In addition to the structured lesson, there will be other fly-tying observations taking place. Feel free to come and go and mingle through the demonstration area to learn about various tying patterns.
Dutch Baughman will demonstrate two patterns of real local interest for Bass and Sunfish, the Bream Reaper which is a nymph fly and the Stone Hopper, a foam hopper. Both fly patterns have also been successful for Trout in Montana, Oregon, and Colorado.
Presenter: 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 Fishers 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 five years and teaches the Fly Fishing Skills classes at the Tarrant County College-Northeast campus.
Mike will demonstrate how to tie classic English flies for trout fishing.
Presenter: 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 and is a gold award FFI fly tyer.
Texas Fly Patterns You Should Never Be Without
Fly fishing the Texas hill country is a way of life for Chris Johnson. His fly fishing journey began in central Texas and as a result, he has developed a number of patterns that have proven themselves throughout the state. In this fly tying demonstration, Chris will tie several of his patterns that deserve a permanent spot in every Texas fly angler’s box. These flies consistently get the job done and can produce results even in the toughest of conditions. Chris will teach you how to tie each fly in a step-by-step fashion and will answer any questions you have about the tying process. Come and learn how to tie these essential patterns and learn how to fish them in the Lone Star State!
Presenter: 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 fifteen years, and has fly fished the heart of the state for over 20 years. Chris has been a licensed guide in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Alaska. Chris is a FFI Certified Casting Instructor, Umpqua Signature Fly Designer, Tenkara USA Guide, and TPWD Angler Educator Area Chief. He is also a pro team member for Whiting Farms, Scott Fly Rods, Dyna-King, 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 FFI Texas Council and in the same year, Living Waters was the recipient of the FFI’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 fly fishing the world and raising their children in the sport.
Russell will show off various Clouser Minnow patterns used to catch multiple species in North Texas.
Presenter: 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.
The “Ghost Minnow” is a pattern created by Pat Vanek, a guide in the Waco area. This is a pattern specifically designed for our spring White or Sand Bass runs. It works well when the White Bass are in their spawning runs and emulates the small baitfish that are natural food for the Sand Bass.
Presenter: Barry Webster
Barry Webster is retired from IBM and he is a FFI Fly Tying Board of Governor’s member and is on the FFI Board of Directors where he serves as the Membership Committee Chair.
Ron will demonstrate intermediate and advanced deer hair techniques for tying and trimming realistic baitfish patterns for fly fishing for bass and redfish across Texas. He will show and explain the designs for his many unique deer hair patterns – from the Rattle Mullet to the Mohawk Minnow Sunfish to the Lilypad Jumping Frog. Join Ron as he shares 50 years of experience fly tying and fly fishing for bass and redfish in Texas.
Presenter: Ron Mayfield
Ron is currently the Director of Fly Tying for the FFI Texas Council and was one of the authors of the FFI Saltwater Fly Tying Manual. Ron has been a long-time member of the FFI Texas Fly Fisher club in Houston and regularly gives fly tying and fly casting sessions with this club. He also has given fly tying and fly casting seminars for Reel Recovery, Good Fly, Project Healing Water and FFI Women Connect. Ron has been featured in Fly Tyer Magazine and several books and articles.
While fishing primarily in Texas, Ron’s fishing adventures have taken him from British Colombia to Belize – and many, many places in between. His favorite fishing is on the big East Texas impoundments and the saltwater flats in Texas and the Caribbean.
Ron is one of the few people that is both a Fly Designer for Umpqua and an FFI Casting Instructor. He lives in Pearland, Texas and, to support his fly fishing addiction, is a Distinguish Enterprise Architect at Oracle Corp.