Author: Jim R

2025 Texas Fly Fishers Mini-Expo – August 23rd 2025; Casting Workshops and Casting Video Analysis

Jim R 2 Comments

Below is the Casting Workshop Schedule, along with information regarding an opportunity for participants to receive a video analysis of their fly cast, at the 2025 Texas Fly Fishers Mini-Expo to be held Saturday, August 23rd 2025. There is no charge for attending any of the casting workshops or for the casting video analysis. Details regarding the 2025 Mini Expo can be found in another post regarding this event on this web page. (See: https://texasflyfishers.org/2025/08/07/event-texas-fly-fishers-to-hold-its-15th-annual-summer-mini-expo-saturday-august-23-2025-900-am-430-pm/ )

2025 Texas Fly Fishers Mini-Expo 

Casting Schedule

Instruction and Workshops

(Location- the casting area will be set up outside on the grass)

Casting Area for Children– a small area will be available for children accompanied by a parent or guardian to have some fly casting fun and learn some very basic skills related to fly fishing.

Individual Instruction-Fly Fishers International Certified Casting Instructors will be on hand to provide individual casting instruction to participants.  Additionally, Fly Fishers International Master Casting Instructor, Jeff Ferguson will be on hand throughout the day.

*Note: LOANER RODS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PARTICIPANTS TO USE

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Saltwater Outing: Fly Fishing the Surf, Wednesday, August 20, 2025 (This is a trip that has been rescheduled from Saturday, August 16, 2025)

Jim R 2 Comments

Trip Description: Day Trip to the Surf: Surfside Beach Area via Public Beach Access Road 4 off of the Blue Water Highway (County Road 257)

When: Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Where: Surfside Beach Area via Public Beach Access Road 4 
Start Time:  7:30 am
End Time: 1:00 pm 
Trip Leader: Barry Sandler and Jim Richards
Phone: Barry: 7I3-398-4252  Jim: 7I3-854-O5I7
Email:   Barry: BOSANDLER(at)GMAIL.COM.   Jim: JimMRichards(at)Comcast.net     

Lunch and water will not be provided.  Participants should bring their own food, water, sun glasses and PFD (Personal Floatation Device).

We will meet on the left side of the intersection of Public Access Road 4 and the beach. If you are signed up and will not be at the designated location at 7:30 am please contact Barry or Jim via cell phone at one of the numbers above.

How to sign up:
Use the link below to sign up.

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Pre-Meeting Casting Practice, Instruction and Social Gathering; June and September 2025 [Up-dated; 9-12-25]

Jim R Leave a comment

An opportunity to practice fly casting, get some casting instruction and share some social time with fellow club members will be provided prior to the club’s monthly meetings for the months of June and September 2025. [For the September Casting Gathering Water will be provided but since the club is now meeting at The Pit Room for its monthly meetings and as BBQ is available there, food will not be provided at the September Casting gathering].

The casting venue will be an open green lawn located toward the left side (when facing the church from Wirt Road) of the Terrace United Methodist Church, 1203 Wirt Road, Houston, Texas 77055 https://www.terraceumc.org. Parking may be available on the same side as the casting lawn or on the opposite side of the church facing the entrance to the church and church school, which is located to the right side of the property, when facing the property from Wirt road.

The casting lawn will be available for pre-monthly meeting casting for the above months beginning at 4:15 pm and will end at approximately 5:30-5:45 pm, so as to allow time for participants to travel to the nearby The Pit Room 10301-A Katy Fwy Houston, TX 77024 for the club’s monthly meeting, which will begin with a social/dinner hour at 6:00 pm. [The club meeting location was changed to the Pit Room beginning with the August meeting].

A few club rods, equipped with yarn practice flies will be available at the casting site; although, participants are welcomed to bring their personal casting equipment. If personal casting equipment is used, yarn will be provided for use in place of actual flies. In that regard, participants are asked not to practice casting with any hooks, flies or other sharp objects. Also, it is requested that all participants look out for their own safety along with that of others who may be in the area. Eye protection, a hat and maintaining a safe distance from others is encouraged while at or near the venue casting area. Additionally, the church has requested no pets be on the property (other than service animals) and that we remember to pick up whatever, paper products and other items we may bring onto the casting lawn.

So bring your chair along with your fly fishing spirit and come on out to mingle with your fellow club members, enjoy some social time and get in a little casting practice and instruction as you prepare to roll into a few of the remaining months of 2025.

Pre-Monthly Meeting Casting Postponed Until Spring 2025

Jim R Leave a comment

The casting session and associated social has been cancelled for September 2024. In light of the October meeting scheduled to be held by Zoom, there being no meeting in November due to the Thanksgiving Holiday and the club Christmas Party being held in lieu of the monthly meeting, pre-meeting casting will not resume until the Spring of 2025. Details regarding the Spring 2025 Pre-meeting Club Casting and associated socials will be posted at a later date. Thanks to all members who came out to socialize and participate in the pre-meeting casting/socials held during 2024.

2024 Texas Fly Fishers Mini-Expo – August 24th 2024; Casting Workshop and Instruction Schedule

Jim R 2 Comments

Below is the Casting Workshop and Instruction Schedule for the 2024 Texas Fly Fishers Mini-Expo to be held Saturday, August 24th 2024. There is no charge for attending any of the casting workshops or for individual instruction which may be provided. Details regarding the 2024 Mini Expo can be found in another post regarding this event on this web page. (See: https://texasflyfishers.org/2024/06/05/event-texas-fly-fishers-to-hold-its-15th-annual-summer-mini-expo-saturday-august-24-2024-900-am-430-pm/

Casting Schedule

Instruction and Workshops

(Location- the casting area will be set up outside on the grass)

Casting Area for Children– a small area will be available for children accompanied by a parent or guardian to have some fly casting fun and learn some very basic skills related to fly fishing.

Individual Instruction-Fly Fishers International Certified Casting Instructors will be on hand to provide individual casting instruction to participants. Additionally, Fly Fishers International Master Casting Instructor, Jeff Ferguson will be on hand throughout the day to teach some of the workshops and to provide individual Instruction.

*Note: LOANER RODS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PARTICIPANTS TO USE

Casting Workshops

Scheduled workshops will be offered throughout the day and will include the opportunity for participants to make the featured cast(s) with an instructor if desired by the participant.  The Workshop Schedule is as follows:

9:00 – Beginning Fly Fishing: Learning the Basic Fly Cast – if you have never cast a fly rod or if you have done a limited amount of fly casting, this class should help you advance your casting skills.

Instructor(s): All Instructors will be available to assist participants for this program.

10:00 – Increasing Distance

Instructor: Fly Fishers International Master Casting Instructor Jeff Ferguson will provide tips and instruction related to a fly angler understanding the mechanics pertaining to increasing the distance of the fly cast along with various skills which may allow a fly angler to increase the distance of the cast under various circumstances.

11:00- The Double Haul 

Instructor: Fly Fishers International Certified Casting Instructor Gary Davison will teach the basics of the double haul technique to participants who have no experience or knowledge of the technique and will also provide information which may assist angler/casters who have experience with the technique but would like to refine their use of it.

Noon to 1:00 pm – Lunch Break 

1:00 Advanced/ Intermediate Fly Casting

Instructor: Fly Fishers International Master Casting Instructor Jeff Ferguson will discuss and provide instruction regarding the Curve Cast (How to place the fly in front of a fish facing away from an angler and/or how to cast to a fish behind a rock or other obstacle), techniques  to use while Casting Big Flies and other skills which may be of assistance to an intermediate or advanced caster.

2:00 Open Casting and Instruction

Instructor(s): All Fly Fishers International Certified Instructors will be available to work with anyone interested in practicing or learning particular casting skills or techniques of the participant’s choosing.

*all casting classes and instruction will be taught and/or lead by Fly Fishers International Certified Casting Instructors 

Each Instructor presentation will last approximately 30-45 minutes.  Following each instructor presentation, students will be offered an opportunity to practice.  Any participant who desires to have an instructor assist with a specific casting is encouraged to approach any of the instructors, who are not directly involved in making a presentation, to work with them on their issue of choice.

All participants are encouraged to bring their own rod with line and leader for the workshops.  However, any participant who wishes to participate and does not have their personal rod should not hesitate to request a rod from one of the instructors on hand as the club will have a supply of loaner rods available. 

Note: Flies and/or hooks should not be attached to any line/leader but rather a piece of yarn or fiber should be attached to the leader.  Should a participant/student not have yarn or fiber for his or her fly line leader these materials will be provided and, if necessary, attached by the instructors. Additionally, all participants are reminded to keep a safe distance away from other casters, wear eye protection, a hat and be mindful of safety throughout all of the provided instruction and workshops.

Outing: Fly Fishing the Surf, August 3rd 2024

Jim R 2 Comments

Trip Description: Day Trip to the Surf: Surfside Beach Area via Public Beach Access Road 4 off of the Blue Water Highway (County Road 257)

When: Saturday, August 3, 2024
Where: Surfside Beach Area via Public Beach Access Road 4 
Start Time:  6:30 am
End Time: 1:00 pm 
Trip Leader: Barry Sandler and Jim Richards
Phone: Barry: 7I3-398-4252  Jim: 7I3-854-O5I7
Email:   Barry: BOSANDLER(at)GMAIL.COM.   Jim: JimMRichards(at)Comcast.net     

Lunch and water will not be provided.  Participants should bring their own food, water, sun glasses and PFD (Personal Floatation Device).

We will meet on the left side of the intersection of Public Access Road 4 and the beach. If you are signed up and will not be at the designated location at 6:30 am please contact Barry or Jim via cell phone at one of the numbers above.

How to sign up:
Use the link below to sign up.

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Cost: A beach parking sticker is not required for this location so there should be no cost other than the participants personal expenses.

Waiver Form: A club waiver form for this event will be available at the meeting location.

Directions: The location of Public Access Road 4 is here: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Brazoria+county+beach+access+%234/@29.0273117,-95.1871165,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x86407361996041d7:0x6f8c1cb96bea67cf!8m2!3d29.0273117!4d-95.1871165!16s%2Fg%2F11sv_9mtxq?hl=en-US&entry=ttu

CAUTION:  Soft, deep sand can be encountered on the access road and anywhere along the beach. A 4X4 vehicle would be the preferred choice if available. However, a 2WD vehicle with good ground clearance would probably be able to navigate the sand, given what the trip leaders observed in past years. Nevertheless, the driver would want to be careful to avoid soft sand, particularly at the beach entrance, where the access road ends.  A passenger car with limited ground clearance would not be a good transportation choice for this event. A shovel is a great piece of equipment to bring along in case you get stuck and both trip leaders will be carrying a shovel in their vehicles. A few driving suggestions are as follows: should you encounter soft sand, keep your vehicle moving; if you do get into sand which is too deep and feel like you are bogging down and losing momentum, then stop-do not continue to hit the gas once you have lost momentum, as this will only bury your vehicle to the frame and virtually guarantee you will need that shovel mentioned above; finally, sometimes lowering the air pressure in your tires and shoveling a little sand out of the way is all you may need to do to get unstuck.

If after arriving at the access road entrance you feel uncomfortable about the conditions, feel free to contact either of the trip leaders, both of whom will be driving a 4X4 vehicle and one will meet you to provide assistance.

Continuing with directions: The turn onto Public Access Road 4 can be accessed from either the Freeport or Galveston direction. 

From Freeport/Surfside as you drive east on the Blue Water Highway, (road 257) you will begin to see blue signs on your left designating the entrances to public assess roads. The entrances to the access roads will be on your right. The beach/surf will also be on your right. These signs will count down from Road 1 to Road 5. After passing Public Access Road 3 be on the lookout for a tall cell phone tower on your left:

Just past the cell tower you will see the entrance to Key Largo on your left:

Just past the Key Largo sign you will see a blue sign designating the entrance to Access Road 4 at which point you will turn RIGHT onto Public Access Road 4:

The drive to the beach on the access road is short. Shortly after turning right onto the access road you will come to this sign on your right:

Just past the sign, as the access road meets the beach we will meet on the LEFT. NOTE, TRAVEL ON THE BEACH FROM THIS POINT FORWARD WILL BE ONE WAY ONLY TO THE LEFT.

The meeting location can also be accessed by coming from the direction of Galveston/San Luis Pass. From this direction, you will eventually see a blue beach access sign on your right for Beach Access Road 5. You will pass the entrance to access road 5. You will then see a tall cell phone tower on your right just behind the blue sign for the entrance to Access Road 4. The beach/surf will be on your left. When you come to this sign, you will turn left onto Public Access Road 4:

You will then drive the short distance down the access road to the meeting location as described above.

Suggested Fly Fishing Gear

Fly Rod and reel size 7,8,9 or what ever size you choose to cast the flies of your choice with a fly line of your choice. 

Floating or Intermediate lines are generally appropriate.

Tippet Material of your choice; generally monofilament or fluorocarbon is acceptable; however, should the fish species at the location cut your leader or tippet material, a wire tippet would be an option.

Flies: There are many flies to choose from. Generally a fly of a hook size 01 to 4 is a good choice-a Clouser Minnow is a good choice to start. Poppers, spoon flies, baitfish patterns and shrimp patterns may also work well.

A PFD (Personal Floatation Device) is recommended as are sunglasses, a good hat and sunscreen.

Education-Beginning Fly Fishing Class-June 29, 2024 (Up-Dated Post)

Jim R Leave a comment

The club will be presenting a beginning fly fishing class on Saturday, June 29, 2024 at the Pearland Bass Pro store located at 1000 Bass Pro Drive in Pearland, Texas. For specific location information see: https://stores.basspro.com/us/tx/pearland/1000-bass-pro-dr.html

The class is intended for those just getting started in fly fishing and will cover the fundamentals of the fly fishing hobby, including such topics as gear selection (rods, reels, fly lines, leaders, etc.) rigging up to fly fish, fly options, etymology and basic fly casting. Included in the day will be classroom information, which will be presented in a classroom inside the Bass Pro store, along with on the water casting instruction to be provided outside on a small lake located on the Bass Pro property. Fly fishing rods, equipped with line and reels, will be available for participants; although, personal fly fishing equipment may also be used for the casting portion of the class.

The class will begin at 9:00 am and will conclude at 4:00 pm. Lunch and drinks will be provided at no charge to participants. For the class to be offered as scheduled there must be at least 5 registered participants. Additionally, the class will be closed when registration reaches a maximum of 15 participants.

Interested members and their families are encouraged to register prior to June 5, 2024 at which time the class will become available to non-club members.

To register, click on this link: https://texasflyfishers.org/2024/03/15/education-beginning-fly-fishing-class-june-29-2024/#!event-register/2024/6/29/education-beginning-fly-fishing-class-june-29-2024

Pre-Meeting Casting Practice, Instruction and Social Gathering; April, May, June and September 2024

Jim R 4 Comments

An opportunity to practice fly casting, get some casting instruction and share a light meal and social time with fellow club members will be provided prior to the club’s monthly meetings for the months of April, May, June and September 2024.

The casting venue will be an open green lawn located toward the left side (when facing the church from Wirt Road) of the Terrace United Methodist Church, 1203 Wirt Road, Houston, Texas 77055 https://www.terraceumc.org. Parking may be available on the same side as the casting lawn or on the opposite side of the church facing the entrance to the church and church school, which is located to the right side of the property, when facing the property from Wirt road.

The casting lawn will be available for pre-monthly meeting casting for the above months beginning at 4:15 pm and will end at approximately 5:45 pm, so as to allow time for participants to travel the short distance to the Trini Mendenhal Community Center (1414 Wirt Road, Houston, Texas) for the club’s monthly meeting, which will formally start at 6:00 pm.

A few club rods, equipped with yarn practice flies will be available at the casting site; although, participants are welcomed to bring their personal casting equipment. If personal casting equipment is used, yarn will be provided for use in place of actual flies. In that regard, participants are asked not to practice casting with any hooks, flies or other sharp objects. Also, it is requested that all participants look out for their own safety along with that of others who may be in the area. Eye protection, a hat and maintaining a safe distance from others is encouraged while at or near the venue casting area. Additionally, the church has requested no pets be on the property (other than service animals) and that we remember to pick up whatever, paper products and other items we may bring onto the casting lawn.

Sandwiches and drinks will be available at the casting lawn so bring your chair along with your fly fishing spirit and come on out to mingle with your fellow club members, enjoy some social time and get in a little casting practice and instruction as you prepare to roll into a few of the remaining monthly meetings for 2024.

Education-Beginning Fly Fishing Class-June 29, 2024

Jim R 4 Comments

The club will be presenting a beginning fly fishing class on Saturday, June 29, 2024 at the Pearland Bass Pro store located at 1000 Bass Pro Drive in Pearland, Texas. https://stores.basspro.com/us/tx/pearland/1000-bass-pro-dr.html

The class is intended for those just getting started in fly fishing and will cover the fundamentals of the fly fishing hobby, including such topics as gear selection (rods, reels, fly lines, leaders, etc.) rigging up to fly fish, fly options, etymology and basic fly casting. Included in the day will be classroom information, which will be presented in a classroom inside the Bass Pro store, along with on the water casting instruction to be provided outside on a small lake located on the Bass Pro property. Fly fishing rods, equipped with line and reels, will be available for participants; although, personal fly fishing equipment may also be used for the casting portion of the class.

Lunch and drinks will be provided at no charge to participants. For the class to be offered as scheduled there must be at least 5 registered participants. Additionally, the class will be closed when registration reaches a maximum of 15 participants.

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