If you were unable to make it to the January meeting you missed an outstanding presentation by Capt. Rick Worman. Capt. Worman captivated members for over an hour with useful insight from years of fly fishing. It’s presentations like this that make your membership a great investment! Which brings me to an important issue, dues. If you have not already paid your dues please do so. The cost of membership is small and, if you attended the January meeting, you know it’s a bargain. We cannot maintain this association’s stature and its activities without your support. We also need to be able to budget for the year. It’s impossible to do that if your dues are unpaid. Our board member, Jim Glass, has been busy fighting to protect our most valuable resource, the Indian River Lagoon. He has summarized the State and County’s plan to clean up the Lagoon and wants all members to become familiar with the plan’s benefits and shortcomings. Several of us, at Jim’s urging, will address the County Commission on February 12th. Please contact Jim if you can assist him and this Association. Our website has been improved and we want members to know how to use it. Please come out to our February workshop on the 19th at Kay’s BBQ for an introduction to improvements and information on how to access all of the information only available to members. Don’t forget to buy your tickets and attend the Fly Fishing Film Tour in Melbourne on the 24th. This event has sold out in the past so do not expect to buy tickets at the door. You can buy your tickets on line or at Harry Goode’s Outdoor Shop in Melbourne. The general meeting this month will feature Dr. Peter Barile. He is a senior scientist at Marine Research & Consulting, Inc. Dr. Barile does research in Biogeochemistry, Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology, including estuarine, near shore and coral reef ecosystems. He is an expert on the impact of widespread sewage pollution of the Indian River Lagoon system. Expect to learn about the current status of our beloved IRL and steps needed to restore it and preserve it for generations to come. Did you attend our Association’s last auction? I had to miss it and I regret it! The auction had some great bargains and all of the proceeds raised went
directly into our general fund. We want everyone to look through your fly fishing gear and supplies for any gems you would be willing to part with. If you have something that would be of interest to our members such as artwork, books or boating equipment we want it! Bring the items to the next meeting you attend so that we can prepare for the next auction. Joe Sherer has spearheaded the effort to collect the donated items in the past but he needs your help because this event has grown in popularity! Please contact Joe if you can help or have an item to donate. Start thinking about attending the April South Florida Canal Trip. We need to reserve a block of rooms at the hotel we use. The sooner you can confirm your attendance the better. Check the events tab on the website for updates. If you want to go but do not have a boat let your board know. We will try to find someone to team you up with. The April trip will be here sooner than you realize! My favorite part of traveling is finding fly shops at my destinations. I was recently in Tennessee and visited three good fly shops. One was in Gatlinburg. If you are in Gatlinburg stop by The Smokey Mountain Angler. The shop is small but well stocked. The staff are very friendly and anxious to get you out on the water. Another shop I visited was in Knoxville. If you happen to be there stop by 3 Rivers Angler. It too is small but well stocked. The staff there will tell you where the fish are biting and what flies you need to catch them. My favorite fly shop of this trip was Little River Outfitters in Townsend which is midway between Pigeon Forge and Knoxville. This store is huge compared to most fly shops. The first floor has a big assortment of fly rods, reels, gear, clothing and accessories. The second floor has tying materials, vises, tying accessories and classrooms for its fly tying classes. Outside of the store there is a large field for casting rods and reels you might consider buying. The staff was very helpful and loved to chat about fly fishing in the local waters and the IRL. The owner’s dogs are so loveable you want to take them home! I went there twice and would have gone back a third time if I could have. When I was driving to the hiking trails in the area I saw numerous fly fishermen casting in the rivers. It was drizzling and in the mid thirties! I stopped to speak with one fellow. He was very friendly and stated that they fish as much as possible “when it’s nice out!” He was properly dressed for the weather and was wearing waders. I thought about bringing my waders and a fly rod on my next winter hiking trip… for about a second!