Online tying sessions expanded

With COVID-19 restrictions still in place - and likely for the next several months - Louisiana fly fishing clubs will continue to hold their routine fly tying sessions online.  Since last April, the Kisatchie Fly Fishers - and later, the Acadiana Fly Rodders - have been conducting "Virtual Tying Tuesday" via the Zoom meeting application. Then, in December the Red Stick Fly Fishers hosted a club meeting using Zoom under the hosting of the FFI Gulf Coast Council  (owners of a pro Zoom account). 

In 2020, Virtual Tying Tuesday was only available to club members and only using Zoom. The Pro account restriction of 100 users per session was one impediment to general public broadcast.  But the greater impediment was bandwidth.  Over 50 "live" users results in some degradation.  It's a problem that Zoom has had since it's explosion in popularity the past year, and an issue they are working hard to improve. 

In December, KFF went to simulcasting VTT on YouTube.  Live streaming to the Tube allows for unlimited number of participants, and the greater bandwidth of their mature platform results in better video quality. In addition, YouTube live streams can be "cast" to smart televisions (those connected to internet).  Watching fly tying on a 48" TV in high definition is a blast! 

Equally important, YouTube sessions are recorded. Late for a session? No problemento!  Just drag the red dot on the video timeline to the far left and start from the beginning.  If you miss it all together, the video is usually available for 48 hours after the session. 

Starting this Monday, Red Stick will hold their monthly fly tying sessions on Zoom for "active" participants with live-streaming to YT for "casual" participants.  Kisatchie and Acadiana will be continuing their live-streaming as well, when they resume Virtual Tying Tuesday on February 2nd. Check their websites for links to the tying sessions.

• www.rsff.org
• www.kisatchiefly.org
• www.acadianaflyrodders.org

Rainbeaux trout stockings going statewide this week

Back on December 17th, rainbow trout were stocked in four park ponds in East Baton Rouge Parish (Perkins, Forest, Greenwood, North Sherwood Forest) and one in Ascension (Lamar-Dixon).  These ponds were stocked by local recreational agencies.

This week, sixteen more ponds statewide will be stocked with this coldwater species as part of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries "Get Out and Fish!" community fishing program. Stocking begins on Thursday, January 14th.

Here is a listing of ponds to be stocked:
- Oil Park, Jennings
- Burbank Park, Baton Rouge
- Bogue Chitto State Park, Franklinton
- Grambling City Park, Grambling
- Zemurray Park, Hammond
- Bayou Country Park, Houma
- Girard Park, Lafayette
- Turners Pond, Minden
- Parc Natchitoches, Natchitoches
- Joe Brown Park, New Orleans
- Fort Randolph State Historic Site, Pineville
- Purple Heart Memorial Park, Ragley
- Elmore Mayfield Park, Ruston
- William Polk Park, Vidalia
- Sidney Hutchinson Park, Walker
- Southside Regional Park, Youngsville

Kiroli Park in West Monroe is the only GOAF program pond not to be stocked this year.  That is due to park maintenance in progress.

All anglers ages 16 and older must possess a Louisiana fishing license. While there is no legal daily limit, anglers are encouraged to keep four (4) fish per day and release the rest.

Rainbow trout are native to rivers and lakes in western North America, but have been stocked in coldwater environments across America and the globe. In winter, several states stock in community ponds to give anglers an opportunity to catch an active fish when warmwater species are mostly dormant. These fish die off once water temperatures exceed 70 degrees. In Louisiana, depending on pond location and depth, that could be anytime between mid-March and mid-April.  However, few if any trout remain in these ponds by March 1st. 

2021 fly fishing calendar - updates

In a normal year, by December 15th we've put together a complete calendar of  fly fishing and kayak fishing events for the coming year.  Well 2020 was not a normal year.  In fact, if 2020 were a house, we'd burn down the house, scoop up the ashes, then burn the ashes, and bury what was left in a sealed container deep beneath the ground!

The continuing pandemic has resulted in an almost complete cancellations of activities for the first half of 2021.  Here's a brief summary of regional events with intended dates in parenthesis:

• New Orleans Fly Fishing Expo (Jan. 23) - cancelled
• Atlanta Fly Fishing Show (Feb. 5-6) - cancelled
• Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival (Feb. 13) - cancelled
• FFI Gulf Coast Sweetwater Classic (Feb. 26-27) - postponed to Sept. 17-18
• Red Stick Day conclave (Mar. 6) - postponed to Fall TBA
• Kisatchie Fly Fishers Fly Fish 101 (April) - postponed to Fall TBA
• Sowbug Roundup (May) - cancelled

In addition, club meetings are continuing on Zoom.  Some club trips are still scheduled, but the majority have been cancelled until Fall.   Check with your local club to see what trips, if any, are taking place this year.