IT’S THE 4^th ANNUAL TRWD FLYFEST

Chris Johnson

Chris is the owner and founder of Living Waters Fly Fishing, a fly shop and guide service based out of Round Rock, Texas. He has guided the Texas Hill Country for over a decade, and has fly fished the heart of the state for 20 years. Chris has been a licensed guide in Texas, Oklahoma, and Alaska. Chris is an IFFF Certified Casting Instructor, Umpqua Signature Fly Designer, Tenkara USA Guide, and TPWD Angler Educator. He is also a pro team member for Whiting Farms, Scott Fly Rods, and Scientific Anglers. Chris is dedicated to sharing his passion for the sport and investing in the next generation of fly anglers. He often is a featured presenter/fly tier at fly fishing, outdoor, and community events throughout the state.

Chris and his shop have also been featured in several outdoor publications including Trout magazine, Garden and Gun, and Tenkara Magazine. He was also awarded the 2014 Man of the Year from the IFFF Texas Council and in the same year, Living Waters was the recipient of the IFFF’s prestigious Lee Wulff Award.

In addition to fly fishing, Chris is passionate about film and photography. He co-produced the short film “Unspoken,” in an effort to raise awareness for Rio Grande Cutthroat trout conservation. As a result, Living Waters is working with Trout Unlimited as a Gold Level endorsed TU Business to restore Rio Grande Cutthroat throughout their native range.

Chris is happily married to his wife Emily and together they enjoy running the fly shop, fly fishing the world, and raising their daughter Lydia in the sport.

Stephen Woodcock

Stephen has fly fished for over 25 years. His passion for fly fishing has taken him to the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, North America, Canada and he has guided in Colorado, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Stephen has lived in Fort Worth for the past 27 years and has been the fly fishing manager at Backwoods for the past 15 years. He teaches a fly school regularly, offers private casting lessons and gives free fly tying classes every Wednesday evening. Stephen has been President, Vice President and speaker chairman for the Fort Worth fly fishers and loves to fly fish anytime he can.

Martin Dietz

Martin Dietz is 16 years old. He is a competitor as well as a youth world level fly fisherman on the US Youth Fly Fishing team. He has recently traveled to Poland for the 2018 Cortland World Championship, and plans on going to the nest one in 2019 in the Czech Republic. Martin started fly fishing when he was 12 years old, and this sport has forever been his passion since. Martin’s competitions are for trout, grayling and other comp specific fresh water species. He has travel a lot, and just in the past year, has fished in Colorado, Idaho, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina and Texas. The main water that he fishes on or “Home Water” is Guadalupe River in New Braunsfels, Texas, as well as Lower Mountain Fork in Broken Bow, OK. These fisheries are very special to him and has helped him have an upper hand over most of the competition anglers because both of these fisheries have every technical water structure imaginable. My main technique water structure imaginable. My main technique of flying fishing in these areas, as well as all completions is Euro-nymphing or tight line nymphing.

Frank Smethurst

Frank was introduced to fishing at the age of two, he started tying his own flies at age seven and at the age of twelve, began work at an influential Atlanta tackle shop.

Some notable programs that Frank has been featured in include: Jim and Kelly Watt’s Flyfishing Video Magazine, The Reel Guys, Fishing with Micah Adams, Frank’s Fishing Problem, and Trout Unlimited’s On The Rise. He has also produced and starred in feature films: Running Down The Man, and Eastern Rises, with Felt Soul Media, and Carpland with RA Beattie.

Frank has competed and placed and/or won at OLN’s Flyfishing Masters, The Conejos Superfly, The Denver Carp Slam, The Teva Mtn Games, The GoPro Games, The Caddis Cup, The Frostbite Fish Off and The Dos Mosca.

ohFrank now live is Telluride and has his own fly pattern and has released a collection with Montana Fly Company.

Russell Husted

Russell is a past President of the Texas Council IFFF and Fort Worth Fly Fishers. Russell spends most of his spare time fishing Texas Rivers and targets BIG Bass. He is an avid fly tier, focusing on simple patterns that are proven to do the trick. Russell loves urban bass fishing and enjoys spending time doing seminars and working with the youth.

Stacy Lynn

The sport of Fly Fishing has been central in Stacy’s life since 1995. Stacy has managed several of Texas’ best fly shops since that time and is an avid saltwater and freshwater angler. She has 20+ years as a professional casting coach and is a Fly Fishers Intl. Certified Casting Instructor and a graduate of Joan Wulff’s Fly Fishing Instructor’s School. She is an active supporter and member of many of the Texas fly fishing clubs and related organizations. She is a volunteer Lead Instructor for Texas’ Casting for Recovery program – a weekend fly fishing retreat for women surviving breast cancer – and has been a co-organizer for the Lydia Ann Fly Master’s saltwater fly fishing tournament benefiting CfR. She has been a feature speaker, demonstrator and instructor at numerous events including The Fly Fishing Show, The Shallow Water Show, Fly Fish Texas, Flat Out Fishing!, TPWD Expo, Oktoberfisch, the Houston Fishing Show, Texas Fly Fishing and Brew Fest, and several FFF Conclaves/Fairs. Her favorite fly fishing endeavor to date is sight casting in saltwater, especially to Redfish from her own poling skiff, and Tarpon and Permit in tropical destinations. And her instruction specialties are conducting casting diagnostics, and helping fly casters prepare for the challenging and exciting Saltwater Fly Fishing experience.

Steve Hollensed

Steve is a full time Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide and Professional Casting Instructor who owns and operates Flywater Angling Adventures. An FFI Master Casting Instructor, he runs an active schedule of casting lessons, classes, and schools. Steve is also an active member of the FFI Casting Board of Governors, serving as Co-Chairman of the Test Committee, a member of the Examiner Review Committee, is an EDP faculty member, and is a Lever 2 Examiner. Steve hosts fly fishing trips throughout the Americas including Montana, British Columbia, Belize and Patagonia. He received the FFI Mel Krieger Award in 2015 and is a two-time finalist for “Orvis Fly Fishing Guide of the Year”.

Matt Bennett

Matt Bennett is a full-time commercial fly tyer and the owner of Fly Geek Custom Flies. While having a varied interest in many different types of fly fishing, Matt most enjoys both tying flies and fishing for the native bass species of the Texas Hill Country, and most of his flies were created to fool these specific quarry. However, most of Matt’s patterns have a broad universal appeal to fish species all over, and he very much enjoys sharing his tying and fishing knowledge with others. Matt is a member of the Umpqua Feather Merchants Signature Fly Designer program, and his initial pattern, Bennett’s Lunch $, is available in fly shops all over the country. Matt currently serves as the Conservation chair and Past President of the Austin Fly Fishers, the Vice President of the Texas Council FFI and was awarded the 2015 Charles E. Brooks Memorial Award by the International Federation of Fly Fishers.

Mike Morphew

Mike Morphew has been fly fishing for trout, salmon and saltwater fish for over 50 years. He tied his first fly aged 13, caught a trout on it and was “hooked”. He has been fascinated with tying “ultra-realistic” insects for 15 years. In 2003 he was asked to create a salmon fly display for Her Royal Highness Princess Anne. All of his flies and realistic imitations are hand tied and mounted for the best presentation. Mike lives in La Grange, Texas, is on the board of the Austin Fly Fishers Club and is a gold award FFI fly tyer.

Chris Johnson

Chris is the owner and founder of Living Waters Fly Fishing, a fly shop and guide service based out of Round Rock, Texas. He has guided the Texas Hill Country for over a decade, and has fly fished the heart of the state for 20 years. Chris has been a licensed guide in Texas, Oklahoma, and Alaska. Chris is an IFFF Certified Casting Instructor, Umpqua Signature Fly Designer, Tenkara USA Guide, and TPWD Angler Educator. He is also a pro team member for Whiting Farms, Scott Fly Rods, and Scientific Anglers. Chris is dedicated to sharing his passion for the sport and investing in the next generation of fly anglers. He often is a featured presenter/fly tier at fly fishing, outdoor, and community events throughout the state.

Chris and his shop have also been featured in several outdoor publications including Trout magazine, Garden and Gun, and Tenkara Magazine. He was also awarded the 2014 Man of the Year from the IFFF Texas Council and in the same year, Living Waters was the recipient of the IFFF’s prestigious Lee Wulff Award.

In addition to fly fishing, Chris is passionate about film and photography. He co-produced the short film “Unspoken,” in an effort to raise awareness for Rio Grande Cutthroat trout conservation. As a result, Living Waters is working with Trout Unlimited as a Gold Level endorsed TU Business to restore Rio Grande Cutthroat throughout their native range.

Chris is happily married to his wife Emily and together they enjoy running the fly shop, fly fishing the world, and raising their daughter Lydia in the sport.

Dutch Baughman

Dutch is a retired CEO of the Division 1A Athletic Directors’ Association. He is an avid fly fisherman and is a member of the Board of Directors for several organizations including Fly Fisher’s International, Fly Fishing Learning Center, Fly Fishing Skills Resource Area and the Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation. He frequently works as a demonstration fly tier at fly fishing expos and festivals. He has conducted weekly fly tying classes at Bass Pro Shop in Grapevine, Texas for over twenty years and teaches the Fly Fishing Skills class at the Tarrant County College-Northeast campus.

Barry Webster

Kyle Hand

Kyle Hand is a fly tier based out of Fort Worth, but his work is highly regarded and sought out worldwide. He started tying flies in Colorado in 1981 and tied commercially for over 25 years. He has tied for shops and vendors throughout the mountain west, Arizona, and Texas, as well as the Orvis Company. Kyle currently spends most of his time tying Classic Salmon, Bass, Wet flies and Streamers as well as tying at many shows and Expositions around the United States. He also is a member of the Grapevine Roadkill Roundtable. Kyle is a retired Train Dispatcher for the BNSF Railroad and lives in Fort Worth. The fly he is going to tie is one he has invented, Susie’s Damsel. This fly has caught fish all over the United States. His philosophy on the fly is if there are Damselflies flitting about on the water, it’s time to tie one on. It is a dry fly and has been very effective in this area for trout, bream and bass. It also confused an 8-pound catfish on one occasion. He will be demonstrating two ways to tie this fly.

Bob Garber and Steve Hollensed

As a young boy began Bob began fishing the ponds, lake and rivers of northeast Oklahoma with family. He first picked up a fly rod in 1973 and for the last 15 years the fly rod has been his only choice in fishing. He has fly fished for warm, cold and salt water species across much of the western United States, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alaska and The Bahamas. Bob became an International Federation Of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor in 2010 and a Master Certified Casting Instructor in 2014. He also holds the positions of Education Director with the Fort Worth Fly Fishers Club and an Angler Education Instructor with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

Steve is a full time Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide and Professional Casting Instructor who owns and operates Flywater Angling Adventures. An FFI Master Casting Instructor, he runs an active schedule of casting lessons, classes, and schools. Steve is also an active member of the FFI Casting Board of Governors, serving as Co-Chairman of the Test Committee, a member of the Examiner Review Committee, is an EDP faculty member, and is a Lever 2 Examiner. Steve hosts fly fishing trips throughout the Americas including Montana, British Columbia, Belize and Patagonia. He received the FFI Mel Krieger Award in 2015 and is a two-time finalist for “Orvis Fly Fishing Guide of the Year”.

Frank Smethurst

Frank was introduced to fishing at the age of two, he started tying his own flies at age seven and at the age of twelve, began work at an influential Atlanta tackle shop.

Some notable programs that Frank has been featured in include: Jim and Kelly Watt’s Flyfishing Video Magazine, The Reel Guys, Fishing with Micah Adams, Frank’s Fishing Problem, and Trout Unlimited’s On The Rise. He has also produced and starred in feature films: Running Down The Man, and Eastern Rises, with Felt Soul Media, and Carpland with RA Beattie.

Frank has competed and placed and/or won at OLN’s Flyfishing Masters, The Conejos Superfly, The Denver Carp Slam, The Teva Mtn Games, The GoPro Games, The Caddis Cup, The Frostbite Fish Off and The Dos Mosca.

ohFrank now live is Telluride and has his own fly pattern and has released a collection with Montana Fly Company.

Bob Garber and Steve Hollensed

As a young boy began Bob began fishing the ponds, lake and rivers of northeast Oklahoma with family. He first picked up a fly rod in 1973 and for the last 15 years the fly rod has been his only choice in fishing. He has fly fished for warm, cold and salt water species across much of the western United States, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alaska and The Bahamas. Bob became an International Federation Of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor in 2010 and a Master Certified Casting Instructor in 2014. He also holds the positions of Education Director with the Fort Worth Fly Fishers Club and an Angler Education Instructor with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

Steve is a full time Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide and Professional Casting Instructor who owns and operates Flywater Angling Adventures. An FFI Master Casting Instructor, he runs an active schedule of casting lessons, classes, and schools. Steve is also an active member of the FFI Casting Board of Governors, serving as Co-Chairman of the Test Committee, a member of the Examiner Review Committee, is an EDP faculty member, and is a Lever 2 Examiner. Steve hosts fly fishing trips throughout the Americas including Montana, British Columbia, Belize and Patagonia. He received the FFI Mel Krieger Award in 2015 and is a two-time finalist for “Orvis Fly Fishing Guide of the Year”.

Stacy Lynn

The sport of Fly Fishing has been central in Stacy’s life since 1995. Stacy has managed several of Texas’ best fly shops since that time and is an avid saltwater and freshwater angler. She has 20+ years as a professional casting coach and is a Fly Fishers Intl. Certified Casting Instructor and a graduate of Joan Wulff’s Fly Fishing Instructor’s School. She is an active supporter and member of many of the Texas fly fishing clubs and related organizations. She is a volunteer Lead Instructor for Texas’ Casting for Recovery program – a weekend fly fishing retreat for women surviving breast cancer – and has been a co-organizer for the Lydia Ann Fly Master’s saltwater fly fishing tournament benefiting CfR. She has been a feature speaker, demonstrator and instructor at numerous events including The Fly Fishing Show, The Shallow Water Show, Fly Fish Texas, Flat Out Fishing!, TPWD Expo, Oktoberfisch, the Houston Fishing Show, Texas Fly Fishing and Brew Fest, and several FFF Conclaves/Fairs. Her favorite fly fishing endeavor to date is sight casting in saltwater, especially to Redfish from her own poling skiff, and Tarpon and Permit in tropical destinations. And her instruction specialties are conducting casting diagnostics, and helping fly casters prepare for the challenging and exciting Saltwater Fly Fishing experience.

Bob Garber and Steve Hollensed

As a young boy began Bob began fishing the ponds, lake and rivers of northeast Oklahoma with family. He first picked up a fly rod in 1973 and for the last 15 years the fly rod has been his only choice in fishing. He has fly fished for warm, cold and salt water species across much of the western United States, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alaska and The Bahamas. Bob became an International Federation Of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor in 2010 and a Master Certified Casting Instructor in 2014. He also holds the positions of Education Director with the Fort Worth Fly Fishers Club and an Angler Education Instructor with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

Steve is a full time Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide and Professional Casting Instructor who owns and operates Flywater Angling Adventures. An FFI Master Casting Instructor, he runs an active schedule of casting lessons, classes, and schools. Steve is also an active member of the FFI Casting Board of Governors, serving as Co-Chairman of the Test Committee, a member of the Examiner Review Committee, is an EDP faculty member, and is a Lever 2 Examiner. Steve hosts fly fishing trips throughout the Americas including Montana, British Columbia, Belize and Patagonia. He received the FFI Mel Krieger Award in 2015 and is a two-time finalist for “Orvis Fly Fishing Guide of the Year”.

Bob Garber and Steve Hollensed

As a young boy began Bob began fishing the ponds, lake and rivers of northeast Oklahoma with family. He first picked up a fly rod in 1973 and for the last 15 years the fly rod has been his only choice in fishing. He has fly fished for warm, cold and salt water species across much of the western United States, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alaska and The Bahamas. Bob became an International Federation Of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor in 2010 and a Master Certified Casting Instructor in 2014. He also holds the positions of Education Director with the Fort Worth Fly Fishers Club and an Angler Education Instructor with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

Steve is a full time Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide and Professional Casting Instructor who owns and operates Flywater Angling Adventures. An FFI Master Casting Instructor, he runs an active schedule of casting lessons, classes, and schools. Steve is also an active member of the FFI Casting Board of Governors, serving as Co-Chairman of the Test Committee, a member of the Examiner Review Committee, is an EDP faculty member, and is a Lever 2 Examiner. Steve hosts fly fishing trips throughout the Americas including Montana, British Columbia, Belize and Patagonia. He received the FFI Mel Krieger Award in 2015 and is a two-time finalist for “Orvis Fly Fishing Guide of the Year”.

Frank Smethurst

Frank was introduced to fishing at the age of two, he started tying his own flies at age seven and at the age of twelve, began work at an influential Atlanta tackle shop.

Some notable programs that Frank has been featured in include: Jim and Kelly Watt’s Flyfishing Video Magazine, The Reel Guys, Fishing with Micah Adams, Frank’s Fishing Problem, and Trout Unlimited’s On The Rise. He has also produced and starred in feature films: Running Down The Man, and Eastern Rises, with Felt Soul Media, and Carpland with RA Beattie.

Frank has competed and placed and/or won at OLN’s Flyfishing Masters, The Conejos Superfly, The Denver Carp Slam, The Teva Mtn Games, The GoPro Games, The Caddis Cup, The Frostbite Fish Off and The Dos Mosca.

ohFrank now live is Telluride and has his own fly pattern and has released a collection with Montana Fly Company.

Stacy Lynn

The sport of Fly Fishing has been central in Stacy’s life since 1995. Stacy has managed several of Texas’ best fly shops since that time and is an avid saltwater and freshwater angler. She has 20+ years as a professional casting coach and is a Fly Fishers Intl. Certified Casting Instructor and a graduate of Joan Wulff’s Fly Fishing Instructor’s School. She is an active supporter and member of many of the Texas fly fishing clubs and related organizations. She is a volunteer Lead Instructor for Texas’ Casting for Recovery program – a weekend fly fishing retreat for women surviving breast cancer – and has been a co-organizer for the Lydia Ann Fly Master’s saltwater fly fishing tournament benefiting CfR. She has been a feature speaker, demonstrator and instructor at numerous events including The Fly Fishing Show, The Shallow Water Show, Fly Fish Texas, Flat Out Fishing!, TPWD Expo, Oktoberfisch, the Houston Fishing Show, Texas Fly Fishing and Brew Fest, and several FFF Conclaves/Fairs. Her favorite fly fishing endeavor to date is sight casting in saltwater, especially to Redfish from her own poling skiff, and Tarpon and Permit in tropical destinations. And her instruction specialties are conducting casting diagnostics, and helping fly casters prepare for the challenging and exciting Saltwater Fly Fishing experience.

Judged by: Bob Garber

As a young boy began Bob began fishing the ponds, lake and rivers of northeast Oklahoma with family. He first picked up a fly rod in 1973 and for the last 15 years the fly rod has been his only choice in fishing. He has fly fished for warm, cold and salt water species across much of the western United States, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alaska and The Bahamas. Bob became an International Federation Of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor in 2010 and a Master Certified Casting Instructor in 2014. He also holds the positions of Education Director with the Fort Worth Fly Fishers Club and an Angler Education Instructor with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

Judged by: Bob Garber

As a young boy began Bob began fishing the ponds, lake and rivers of northeast Oklahoma with family. He first picked up a fly rod in 1973 and for the last 15 years the fly rod has been his only choice in fishing. He has fly fished for warm, cold and salt water species across much of the western United States, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alaska and The Bahamas. Bob became an International Federation Of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor in 2010 and a Master Certified Casting Instructor in 2014. He also holds the positions of Education Director with the Fort Worth Fly Fishers Club and an Angler Education Instructor with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.