Make plans now for Red Stick Day on March 5th

Our 27th annual Red Stick Day is coming up Saturday, March 5th.  Red Stick Day is our fly fishing festival - a celebration of our sport featuring great programs, fly tying demonstrations, casting instruction, loads of raffle items, and more.  And best of all, admission is free!

The event will again be held at the LDWF Waddill Outdoors Education Center off North Flannery Road.  The ponds on the premises are full of big bass and bluegill, so bring your fly tackle.  In addition, our friends at Masseys Outfitters will be on hand with a variety of kayaks from Hobie and Native for folks to test paddle/pedal.  

Once again, we have great programs lined up. Members of Team Massey will start things off with "Kayak Fishing the Marsh" with tips on how to rig for marsh fishing as well as best places for reds and specks.  Chris Williams, winner of last year's Jambalaya Challenge with 43 species caught on fly, will present on a nationwide mixed bag contest.  Successful tournament anglers Kevin "MusicDoc" Andry and Glen "Catch" Cormier will talk about "Bass on the Fly".  And finally, coastal scientist and accomplished fly angler Darin Lee will discuss "Fly Fishing Southwest Louisiana".

Roughly a dozen of the region's top fly tiers will also be on hand to demonstrate their various flies, along with their favorite legacy patterns. Attendees can watch and learn the step-by-step process to making a great fish-catching lure from scratch. Names and bios of tiers will be listed when we have received them.

We'll also have casting instruction from several regional FFI Certified Casting Instructors throughout the day.

Details about the event, including speaker and tier bios, schedule of activities, and more can be found by clicking on the "Red Stick Day" link above.

2022 Jambalaya Challenge goes live!

Our Jambalaya Challenge is back for a second year.  Jamb-C kicked off February 1st and runs until midnight November 31st.  We've started a month earlier this year so that any rainbeaux trout caught in local ponds can be included.

* Please note that the form currently shows 2021 but can still be used for 2022 entries.

Like it's namesake, Jambalaya Challenge is a mixture of diverse elements... a contest where size doesn't matter, but diversity does. It's a members-only, months-long tournament where the goal is to catch as many different species on fly rod. It's CPRE which means catch-photo-release encouraged. And best of all, there is no entry fee!

Are you ready?  Here's what you need to compete:

• Be a 2022 member of Red Stick.  If you haven't joined or renewed, you can still post entries but have until March 31st to get your membership paid.
  
• Go to the Jambalaya Challenge page and review the rules
• Have your camera or smartphone available when fishing
• Take photos of your catch and include either the fly rod or fly, or both
• Log them in using the links on the Jambalaya Challenge page.
• While members who log the most different species win prizes, all other participants are eligible for consolation prizes.  Each entry gets you one ticket into the consolation drawing.  

Check out our website and Facebook page during the year for frequent updates.

Springtime is events time

When it comes to fly fishing, Spring is event season across the deep South.  While Covid forced cancellations of most events the past two years, it's clear that the Omicron variant isn't scaring anyone from getting back to some semblence of normal. 

Here is a list of fly fishing events within four hours drive or less from the Baton Rouge area, taking place over the next few months. We encourage RSFF members and others to attend our own Red Stick Day, and one or more of the others.

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. 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.

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.

January 24th fly tying - CANCELLED

RSFF monthly fly tying
Monday, January 24, 2022 - CANCELLED
7:00pm
Adult Education Building
Broadmoor United Methodist Church
10230 Mollylea Drive, Baton Rouge, LA

* This meeting has been cancelled.  Join us next month for fly tying *

As always, our meetings are open to the public and guests are welcome! Materials will be provided for those wanting to tie along. Bring your vise and tools, if none, the club has sets for use during these sessions.

RSFF annual banquet - January 17th

RSFF annual banquet
Monday, January 17, 2022
6:30pm - setup
7:00pm - dinner
Broadmoor United Methodist Church, Adult Education Building

* Note: this month's meeting moved from the 10th to the 17th due to the BCS National Championship

Our annual banquet & potluck dinner will take place at our usual meeting spot. Bring a dish or dessert to share, and serving utensils needed for your dish (eg, large spoon, fork or knife). The club will furnish plates, napkins, silverware, tablecloths, ice, cups, iced tea and water.

Use the group email to respond with what dish you plan to bring.

We will also do club awards, recognize the winners of the 2021 Jambalaya Challenge and talk about club plans for this Spring.

RSFF holiday gathering postponed to January

With the holidays upon us, we typically have no meetings in December except for our annual Christmas Party.  Due to circumstances, we have had to postpone that event.  So in January, we will instead celebrate a "New Year Kickoff Party" - date to be announced.

Here's wishing our members and friends, and all of their families, a most blessed holiday season. Hope everyone finds something under the Christmas tree they can use for their piscatorial pursuits in the coming year.

We also wish everyone a prosperous and healthy 2022.  With much emphasis on healthy!  Hopefully, this coming year things will be back to normal.

While Christmas is a season of festivity, let's not forget the reason for the season: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us….” John 1:14. Please be giving to those in need, and pray for those who are less fortunate, for those in suffering, and for those away from their families this season.  Love and peace to everyone!