of each month.

At the recent Fly Fishing Film Tour, AFR president Bob Tabbert thanked John Williams, owner of Pack & Paddle, for his support. The January meeting was held at the new location and date, and according to Bob, had a very good turnout.

Two other clubs currently use PnP as a meeting location: the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club and the Louisiana Paddle Club.  It also hosts the annual TreesAcadiana meetings.