FFI Gulf Coast Council

At our upcoming Sweetwater Classic on March 11th and 12th, we’ll have a raffle and silent auction on that Saturday with many great items.  Among those will be rods, reels, boxes of flies, fly fishing vests, artwork, fly lines, inflatable personal floatation devices (PFDs), sunglasses, and much more.  The purpose of this fundraiser will be to raise money for our education, conservation and outreach programs.  But you must be present at the Classic to win. 

We plan to acknowledge those donors, both at the Classic as well as on our website.  As we receive donations, we’ll also acknowledge them on our Facebook page.

One of our Classic sponsors is Solarez.  Solarez UV Fly Tying Resins are highly regarded among professional tyers as being the best that you can buy. No wasting precious time while waiting for messy epoxies to set. They cure in seconds to a no tack finish!

Solarez UV curing resins come in Bone-Dry, Flex, Thick and Thin formulas.  Apply all UV curable products in full shade or indoors, flash with a UV Flashlight for 30 secs, then continue working on the fly.  For a completely cure resin, expose to sunlight or use the UV flashlight for about 3 minutes.

Click image to enlarge

As many readers will recall, we and other groups were surprised to learn of the sudden closure of Lake Okhissa last Fall. Okhissa had been added as a second fishing lake for our Sweetwater Classic. The National Forest Service is taking hard measures to combat salvania and other invasive weeds on Okhissa. The lake is scheduled to be reopened next March.

Since then, it was brought to our attention that there are two other small lakes within 45 minutes of Percy Quin (same distance as Okhissa). At their January meeting, the GCC board voted unanimously to add one of these – Lake Mary Crawford – to our Saturday tournament waters, to replace Okhissa.

Lake Mary Crawford is a recently renovated 128-acre state fishing lake located 5 miles west of Monticello on Highway 28. During the renovation period, it was stocked with Northern and Florida-strain largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, and catfish. The lake has a history of producing big bass and crappie.

Another aspect of LMC is that it’s “fly friendly”. The lotus flats on the upper part of the lake are excellent for bass on poppers and shallow divers. There are numerous artificial structures along dropoffs that hold crappie up to 3 pounds.

On Friday evening, following the Captains Meeting at 6:00pm, MDWFP fisheries biologist and avid fly angler Samantha Bergeron will give a presentation on both Lake Tangipahoa (inside Percy Quin) and Mary Crawford. She will address best places to fish each lake, best flies for each lake, and what other fishing opportunities these lakes hold.

When it comes to fly fishing, Spring is event season here on the Gulf Coast and across the deep South. These events can vary in type from large commercial expos like the Atlanta Fly Fishing Show to club “festivals” like Red Stick Day to fly fishing tournaments like the “Fly Fishin For The Mission” to hybrid events like the “Sweetwater Classic” to purely educational events like “Fly Fishing 101” hosted by the Fly Fishers of Northwest Florida.

Here is a list of Spring 2022 events hosted by regional FFI councils or clubs, or which feature FFI clubs, or which have been endorsed by the FFI or Councils.

Jan. 29 (Sat) – 4th biennial CENLA FLY FISHING & LIGHT TACKLE FESTIVAL, Kees Park Center, Highway 28 East, Pineville, LA. 8:30am – 3:30pm. Free admission. Presentations, fly tying demos, casting clinics, exhibitors and more. $5 lunch available. Benefits Food Bank of Central Louisiana. Hosted by Kisatchie Fly Fishers club. Website: www.kisatchiefly.org.

Feb. 4-5 (Fri-Sat) – ATLANTA FLY FISHING SHOW, Infinite Energy Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Duluth, GA. 9am – 6pm. Admission $15/$25, military $10. Largest fly fishing show in the South. FFI will host the Learning Center, with casting and fly tying instruction free to show attendees. Website: www.flyfishingshow.com.

Feb. 12 (Sat) – 29th annual Dr. ED RIZZOLO FLY TYING FESTIVAL, Trini Mendenhall Community Center, 1414 Wirt Rd, Houston, TX. 8:30am – 4:30pm. The largest fly tying event on the Gulf Coast features over 80 tiers as well as seminars and vendors. Featured guest tier: Jerry Coviello. Adults $10, students and seniors $5, children free. Hosted by the Texas Fly Fishers club. Website: texasflyfishers.org.

Feb. 26-27 (Sat-Sun) – 5th annual TEXAS FLY FISHING & BREW FESTIVAL, Mesquite Convention Center, Mesquite, TX. Nationally known fly fishing authors, professional guides, expert casters, fly tiers from across the country, dozens of exhibitors. Microbrew sampling. Website: txflyfishingfestival.org.

Mar. 5 (Sat) – 26th Annual RED STICK DAY, Waddill Outdoor Education Center, 4142 N Flannery Rd, Baton Rouge, LA. 8:30am – 3:30pm. Free admission. Seminars, tying demos, kayak demos, casting clinics, food, refreshments. Hosted by Red Stick Fly Fishers. Website: www.rsff.org.

Mar. 11-12 (Fri-Sat) – 2nd annual SWEETWATER CLASSIC, Percy Quin State Park, McComb, MS. Free admission, bass tournament entry $30. Fly tying demos, casting clinics, seminars, raffles, Big Bream Contest (free), CPR big bass tournament with categories for boat/kayak and bank fishing, plus Slab Master (largest crappie). Hosted by FFI Gulf Coast Council. Website: www.ffigcc.org.

Mar. 14 (Mon) – FLY FISHING 101, hosted by Fly Fishers of Northwest Florida, Pensacola, FL.  Eight consecutive Monday evenings from 6pm to 8pm.  Basics of fly fishing and casting with hands-on instruction.  Cost $60.  The current class quota is filled however interested parties should contact the Education Committee for possible cancellations. Email ffnwfeducation@gmail.com or ffnwfmembership@gmail.com

Mar. 19 (Sat) – FLY FISHING WITH KIDS, Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Fairhope, AL. 10am – 2pm. Free for ages 6 to 16. Instruction in fly fishing, casting, fly tying, conservation, water safety. Contact Danielle Davidson at danielle.davidson@dcnr.alabama.gov. Website: www.ffigcc.org.

Mar. 24-26 – 25th annual SOWBUG ROUNDUP, Baxter County Fairgrounds, Mountain Home, AR. 9am – 4pm, each day. Admission $10 for all 3 days, adults with kids under 12 free. Largest fly tying event in the country, over 150 tiers. Seminars, fly tying clinics, vendors. Special guests Dave & Emily Whitlock. Hosted by North Arkansas Fly Fishers. Website: www.sowbugroundup.org.

Mar. 26 (Sat) – 73rd annual NEW ORLEANS CITY PARK FISHTIVAL & BIG BASS RODEO, New Orleans City Park, New Orleans. 6:30am – noon. Fishtival free, Rodeo entry fees: adults $10, kids $5. Fly Fishing category. Also fly casting and fly tying by New Orleans Fly Fishers Club. Hosted by LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Website: www.neworleanscitypark.com/big-bass-fishing-rodeo-and-fishtival

Apr 29 (Sat) – FLY FISHING 101, Booker-Fowler Fish Hatchery, Forest Hill, LA. 8:30am to 12:30pm.  Free to the public, pre-registration required, limited seats. Basics of fly fishing and casting with hands-on instruction. Hosted by Kisatchie Fly Fishers. Website: www.kisatchiefly.org.

May 4-5 (Fri-Sat) – 13th Annual BASS ON THE FLY TOURNAMENT, Lake Fork Marina, Lake Fork, TX. Free admission, tournament entry fee $70. Free casting clinics, kayak demos, casting contests, Sunfish Tourney ($5), CPR bass tournament has categories for boat, kayak. Entry fee entitles participants to door prize drawings. Charitable event is endorsed by the Texas FFI Council. Website: www.bassonthefly.org.

June TBA – 2nd annual BIKES & BUGS, Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores, AL.  8:00am to 1:00pm.  No cost, but registration requested.  Anglers will pedal and fly fish their way around the park’s Lake Shelby in pursuit of bass, bream, and anything else that bites.  Open to all lady anglers, equipment and bikes available for use.  Hosted by FFI Women Connect and FFI Gulf Coast Council.  Website: www.ffigcc.org.

June TBA – 10th annual CEDAR LAKE FLY FISHING TOURNAMENT, 12056 Cedar Lake Rd, Biloxi, MS. 6:00am to noon. Registration fee $25. A bluegill tournament, flies and fly tackle only. Sign-in required on morning of tournament. Hosted by Mississippi Coast Fly Fishers. Website: www.gcflyfishers.org.

As always, please continue to check our Calendar page for more details on each of these events, and for any new events that may come up.