Just as predicted - a hard, cold winter

When sneaux blanketed a large portion of the state earlier this month, some thought it was an anomaly.  But with exception of a few mild days, areas north of Highway 190 have been colder-than-normal.  In fact, the mean average daily temperature for December has been anywhere from 3 to 10 degrees below normal. Compare that to last December when the mean average was several degrees above normal. 

For those of us who have lizard blood, Christmas Eve brought us a new level of misery.  It's been hard cold  - today's high was only 42 degrees. The forecast for the next 10 days here in central Louisiana calls for highs ranging from 34 to 50 degrees, and lows ranging from 18 to 28. In other words, it'll be freezing every night, and several days only above freezing for a couple hours!  There's also a good chance of frozen precipitation across most of north and central Louisiana for New Year's Day.

We're not even taking into effect the 15-20 knot winds and the wind chill effect! Brrrr!

I checked the water temperature in the lake yesterday and it was 52 degrees. That's 9 degrees colder than same time last year. Again, that's surface temperature where the warmest water is found. Most of the depths in 20 to 30 feet are likely close to 40 degrees.

With that in mind, it's NOT a good idea to be out on the water right now. Bank fishing is the way to go, even though that's rough. Now is a really good time to be tying flies. Or watching some bowl games. But if you're dead set on fishing from boat or kayak, make sure to read up on hypothermia and take all precautions.

What's happening this week 12/17

Monday's Red Stick Fly Fishers fly tying session has been CANCELLED.

On Tuesday, the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club holds their monthly meeting at Pack and Paddle on 601 East Pinhook in Lafayette. Time is 6:00pm. In addition to a holiday celebration, the club will also give out awards for their Angler of the Year and CPR Challenge. Also, announcement of their 2018 tournament dates. For more, go to www.lafayettekayakfishing.com.

Also on Tuesday, the Contraband Fly Casters hold their monthly meeting at St. Paul Lutheran Community Center in Lake Charles. Fly tying and discussion at 6:00pm, meeting at 7:00pm. Guests are welcome. For more info, go to www.contrabandflycasters.net.

On Thursday, the North Louisiana Fly Fishers will hold their monthly fly tying workshop at Bass Pro Shops in Bossier City. Time is 6:00pm. Beginners are welcome.

What's happening this week 12/10

On Monday, the Cane Country Fly Casters will meet at Westside Baptist Community Center in Natchitoches, and in keeping with the holiday spirit, will hold their annual Christmas party.

Also on Monday, the Red Stick Fly Fishers will hold their annual Christmas gathering at the Wildlife and Fisheries building in Baton Rouge.

Also on Monday, the Kisatchie Fly Fishers will hold their annual Christmas gathering at Tunks Seafood Restaurant on Lake Kincaid in Gardner.

On Tuesday, the North Louisiana Fly Fishers will hold their monthly meeting at the Red River National Wildlife Refuge in Bossier City. Social hour starts at 6:00pm, club business at 6:45pm, meeting afterwards.

 On Thursday, Olde Town Fly Shop on 3675 Pontchartrain Drive in Slidell will hold their monthly tying session. Time is 6:30pm. Bring your tools, if none, the shop has a few sets for use during the session. Materials are provided. Beginners are welcome!

The Great Blizzard of December 8th - is more to come?

A few months back, we mentioned that the Old Farmers Almanac was predicting a colder than normal winter, with above-normal snowfall for the Deep South. While many may have dismissed the OFA forecast, several climatologists were predicting likewise.

Sure enough, Friday turned out to prove them right. Significant amounts of snow fell across Louisiana, as far south as Houma. Some parts of the Northshore area reported up to 8 inches of accumulation. It was the most "sneaux" we've seen in many years.

Now here's the interesting part... ALL of the forecasts predicted the most likely snowfalls to occur between mid-December to early February. So we're not even in the peak forecast period yet.

The most likely scenario for sneaux in our state is a combination of (1) the jet stream dipping deep into south Texas,  (2) Gulf moisture streaming from the southwest at the upper levels, and (3) a blast of arctic air.  All three were in place this past Friday. The first two factors look to remain in place for the next couple months. Which means that any blast of cold air could bring more white stuff for some part of our state.

What's happening this week 12/3

On Tuesday, the Acadiana Fly Rodders hold their monthly meeting at Grace Presbyterian Hall on 415 Roselawn in Lafayette. Times is 6:30pm. Guests are welcome.

On Wednesday, the Pontchartrain Basin Fly Fishers hold their monthly meeting at Abita Brew Pub on 72011 Holly Street in Abita Springs. Gathering at 6:00pm, meeting at 6:30pm. Guests are welcome.

On Saturday, it's Fishing Tackle Unlimited of Houston's annual Inshore Expo at their Katy Freeway Store. TIme is 9:00am to 5:00pm. There's no cost. Seminars include Plugging for Big (Speckled) Trout, Fly Fishing the Texas Hill Country, and Fly Fishing in Cuba. There's also fly tying and casting. For more info, go to www.fishingtackleunlimited.com.

What's happening this week 11/26

On Monday, the Kisatchie Fly Fishers hold their monthly meeting at the Rapides Westside Library in Alexandria. Time is 6:30pm. On the agenda: recap of their Marsh Invasion weekend, nominations for 2018 board, and discussion of the 2018 Calendar. The public is welcome. For more info, go to www.kisatchiefly.org.

Also on Monday, the Red Stick Fly Fishers hold their monthly fly tying session at Cabelas in Gonzales. Time is 7:00pm. Bring your tying tools, if none, the club has a few sets for use during these sessions. Materials are provided. Beginners are welcome! For more info, go to www.rsff.org.

On Tuesday, the Bass Pro Shops in Denham Springs will hold their monthly "Fourth Tuesday Tying Clinic" in the White River Fly Shop. Time is 6:00pm. Bring your tying tools, if none, they have a few sets for use during these sessions. Materials are provided. Beginners are welcome!

On Thursday, the New Orleans Fly Fishers hold their monthly meeting at Lakeshore Marina and Fuel (across the parking lot from the Blue Crab Restaurant). Time is 7:00pm. Guests are welcome. For more info, go to www.neworleansflyfishers.com.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This day means many things to many different people. For most, it's a day of feasting with friends and family. The turkey, roast, venison, duck or other hearty meat that has been slowly cooked is delivered to the dining table accompanied by veggies, casseroles, and desserts (most notably, pumpkin pie). Here in Louisiana, there's a good chance that bird of choice is stuffed with crawfish or shrimp. Or that one of the "veggies" is sweet potatos or corn machcoux, and maybe even jambalaya. I'm getting hungry just typing this, lol! 

Here in the Cormier household, it's a day of thanks for all the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us. For me personally, I'm thankful for all the many friends I've made through fly fishing and kayak fishing. I wish everyone a great day and lots of love!

December issue of Louisiana Sportsman is out

Sportsman readers will be excited to know that there are changes to the columns format that begins with this issue. New editor Pat Bonin is encouraging more photos in the magazine, and after talking to Pat, we agreed to add photos of one or two flies featured in the "Fishing Forecast" of the Fly Lines column. We think this will aid many readers who have no idea of what a particular fly looks like. For the December issue, the featured flies are the Perch Float Popper and LaFleur's Charlie.  Our column this month is on Christmas gift ideas beyond the usual tackle items.

In the now-expanded kayak fishing column (Paddles N Puddles), Chris Holmes discusses the planning for "Exotic Yak Trips". Chris also writes about targeting tidal lines this month. In his New Product Showcase, Chris writes about the new Jackson Coosa FD pedal drive kayak as well as new tackle from Penn and Stutterstep.  In his December's "Best Bets", he gives tips for Toledo Bend sacalait and Delacroix for reds and specks.

Other columns of interest: Jerald Horst discusses Cubera Snapper in "Creature Feature", Capt. Paul Titus tells why GPS trumps smartphones for use in the outdoors, Jerald and Glenda Horst share oyster recipes for the holidays in "Seafood Bible".  Articles of interest include "Cold Calcasieu Options" by Chris Berzas and "Beating the Bridges" on Lake Pontchartrain winter fishing by Jonathon Olivier.

What's happening this week 11/19

With the Thanksgiving holiday, a very light week ahead.

On Monday, the Kisatchie Fly Fishers hold their monthly fly tying session at the Rapides Westside Library in Alexandria. Time is 6:30pm. Gene Taylor will lead in tying Steve Dally's Hippie Chick, a fantastic fly for a variety of species. Bring your tools, if none, the club has sets for use during the session. Materials are provided. Beginners are welcome! For more info, go to www.kisatchiefly.org.

On Tuesday, the Contraband Fly Casters hold their monthly meeting at St. Paul Lutheran Center on 1620 East Prien Lake Road in Lake Charles. Fly tying and discussion at 6:00pm, with meeting at 7:00pm. Guests are welcome. For more info, go to www.contrabandflycasters.net.

Also on Tuesday, the Lafayette Kayak Fishing club holds their monthly meeting at Pack and Paddle on 601 East Pinhook. Time is 6:00pm. On the agenda, discussion of Turkey Trout Throwdown tournament and recent fishing reports. Guests are welcome. For more info, go to www.lafayettekayakfishing.com.

Black Friday starts Monday

Today's newspapers are stuffed with circulars for early Christmas season sales. For decades, Christmas shoppers looked forward to the day after Thanksgiving - known as Black Friday - when retailers offered massive discounts on certain in-store items. A few times I was part of the mayhem, waiting overnight in long lines for the chance to buy a laptop or camera at half price. In recent years, the big discount "day" has spread over a week. A few of the specials are still reserved for Friday, but not nearly as many.

For fly anglers, price protection rules pretty much prohibit discounts. The best bet to find a great bargain on fly rods or reels is to look at house brands like Bass Pro and Cabelas. For example, Bass Pro has their Hobbs Creek Limited outfits on sale for $69. This includes a 9-foot rod - either 5 or 8 weight - with a fully-machined, anodized reel, spare spool, and travel case. While the number of rods, reels or outfits on sale might be extremely limited, there are a lot of fishing accessories marked down. These range from bags to fishfinders to filet knives to waders.

For kayak anglers, it's much the same as with fly anglers. Don't expect to see any kayaks on sale, but the list of accessories and tackle items is pretty much unlimited. Also, discounts on action cameras - including the GoPro - are being advertised.

What's happening this week 11/12

On Monday, the Red Stick Fly Fishers hold their monthly meeting at the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries building on Quail Drive in Baton Rouge. Time is 7:00pm. Guests are welcome. For more info, go to www.rsff.org.

Also on Monday, the Cane Country Fly Casters hold their monthly meeting at the Westside Baptist Community Center in Natchitoches. Casting in the gym at 6:00pm, meeting at 6:30pm. This month, Cane River Pedal and Paddle will give a presentation on kayaking the Cane River, and will bring one of the new Hobie models. Guests are welcome!  For more info, go to www.canecountry.blogspot.com.

On Tuesday, the North Louisiana Fly Fishers hold their monthly meeting at the Red River National Wildlife Refuge on Sunflower Road in Bossier City. Time is 7:00pm. Guests are welcome.

On Thursday, the New Orleans Fly Fishers holds the 2nd of their twice-monthly fly tying sessions at St. Francis Xavier Church Hall on 444 Metairie Road. Time is 7:00pm. Bring your tools, if none, the club has a few sets for use during this session. Materials are provided, bring $1 to cover cost of materials. For more info, go to www.neworleansflyfishers.com.

Also on Thursday, the North Louisiana Fly Fishers holds their monthly tying workshop at the Bass Pro Shops in Bossier City. Time is 6:00pm. Bring your tools, if none, the club has a few sets for use during the session. Materials are provided. For more info, go to www.northlaflyfishers.org.

Starting Friday and continuing Saturday, it's the Kisatchie Fly Fishers "Marsh Invasion" fishing trip to Pointe-aux-Chenes for reds, specks, and other inshore species. For more info, go to www.kisatchiefly.org.

On Saturday, it's the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club's annual "Turkey Trout Throwdown" tournament out of Cypremont Point State Park. Entry fee is $25, open to the public. Heaviest stringer of 5 speckled trout wins. Artificial tackle only. For more info, go to www.lafayettekayakfishing.com.

What''s happening this week 11/5

On Tuesday, the Acadiana Fly Rodders will hold their monthly meeting at Grace Presbyterian Hall on 415 Roselawn in Lafayette. Time is 6:30pm.  Guests are welcome.

On Thursday, the New Orleans Fly Fishers will hold the first of their twice-monthly fly tying sessions at St. Francis Xavier Hall on 444 Metairie. Time is 7:00pm. Bring $1 to cover cost of materials.  Bring your tools, if none, the club has a few sets for use during the session. Beginners are welcome!

Also on Thursday, Old Town Fly Shop will hold their monthly tying session at their location on 3675 Pontchartrain Drive in Slidell. Time is 6:30pm. Beginners are welcome!

Friday is Veterans Day observed, and holiday for some.  Be sure to thank a veteran for their service!

Starting Friday afternoon with the Captains meeting and with the tournament on Saturday, it's the 12th annual "Fall n Tide" kayak fishing tournament hosted by the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club.  Fishing is along the Highway 23 corridor. Its open to the public. Entry fee is $60 and includes tournament entry, Friday night dinner, Captains bag, Saturday fish fry,  and chance at nearly 150 raffle items. There's divisions for Slam, Womens Slam, Youth, Seniors, Leopard Red, and largest red, speck, and flounder. For more info, go to www.bckfc.org.

Also starting Friday and continuing thru the weekend, it's the Red Stick Fly Fishers annual "Fall Catch n Eat" marsh fishing trip along the Highway 1 corridor.  For more details, go to www.rsff.org.

On Sunday, Masseys of Baton Rouge will hold a "Kayak Demo Day" at BREC Wampold Park off Stanford near the LSU Campus.  Time is 10:00am to 2:00pm.  No cost.  Models include Hobie, Perception, Wilderness, Jackson, Native and more. Subject to weather, check their Facebook page to confirm.

What's happening this week 10/29

Tuesday is Halloween.

Wednesday the Pontchartrain Basin Fly Fishers hold their monthly meeting at Abita Brew Pub on 72011 Holly Street in Abita Springs. Time is 6:30pm, attendees are encouraged to order dinner (optional) prior to the meeting and join in conversation. Guests are welcome. For more info, go to www.pbasinflyfishers.blogspot.com.

Starting Thursday evening and continuing Saturday, it's the Kayak Bass Fishing Open Series at Toledo Bend. Activities will take place out of Cypress Bend Park and Marina near Many. Registration for this CPR kayak bass fishing tournament is $100. Details can be found at www.kayakbassfishing.com.

Starting Friday, and continuing to Sunday morning, it's the annual "Toledo Bend Rendezvous" at North Toledo Bend State Park near Zwolle. More on this later.

On Saturday, Pack and Paddle in Lafayette will hold their annual Fall Kayak Demo at Vermillionville Pond on 300 Fisher Road in Lafayette (near the airport). Time is 10:00am to 2:00pm. Models include Hobie, Wilderness, Native, Jackson, Hurricane and others. Also, new 2018 boats like the Hobie Compass and the Jackson Coosa FD. For more info, go to www.packpaddle.com.

Also on Saturday, Masseys Outfitters in New Orleans will hold a "Kayak Demo Day" on Bayou St. John near Cabrini Bridge. Time is 10:00am to 2:00pm. Models will include Hobie, Wilderness, Native, Jackson, Feel Free and others. Including 2018 Hobie Compass and Jackson Coosa FD. For more info, go to www.masseysoutfitters.com.

Also on Saturday, the New Orleans Fly Fishers will hold their annual banquet that evening at Porter and Lukes Restaurant on Metairie Road. Time is 6:30pm, with dinner at 7:00pm. Complete details are posted in the Events Forum. Also, check their website at www.neworleansflyfishers.com.

On Sunday, it's the 2nd annual Mission Six Redfish Shootout kayak fishing tournament at PAC Kayak Rentals in Pointe-aux-Chenes. Fishing time is 5:30am to 3:00pm. Entry fee is $40, open to the public. Pedal or paddle power only, heaviest 3 slot redfish wins. Monies raised go to the Mission Six non-profit. For complete rules and details, go to www.mission6.org.

29th annual Toledo Bend Rendezvous this weekend

What is Rendezvous?  It's the largest annual gathering of fly tiers in our state, with no planned activities but plenty of fly tying, food, and fishing. Held annually at North Toledo Bend State Park near Zwolle, the event is co-sponsored by the Gulf Coast and Texas Councils of Fly Fishers International, and is open to the public. It kicks off Friday afternoon and ends after breakfast on Sunday morning. Many of the top tiers from the Ark-La-Tex region and beyond will be on hand tying at the numerous tables inside the large dining room.

Five bunkhouses are reserved for overnight stay on Friday, Saturday or both nights. The 2-night fee is $50 family, $40 single, and 1-night fee is $25 family, $20 single. Those coming just for the day Saturday are asked to make a donation to help offset the rental fees. For more details on this event, check Bowfin47's post on the General Discussion forum.  Or go to this link at Walter McLendon's website.

It's official - Lefty Kreh is retired

Lefty Kreh at 92 years old giving a casting clinic

Almost a decade ago, one of the greatest names in the history of fly fishing - Lefty Kreh - suffered a knee injury and decided that at 82 years old to seriously cut back on his events schedule. Since then, he's still made several annual appearances across the country, including one or two stops each year in the deep South. During that time, I've told folks  Texas, Florida and Georgia. had to For over a decade I've told folks that if they had the chance to see Lefty Kreh, they should definitely make the effort to do so.

Well as of this week, that time has passed. Lefty announced that due to recent heart problems, he will no longer be making personal appearances.  Living to be 93 years old is amazing on to itself, much less deciding at that age to retire! He promises to continue promoting the sport from his computer, but it won't be the same. While he has numerous books and videos to his credit, believe me, there was nothing like seeing Lefty in person - his wit, his humor, his style, and his incredible knowledge of our sport. I was very blessed to have seen  him in person over two dozen times and have taken both a casting class and a tying class under him "back in the day".  I hope we can all can continue to enjoy him - via the internet - for as long as possible. 

For puddlers, it's that time of year

The next few weeks a host of kayak tournaments are taking place, as Fall marsh fishing reaches it's peak. The Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club will hold their Trout Challenge and Fall-n-Tide, both along Highway 23. The Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club has it's Turkey Trout Throwdown out of Cypremont Point. This past weekend was the annual IFA Kayak Fishing National Championship out of Venice, which Ty Hibbs of Metairie won.

But it's also that time for the "Kayak Anglers Choice Awards". Like the Espys and Oscars for kayak fishing, but without the long-winded acceptance speeches and absurd wardrobes. KACA is sponsored by YakAngler.com and counts on you, the public, to nominate and vote. There are numerous categories.

The nominations are complete and Phase I voting is in session. Several Louisiana-based anglers, groups, and businesses have been nominated. For example, Matthew Roberts of Mission Six is up for "Kayak Angler of the Year". Matt helped organize the first-ever "Fly Fishin for the Mission" this past June. Mission Six is a great organization dedicated to helping our heroes, either financially or in some cases by providing them kayak fishing trips. Another AOY nominee is Tyler Hicks of Backpacker in Baton Rouge, who has been an advocate for urban kayaking.

Check the forum for links to the KACA voting.

A work in progress

Readers may have noticed we've added a Fly Patterns page on this revised site.  Not all the flies listed on the Patterns page are available - yet.  The hope is to have all the patterns we had listed on the old site back up in a couple weeks.  One of the reasons for the slow progress is that we're updating the images.  In some cases, we'll also provide videos in addition to photos.  One of the features of our new site is that, when you click on a fly image, you get an enlargement of the fly in it's native resolution (typically 800 pixels wide).    Hopefully this helps readers who had trouble determining the makeup of a fly based on the rather small 300 pixel image. 

What's happening this week 10/22

On Monday, the Kisatchie Fly Fishers hold their monthly meeting at the Rapides Westside Library in Alexandria. Time is 6:30pm. With marsh fishing reaching it's peak, Catch Cormier will talk about "Marsh Fly Fishing Basics" with emphasis on Fall fishing. The public is welcome. For more info, go to www.kisatchiefly.org.

Also on Monday, the Red Stick Fly Fishers hold their monthly fly tying session at Cabelas in Gonzales. Time is 7:00pm. Mike LaFleur will lead the group in tying his LaFleur's Charlie. Bring your tying tools, if none, the club has a few sets for use during these sessions. Materials are provided. Beginners are welcome! For more info, go to www.rsff.org.

On Tuesday, the Bass Pro Shops in Denham Springs will hold their monthly "Fourth Tuesday Tying Clinic" in the White River Fly Shop. Time is 6:00pm. Bring your tying tools, if none, they have a few sets for use during these sessions. Materials are provided. Beginners are welcome!

On Thursday, the New Orleans Fly Fishers hold their monthly meeting at Lakeshore Marina and Fuel (across the parking lot from the Blue Crab Restaurant). Time is 7:00pm. Guests are welcome. For more info, go to www.neworleansflyfishers.com.

On Saturday, the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club will hold the last of their "series tournaments" for the year, the Trout Challenge, off the Highway 23 corridor. Entry fee is $20, and open to the public. Heaviest stringer of 10 speckled trout winds. For more info, go to www.bckfc.org.

Also on Saturday, Masseys Outfitters will hold their 2nd annual Hangout at Second Line Brewing on 433 North Berndotte in New Orleans. Time is 2:00pm to 6:00pm. Local beer, food trucks, live music and raffles with a chance to win a Hobie Sport kayak. Also, bingo for a bike. Monies raised will go to local charities. For details, go to www.masseyoutfitters.com.

NOFF to host Open House on November 11

The New Orleans Fly Fishers club will hold an open house on Saturday, November 11th, 2017, at City Park from 11:00am to 3:00pm. There is no charge. This will take place in the meadow next to the New Orleans Museum of Art. This will be an opportunity for the public to see what fly fishing and the club is all about. There will be casting contests, casting lessons, fly tying demonstrations and some giveaways. There might even be some fishing for rios before they disappear for winter. For more info, go to www.neworleansflyfishers.com.

Whats happening this week 10/15

On Monday, the Kisatchie Fly Fishers hold their monthly fly tying session at the Rapides Westside Library in Alexandria.  Time is 6:30pm.  Bring your tools, if none, the club has sets for use during these sessions. Materials are provided.  For more info, go to www.kisatchiefly.org.

On Tuesday, the Contraband Fly Casters hold their monthly meeting at St. Pius Community Center in Lake Charles.  Fly tying and discussion at 6:00pm, meeting at 7:00pm.  Guests are welcome.  For more info, go to www.contrabandflycasters.net.

Also on Tuesday, the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club holds their monthly meeting at Pack and Paddle in Lafayette. Time is 6:00pm.  Guests are welcome.  For more info, go to www.lafayettekayakfishing.com.

On Wednesday, the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club will hold their quarterly meeting at Rockin Willys on 140 North Baronne in Pontchatoula. Time is 6:00pm. On the agenda will be the recent PAC Attack tournament and upcoming tournaments Trout Challenge and Fall N' Tide. For more info, go to www.bckfc.org.

On Thursday, CCA Louisiana will hold the annual STAR Awards Banquet at Live Oak Arabians on 6300 Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge. Gates open at 5:30pm, dinner 7:00pm, awards 7:30pm, auction 8:00pm. Tickets are $50 per person ($35 spouse, $25 youth) and includes admission, dinner and open bar. For more info, go to www.ccalouisiana.org

Also on Thursday, the North Louisiana Fly Fishers will hold their annual Awards Banquet (in lieu of their tying session). The banquet will be held at Shane's Seafood and BBQ on 9176 Mansfield Road in Shreveport.  There will be numerous raffle prizes as well as a fly tying contest. For more details, go to www.northlaflyfishers.org or check their October newsletter posted in our Forum.

Also on Thursday, the New Orleans Fly Fishers hold the second of their twice-monthly fly tying sessions at St. Frances Xavier Church Hall on 444 Metairie Road.  Time is 7:00pm.  Bring your tools, if none, a few sets are available for use during session. Materials are provided.

On Saturday, it's "Wild Things" celebration at Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge on Highway 434 in Lacombe. Time is 9:00am to 4:00pm. There is no cost. Hosted by the Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges, the event features speakers, live animals, demos on pirogue building and wildlife crafts. The Pontchartrain Basin Fly Fishers will be on hand giving fly tying demonstrations. Food and drink sales at Wild Things help FLWR support conservation and education projects.