LDWF seeking exhibitors for NHF Day events

Established by Congress in 1971, National Hunting and Fishing Day - always the 4th Saturday in September - recognizes the many contributions that hunters, anglers and other wildlife enthusiasts have made towards sustainable use of natural resources and towards conservation of those resources. For 2022, NHF Day is September 24th.

Last week, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced that National Hunting and Fishing Day would again be celebrated at four venues across the state: Bodcau (Minden), Monroe, Waddill (Baton Rouge) and Woodworth.

LDWF is currently seeking exhibitors for each venue. Fly fishing and fly tying have long been part of the many activities, so clubs are being asked to register in Baton Rouge, Woodworth and Minden. There is no local club in Monroe, but anyone interested in volunteering for casting or tying demonstrations are encouraged to register for that venue.

For clubs ONLY, one member of each club is asked to register as an EXHIBITOR. All other club members who will be assisting are asked to register as VOLUNTEERS.  This is so LDWF can more easily organize the layout of the venue based on the exhibitor entries.

If no member of your club has been contacted, please email Kristi Butler at kbutler@wlf.la.gov for links to the Exhibitor and Volunteer signup forms. These forms are online and take about a minute to complete.

Registration for Rio Rodeo now up

13th Annual Rio Grande Fly Fishing Rodeo
Saturday, October 1st, 2022
7:00am – on-site registration
7:30am – 12:30pm – fishing time
Event site: No Wake Outfitters
1926 Airline Drive, Metairie, LA
$15 entry fee includes lunch and refreshments

Hosted by the New Orleans Fly Fishers Club, the Rio Rodeo is the longest running freshwater fly fishing tournament on the Gulf Coast.   Target species is the wary Rio Grande Cichlid. All entry fish must be caught on flies and fly tackle. Categories are “Longest Rio” and “Most Rios”. Net proceeds from the tournament go to Casting For Recovery.

The rodeo is open to all fly anglers.  Advanced registration must be received by mail by September 24th. Onsite registration is from 7:00am to 7:30am day of the tournament. Both onsite registration and weigh-in will be at No Wake Outfitters in Metairie. For complete details, and to download registration form, go to the NOFFC website at www.neworleansflyfishers.com.

Vlahos' pompano recognized as FFOY

At their annual convention this past weekend, the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association recognized the "Fish of the Year" in both conventional and fly fishing categories.  This year's recipient in the "Fly Fish of the Year" category was Nick Vlahos for his 3.01 lb. Florida Pompano he caught while fishing out of Breton Sound. Ella Douglas of Thibodaux received the "Rod and Reel" honor with a 25.80 lb. Dog Snapper she caught while fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Both fish are new state records.

Nick is a fly designer and commercial tyer, owner of Sandbar Flies. He's best known for his signature pattern, the "Sandbar Crab", but his Sand Flea, Sandbar Mullet, Marsh Mullet and Dock Light Shrimp have also reported to be excellent flies for a variety of marsh and nearshore species.

After his family moved to Georgia, the Baton Rouge native came back home to college at LSU. Here is where Nick began saltwater fly fishing out of his kayak. In the days when our forum was a huge part of the laflyfish.com website, Nick was a frequent poster, sharing many of his successes on the water.  

Since the 1940s, LOWA has curated the state fish records, maintaining the top 10 catches by weight of each species, fresh and saltwater. In the 1980s, under the guidance of Pete Cooper, Jr. and Bob Dennie, the Fly Fish Division was added.

Fly anglers who believe they've landed a trophy-sized fish (or for some species, even a decent sized fish) should check the LOWA Fish Records website.  Registration can be printed and mailed, or filled in online. Registration fee is $25.