Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival

Many of you will notice a change in the name of Texas FlyFishers Annual Fly Tying Festival. At last year’s (2009) 17th annual festival, it was proclaimed that henceforth the festival would be known as the Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival as a tribute to Ed for his being the one responsible for getting it started back when.

Now that the “formalities” are out of the way...........

The Festival Details

Ladies and gentlemen, Texas FlyFishers would like to invite you to attend our 18th annual fly tying festival and our very first Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival, to be held at Bethany Christian Church, located at 3223 Westheimer on February 6 , 2010. The hours will be from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm. Admission fees are: Adults $10.00; Students (with valid I.D.) and Seniors (62+) $5:00; Children under 12; Free; Family: $15.00.

We anticipate having in excess of 50 tiers from Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas , Arkansas, and New Mexico present, tying every type of fly imaginable. This is your opportunity to come watch, and question ,the masters of the art. There will be six one-hour special presentations, a casting area will be set up in the church parking lot and the ever popular Danish casting games will be conducted under the able supervision of our illustrious President, Dave Lemke, on the front lawn of Lamar High School, which is directly across the street from the church. Numerous vendors will also be present demonstrating and selling their products.

Featured Tier Bob Clouser

Bob Clouser Bob’s father gave him a fly tying kit in 1952, when he was 14 years old, and he has been tying ever since. Living on the banks of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, and one of the best smallmouth bass waters in the U.S., Bob became addicted to catching smallies with a flyrod. Not being satisfied with the flies that were available to him at the time, he started working on a “better mouse trap”, the culmination of which project resulted in the Clouser Minnow. The Clouser Minnow is quite possibly the most versatile fly ever developed. It has been fished successfully on every continent and in waters of all types. If a waterbody has fish in it, a Clouser Minnow will work!

Bob has continued to develop new patters, has fished extensively in saltwater, as well as fresh. He has guided on the Susquehanna, owns and, with his wife, operates a fly shop in Middletown, Pennsylvania , about as close to the river as one can get without actually being in the river. He has written two books: CLOUSER’S FLIES: TYING AND FISHING THE PATTERNS OF BOB CLOUSER; and FISHING FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS. He has written numerous articles for the various fly fishing magazines and has made at least 15 videos on how to tie his flies. He is widely sought after for presentations and fly tying demonstrations.

This will be your opportunity to meet and visit with one of this country’s premier fly tiers and fly fishers, and watch him tie his famous patterns in person.

Bethany Christian Church Where are Bethany Christian and the Fly Tying Festival?


Dr Ed Rizzolo

Dr Ed Rizzolo I started fly tying in New Jersey in Nov. 1944. I started fly fishing in Apr. 1945, and it has been a continuous learning process ever since. I started by fishing the streams in New Jersey, New York, and Maine. I joined the Texas Fly Fishers Club in 1983, and began fishing the Guadalupe River on a regular basis ever since. Areas I like to fish include Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Montana, and Alaska. I have fished at Christmas Island for Bonefish and Trevale. I started the beginners, intermediate, and advanced fly tying classes for the Texas Fly Fishers. I tied flies at the Texas Conclaves, the FFF Southern Conclaves, and the International Sportsman Exposition Fly Tying Video Theatre. It's been a great ride, and I am grateful to still be a part of it. Dr. Ed Rizzolo