July 2025 activities

AFR monthly meeting
Thursday, July 17
6:00pm
Pack & Paddle Outpost (behind P&P)
601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette
Guests are welcome!

Often we are asked, "What can you fish for with fly rod here in South Louisiana?". And the answer is just about anything! If you're one of those "all fish, all waters" anglers. then you don’t want to miss this month’s meeting as Ken Holmes of the Red Stick Fly Fishers will join us to talk about Fly Fishing for Gar.  It’s been said he has “devoted an absurd amount of time” pursuing gar and we’re sure he’ll provide plenty of insight and motivation to give any of the 4 species available right here in LA a shot with your fly rod.

Lagniappe: Ken will also show a short video he and some friends have made about their gar tournament called "The Golden Gar'.

As always the public is welcome!  Come early for some retail therapy at Pack and Paddle.

Acadiana Bugs & Brews
Thursday, July 24
6:00pm
Pack & Paddle Outpost, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette
Open to the public

Acadiana Bugs & Brews is an open community fly tying event. While not affiliated with AFR, several of our members participate and assist beginners.  Bring your favorite beverage, and enjoy a cold one while tying flies and sharing fishing tales.

This month's featured fly is the Slow Sinking Spider. Created by Stephen Robert of Houma, it's a great fly for those times a slow tantalizing fall is what the fish want, and with a contrasting body and wiggling leg, the fish seems to want it often.  Glen "Catch" Cormier lists it among his 7 must have panfish flies.  Best yet, it's an easy, durable tie. 

As always, AB&B is open to the public. We’ll have materials and extra tools for any beginners interested in learning to tie. So come and tie the SSS, or just bring whatever you're tying and enjoy some conversation and cold beverages.

Flip Siragusa, AFR president, passes

It is with great sadness that we share that Flip Siragusa passed away this Monday, June 9th, after a courageous bout with leukemia and associated complications. Flip was president of Acadiana Fly Rodders and a prolific fly tier who had demonstrated at various events, as well as taught tying workshops through Pack & Paddle and at FFI events. He had also served as Fly Tying Director for the Gulf Coast Council of Fly Fishers International.  

Flip began flyfishing and tying flies as a youngster. He would make rudimentary popping bugs with cork bottle tops, chicken feathers, and paint. During his 30 year career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, he renewed his interest in fly fishing, expanding his tying skills and even began making his own rods.  His repertoire of over a hundred fly patterns ranged from dry flies to deer hair bugs to offshore flies, but his favorites were foam bugs and his variation of the Waldner Spoon Fly.   He also created the Zatarian Shrimp, the Pont Breaux Crawfish, and several other flies.

Flip was equally delighted with catching bream in local ponds as he was sightcasting to redfish in skinny water. The best part of being around him was hearing his many outdoors stories, both from his personal experience in the field as well as those shared to him by the “old timers”, which told the little known history of Louisiana localities and outdoor traditions.

A memorial service is being planned for later this summer. We ask that you please keep Janese and the rest of the Siragusa family in your prayers.

June 2025 activities

AFR monthly meeting
Thursday, June 19th
6:00pm
Pack & Paddle Outpost (behind P&P)
601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette

Join us Thursday June 19th at 6pm in the Pack and Paddle Outpost (behind the shop).  We’ll use Daylight Savings Time to our advantage and work on the double haul cast.  The double haul is a great technique that increases your line speed, yielding more distance to your cast.  It's also very effective for overcoming wind and is widely used in saltwater fly fishing.  So come learn this important casting technique, then practice, practice, practice.

As always guests are welcome and come early for some retail therapy at Pack and Paddle.

Acadiana Bugs & Brews
Thursday, June 26th
6:00pm
Pack & Paddle Outpost, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette
Open to the public

Acadiana Bugs & Brews is an open community fly tying event. While not affiliated with AFR, several of our members participate and assist beginners.  Bring your favorite beverage, and enjoy a cold one while tying flies and sharing fishing tales.

This month we are thinking of surf fishing and will have tools and materials available to demo the Thunder Creek Minnow.  In the right colors it is a great Bay Anchovy, Glass Minnow imitation for those times a small slow sinking minnow is the approach. It was originated in freshwater and tied to imitate several different minnow species by changing the colors, so once mastered, the options are many.

Tied with bucktail using the "bullet" head or reverse tied technique, this will open up possibilities for reverse tying many other flies and materials such as marabou and craft fur minnows or deer and elk hair hoppers.  CLICK on the image above for a larger view of the TCM.

The public is always welcome and we will have materials and tools to learn on.  So everyone join us at the Pack and Paddle Outpost, behind the shop on Thursday the 26th at 6pm.

Make plans to attend Caddo Expo on July 19th

Caddo Fly Fishing Expo
Saturday, July 19th, 2025
9:00am – 5:00pm
Jefferson Tourism & Visitors Center
Jefferson, TX
hosted by North Louisiana Fly Fishers

On Saturday, July 19th, the North Louisiana Fly Fishers will hold their  inaugural Caddo Fly Fishing Expo. This event will be held in historic downtown Jefferson, TX. The event will feature fly tying demonstrations, seminars, fly casting, exhibitors, raffles, and more. Held on the banks of Cypress Bayou which feeds Caddo Lake, there is fishing available as well as kayak rentals available locally.

For members of Acadiana Fly Rodders interested in attending the event, the documents linked below should have enough information.  There are also tier and vendor applications if anyone is interested in tying or exhibiting at the Expo. Spots are limited, so please don't delay.

Caddo Fly Fishing Expo documents:

Caddo Event Flyer (pdf)

Caddo Expo Tiers Invite (pdf)

Caddo Expo Vendor Tyer Flyer (pdf)

Caddo Expo Vendor Invite (pdf)  

 

May 2025 activities

AFR monthly meeting
Thursday, May 15th
6:00pm
Pack & Paddle Outpost (behind P&P)
601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette

Join us this month as we discuss "Urban" fishing opportunities here in Acadiana.  Sometimes you don't want to load up and travel far, but need a relaxing moment casting a fly to some fish.  We can point to a few spots that fit the bill, and which might even provide a lunchtime or after work option.  Maybe you have a spot that you don't mind sharing!

As always guests are welcome and come early for some retail therapy at Pack and Paddle.

Acadiana Bugs & Brews
Thursday, May 22nd
6:00pm
Pack & Paddle Outpost, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette
Open to the public

Acadiana Bugs & Brews is an open community fly tying event. While not affiliated with AFR, several of our members participate and assist beginners.  Bring your favorite beverage, and enjoy a cold one while tying flies and sharing fishing tales.

There's no featured pattern this month, so bring whatever you're tying and enjoy a relaxing evening tying with friends.  Who knows, we may be asking all about what you're tying!  

As always, AB&B is open to the public. We’ll have materials and extra tools for any beginners interested in learning to tie. Come early and get in a little retail therapy at our fine sponsors in Pack & Paddle.  

April 2025 activities

AFR monthly meeting
Thursday, April 17th
6:00pm
Pack & Paddle Outpost (behind P&P)
601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette

Join us Thursday April 17th at the Pack & Paddle Outpost (behind the shop) for some fly casting. Now that Daylight Savings is here we can spend some time outside doing some casting. We’ll set up a couple simple games and try some casting exercises. Bring a rod or several and try other folks rods as we try to improve our casting and as always have some fun. Hopefully some of our better casters will be here to offer assistance.  

As always guests are welcome! Come early to get in a bit of retail therapy at Pack & Paddle.

Acadiana Bugs & Brews
Thursday, April 24th
6:00pm
Pack & Paddle Outpost, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette
Open to the public

Acadiana Bugs & Brews is an open community fly tying event. While not affiliated with AFR, several of our members participate and assist beginners.  Bring your favorite beverage, and enjoy a cold one while tying and sharing fishing tales. Join in tying a featured pattern, or bring your own fly to tie.

If you're like many saltwater anglers, this is time of year we start thinking about speckled trout. The late May/early June period offers up the best surf fishing for specks each year. We're not sure what our featured pattern will be, but it'll be something for those surfer specks!

As always we’ll have materials and extra tools, so beginners are welcome. Come early and get in a little retail therapy at our fine sponsors in Pack & Paddle.