Catch Cormier – Vice-President, Conservation Director
A retired Systems Manager, Catch and his wife live in the Kisatchie National Forest in central Louisiana where they enjoy various outdoor activities. Catch has been active in fly fishing, paddle craft fishing and conservation since the late 1980s. He has served on the boards of CCA Louisiana, Louisiana Nature Conservancy, and other conservation groups. He is a past president of the Louisiana Photographic Society, Red Stick Fly Fishers, Kisatchie Fly Fishers, and Cenla Kayak Bass Anglers. For 20 years, he was fly fishing columnist for Louisiana Sportsman magazine and for 5 years, kayak fishing reporter for Don Dubuc Outdoors radio show. He’s written articles for various outdoor magazines and maintains the longest running website to fly fishing Louisiana (since 1996).
Catch joined FFI in 1991 and in 1994, became an FFI Certified Casting Instructor. He served on the FFI Southeastern Council board from 2004-2006 and in 2006 helped co-found the Gulf Coast Council and served as its first president. In 2018, he returned to the GCC board after 8 years and has since served as Conservation Chair. He has initiated an even dozen conservation and environmental actions, including restoring Gulf redfish, spotted seatrout, flounder populations and limiting menhaden harvest. He’s also been active on the FFI Conservation Committee and serves on their Grants Subcommittee. In 2024, he was recognized by FFI as “Conservationist of the Year”.
Catch is also an innovative and tactical fly tier, who has tied at numerous events over the past 30 years. A member of the FFI Fly Tying Group, his original and variated patterns have been featured in several books and magazine articles. He’s conducted fly tying workshops on warmwater and saltwater patterns, and for six years, taught fly fishing and fly-tying leisure courses at LSU. In 2024, he was honored by the GCC for “Lifetime Achievement in Fly Tying”.
