At the Tuesday, February 28, 2023 monthly meeting of the Texas Fly Fishers, James (Jim) Pryal will be the monthly speaker. Jim operates Into the Wild Guide Service https://www.intothewildflyfishing.com through which he guides fly anglers in the upper peninsula of Michigan for various species, depending on the season, which include small mouth bass, steelhead, brown trout, brook trout, musky, chinook and coho. In his off season, which includes February, he works in Galveston, Texas with long time club supporter Captain Stacy Lynn, at the newly established fly shop in Galveston, The Galveston Fishing Company. Although, Jim may touch on all of the species he targets in Michigan, his primary topic for the meeting will be fly fishing for small mouth bass.

In addition to guiding fly anglers, Jim is a gifted fly tyer and in that regard was a finalist in the Iron Fly Contest at the club’s recent tying festival where he participated as a fly tyer. So, the participants at the meeting will not only hear about fly fishing techniques but will also have an opportunity to see some of Jim’s very fine fly patterns.

There is no charge for admission and all are welcome at the meeting. Jim is not only an experienced angler and fly tyer he is also a very personable individual. You will not want to miss this presentation.

So, if you are interested in learning more about the fly fishing world, if you are interested in watching some fly tying before the meeting or are just interested in socializing with a friendly group of fly fishing men and women, come to the February 28, 2023 monthly meeting.  We would be glad to have you and look forward to seeing you at the meeting. 

Date: February 28, 2023

Time: Meeting Time 6:30-8:30 pm

Place: Mendenhall Community Center  

1414 Wirt Road

Houston, Texas 77055

Saturday, February 4, 2023

8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Charlie Craven

The Texas FlyFishers have been hard at work putting together the 30^th Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival.  For 2023, fly fishing, fly designer and fly tyer Charlie Craven, from Colorado will be the featured tier.

Charlie Craven owns Charlie’s Fly Box, a fly shop in Arvada, Colorado and is a top-selling signature fly designer for Umpqua Feather Merchants.  He is the Fly Tier’s Bench columnist for Fly Fisherman magazine and author of: 

• Charlie Craven’s Basic Fly Tying: Modern Techniques for Flies That Catch Fish
• Charlie’s Fly Box: Signature Flies for Fresh and Saltwater, Tying Nymphs
• Essential Flies and Techniques for the Top Patterns and Tying Streamers
• Essential Flies and Techniques for the Top Patterns

Charlie is also featured in the Fly Fisherman Magazine”s DVDs : Warm water Fly Tying and Saltwater Fly Tying.  Charlie Craven is respected around the world for his innovative fly designs and fly tying skills.

The Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival attracts tyers of all disciplines from all over Texas and neighboring states. The 2023 Festival is scheduled for Saturday, February 4^th, 2023 and will take place at the Trini Mendenhall Community Center, 1414 Wirt Road, Houston, Texas 77055.  The tying will begin at 8:00 am and will finish at 4:00 pm.  There will be no charge for admission and food and drinks will be available also at no charge; although, a small donation for those items would be appreciated.

Along with the general tying in the main venue, there will be 1 Hour Classroom  Tying Sessions lead by Charlie Craven and other talented tyers.  Additionally,  from 10 am to 2 pm, instruction, including the necessary tools and materials, will be available for any youngsters and beginning fly tyers to learn the basics of the great hobby of tying flies.  For any leader of youngsters involved in Scouting or other youth activities, this might just be the perfect opportunity to expose them to fly fishing and fly tying.  So, there will be many learning opportunities throughout the day; from learning to tie ones first fly, to learning as an observer from the many talented tyers to attending classroom fly tying instruction from some of the best fly tyers in the country.  And for any who currently tie flies at any level and just want to connect with others with similar interests, feel free to bring your own tools and materials, have a seat and join in on the fun.

Additionally, during the noon hour, the Annual Iron Fly Competition will be held.  For this activity, the club will supply 10 – 12 intrepid tyers with a pack of 12 materials.  Once the command is given, the contestants will have a short time to look over the materials, design and then 15 minutes to tie their entry. The kicker, is that there is a “mystery” material included that must be used in the pattern. The entries will be scored on (1) Number of materials used in the entry – 1 point per each materials / 12 points total; (2) Balance and Symmetry of the pattern – 5 points; and (3) Creative use of the materials – 5 points.  The 3 top entries will then participate in “Tie Off” for the Championship for which the format, rules and scoring will be the same as the preliminary round. The Champion will receive a trophy and bragging rights for one year.  This is a really fun event for everyone present.  To see the amazing flies the participating tyers can create with such a vast array of materials is very impressive and entertaining. 

Since its beginning in April, 1993, the Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival, named to honor one of its early founders, Dr. Ed Rizzolo, has grown into one of the area’s premier fly fishing events, consistently attracting the top fly tyers from all over the country. This event could not have reached the level of notoriety it has  obtained without the support of the fly tying community and others who are interested in fly fishing.  With your continued support, it is the hope of the Texas FlyFishers that the Annual Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival will continue to grow. The Texas Fly Fishers in Houston, Texas hope you will make plans to be at this great event. We look forward to seeing you there.

Texas Fly Fishers (Houston)