Come enjoy a fun filled day of: Fly Tying Casting Instructions,  Demonstrations, Travel Presentations, Rod Building Area, Fishing Information and the Casting Games along with drawing for Prizes at Terrace United Methodist Church, 1203 Wirt Road, Houston, Texas 77055

The Texas FlyFishers Present 10th Annual Summer Mini Fly Fishing Exposition

Saturday, August 24, 2019, 8:30 am until 4:30 pm

The Mini Expo has something for every fly fisher…

Beginner, intermediate or expert!

Mini Expo Tri Fold Flier 2

Schedule of Events

Scheduled Presentations and Times

9:00 – 10:00 am – TBA

10:00 – 11:00 am – Phil Shook “Blue Water Fly Fishing”

11:00 am– 12:30 – Iron Fly Tyer Contest

12:30 – 1:30 pm – Jerry Hamon “A Man, A Kayak, and A Fly Rod”

1:30 – 2:30 pm – TBA

2:30 – 3:30 pm – John Eldred “Rainbow Fishing in Patagonia, Argentina”

2:30 – 3:30 pm – TBA

Note: Time and topics of the presentations are subject to change without notice. 

The Texas FlyFishers is a 501 (c)(3) Organization and a member club of the Texas Council of Fly Fishers International

 History of the Annual Summer Mini Expo

Most Texas FlyFisher’s monthly meetings play to a full house, every month with the exception August. For some reason, the August meeting draws less than half of the audience of the other 10 months. So, in 2009, then Club President David Lemke came up with a plan to pick up the August monthly meeting attendance. David’s idea was, instead of holding a typical meeting with a guest speaker, the Club to hold a mini expo featuring the club’s talent at fly tying, rod building, knot tying / leader building, casting demonstrations and information and personal experiences on fly fishing destinations in an exposition format.

The first Texas FlyFishers Summer Mini Expo was held on August 25th 2009 at Bayland Community Center, the same venue as our monthly meetings. Inside the Center, club members were set up to demonstrate their prowess at fly tying, rod building and, basic knot tying, leader basics and rigging. Other members were on hand for report on their trips to destinations such as the Bighorn River in Montana, the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country, fly fishing for salmon in Alaska and fly fishing along the Texas Gulf Coast. Outside, the Club’s Certified Casting Instructors were holding casting demonstrations and clinics. The night went on without a hitch and, we closed the evening with a drawing for some great prizes.

After the success of the initial Mini Expo, it was decided to make this an annual event with the only change coming in 2014, when it was decided to move the Summer Mini Expo from the traditional last Tuesday night of the month to the Saturday before and, making it a day-long event in hopes of offering a few additional programs and, attracting a few more interested fly fishers. Since its inception, the Mini Expo has continued to grow and we are looking for another large turnout at this year’s event. We look forward to seeing you there!

 

Fly Tying

Inside, there will be non-stop fly tying demonstration and instruction. Learn tips and techniques or, how to tie that special pattern from the club’s fly tying members

Along with the demonstrations, we will also host the club’s annual Iron Fly, an exciting time controlled, speed tying competition. This will coincide with the lunch break so, you can enjoy a snack while watching the contest.

Based on the premise of the TV cooking show, the Iron Chef, the tyers in the Iron Fly Competition have 12 minutes to select their materials, design and tie their pattern and, incorporate a “mystery material” in their pattern. The two top scores then tie off, head to head for the Iron Fly Trophy. Sounds simple? Well, come give it a try!

 

Casting

Have ever wanted to learn how to fly cast but, you didn’t know how to go about it? Well, here is your chance. At the Mini Expo, you will have the opportunity to receive instruction the art of fly casting from Certified Casting Instructors. Come learn the basics or, take your skills to the next level.

Our instruction will include but, not be limited to:

• Basic techniques to achieve effective, accurate casts
• False casting
• Casting in winds of varying speed and direction
• Techniques to Increase you distance, accurately

During the day, any of the instructors not directly involved in making a presentation/clinic will be free to work with students on their issue of choice.

All participants are encouraged to bring their own rod with line and leader for the clinic but, the Texas FlyFishers will have a limited supply of rods for anyone who does not bring a rod.

Along with the instructions, we will also hold the Casting Games, a skills based competition with 5 stations with different objectives. Each station will be scored and, the caster with the highest total will take home the prize.

Link to the Casting Games

 

Coming in February 2020

February 8, 2020, The Texas FlyFishers will host the 28th Annual Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival at the Bethany Christian Church, 3223 Westheimer Road in Houston, Texas, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

The featured tyer for the Festival will be will be Gunnar Brammer of Duluth, Minnesota. If you’re not familiar with Gunnar, he is one of fly tying’s most amazing young tyers. Gunnar specializes in designing and tying predator flies for all big game species, with bait fish patterns ranging from 3 inch Smallmouth patterns all the way to 14 inch BEAST Styled Musky and Offshore Flies and, everything in between. If you would like to learn more about Gunnar along with his patterns and impressive style of tying, visit Gunnar’s website at http://www.streamersbygunnar.com or, Brammer’s Custom Flies on YouTube. I can assure you won’t be disappointed.