Jeff Ferguson displays his award on location in Montana
At last week’s annual FFI Fly Fishing Expo in Bozeman, Montana, Jeff Ferguson of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was recognized by Fly Fishers International with the 2019 Council of Excellence Award for the Gulf Coast Council.
The COE Award is presented annually to an individual from each Council who has made outstanding contributions to the FFI at the regional level. The nomination is made by the Council president, and presented at the annual FFI Awards Banquet. Each recipient receives a pewter cup with the FFI logo and their name and award engraved.
Jeff had quite a year! A Master Certified Casting Instructor and board member of the Gulf Coast Council, he helped organize the Contraband Fly Fishing Expo last July. In January he was appointed to the GCC Executive Committee, with the title of Casting Director. In March, he organized a Casting Instructor Certification Program (CICP) testing event in Lake Charles. Two basic CCI candidates achieved certifications, and two MCIs – including Jeff – completed peer performance requirements for the Examiner Development Pathway program (EDP). As an MCI-EDP, Jeff traveled across the country participating in casting workshops and training sessions, including at the FFI National Fly Fishing Expo in July.
In addition, Jeff has given presentations at several events across the South this past 18 months, including TroutFest, Cenla Fly Fishing Festival, Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival, Cenla Fly Fishing Festival, Red Stick Day and many more. He was featured in several magazine articles as well. He also does a presentation on “Fly Fishing Big Lake” (Calcasieu).
Congratulations to Jeff on a well-deserved honor!
