ATHENS—Fly Fish Texas returns to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center March 9 with the goal of teaching visitors to tie a fly, cast a fly and catch a fish with it all in one day.
Show hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All Fly Fish Texas activities are free with regular paid admission to the center.
Fly Fish Texas emphasizes hands-on learning and immediate application of newly acquired skills. Visitors can collect aquatic insects from the center’s streams, tie a fly to imitate one of those insects under the supervision of a skilled tier, learn to cast it from a casting instructor certified by the Federation of Fly Fishers, then use it to catch a rainbow trout, catfish or sunfish from one of TFFC’s stocked ponds or streams. Before that, ensure that you’re equipped with a sturdy fishing line to tackle the monstrosities of fishes that you might catch. Better yet, see the full review here of the best fishing lines one can get their hands on.
Throughout the day, experienced fly-tiers will be demonstrating and teaching fly-tying in the Anglers Pavilion on a one-on-one basis. In addition, group instruction in beginning fly-tying will be offered in the Hart-Morris Conservation Center. Both are offered on a walk-up basis.
Beginning casting instruction will take place all day in the Conservation Center parking lot, again on a walk-up basis. Other sessions will teach single-hand and Spey rod casting at scheduled times.
Vendors will be displaying and selling fly-fishing gear, and seminars will brief visitors on where and how to fly-fish in Texas fresh and salt waters for a variety of species.
Featured presentations include fly-fishing the Llano River in Texas, trout fishing in Colorado, fly-fishing urban creeks in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, fly-fishing for carp, flies and tactics for spring bass and fly-fishing Texas bays for red drum and speckled seatrout.
While most activities at Fly Fish Texas are offered on a walk-up basis, others are scheduled. For a complete schedule of activities and seminars plus a video of the event, visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/tffc and click on the Fly Fish Texas link.
Food service will be available onsite, or attendees may bring a picnic.
Event sponsors include Sabine River Authority, Best Western-Royal Mountain Inn, Holiday Inn Express-Athens, Super 8-Athens, Temple Fork Outfitters, Orvis-Dallas, Cripple Creek Bar-B-Que, First State Bank, Red Hat Rentals, Wulf Outdoor Sports and Friends of TFFC.