Florida Fly Fishing Association

July 2021

The June 22, 2021 general meeting at Kay’s BBQ was a success! The turnout was better than expected but still far short of what makes our Club the best in Brevard County. We want you to come out on July 27th! The featured speaker on July 27th is local guide and IRL advocate, Rick Worman. He was one of our most popular speakers in the past and he
will not disappoint us on the 27th. Expect a wealth of information from a charismatic speaker. Trust me, if you want to know what is happening as far as fishing is concerned in the IRL, Rick is the best source to consult. The June general meeting was more of a reunion and planning meeting than anything else. The members present made it clear that they want to get back out on the water. Your Club is going to accommodate you! We are planning outings and placing an
emphasis on networking for members trying to go fishing. The website is a great starting point for all. Expect more content and updates on the site. Not many of us use the website. Your board is curious why and request your input. If the Covid pandemic has taught us anything it has taught us that we need to be able to communicate with each other to plan trips and outings. Many of us just want someone else to fish with when we have time off. We thought the website would be the catalyst for members to stay active. We want your help to fine tune things so that no one is left behind that wants to go fishing. Do you want a chance to win a brand new Echo fly rod, Waterworks Lamson reel, backing and top tier fly line? This member’s only package will be valued at over $500.00! Richard Goode is going to give us a discount so that the overall value of the package is much greater. Be sure to thank Richard when you visit his shop.

The raffle will take place at the September general meeting. It will only be open to members. If you know anyone that is on the fence about joining our Club tell them there is no better time than the present! Raffle tickets will cost $5.00. A
membership is only $25.00, ($35.00 for family). The odds of winning will be much better than any raffle I can think of. Membership has its privileges! We want to rebuild our Club from the ground up. Our existing membership is great! We have more active and participating members than any other Club in the area. Any good organization knows that new
members will make the difference for the future of a club. If each current member can recruit a new member we double in size. The benefits will grow exponentially! New members will give existing board members a chance to step back to enjoy the Club. Practically every current member has taken on a leadership role at one time or another. We need new members to energize the Club. If you are reading this and have not had a chance to serve on the board we
want you to know that elections are coming up in November. Let your board and fellow members know that you want to join the board before the November general meeting. We will look forward to your fresh ideas and enthusiasm.
See you at Kay’s BBQ on July 27th!

Stephen M. Moon, Esq.

June 2021

Your board met on Tuesday, May 25th and decided it was time to reconvene the members of the Florida Fly Fishing Association. We are confident that you are as anxious as we are to reconnect and further our passion for fishing with feathers and fur!
When we meet on June 22, 2021 at Kay’s BBQ we will spread out and, if you want to, mask up. Most of us are vaccinated and ready to see familiar faces but if you are more comfortable wearing a mask feel free to do so. We will also distance ourselves by only using one side of a table and skipping seats unless you are vaccinated and want to sit next to a friend or family member.
Our first meeting will not have a presentation. We are going to open up the floor to all members to talk about fishing and programs you would like to have during the second half of 2021. Your board has already started working on presentations for July, August and September. We are also planning a special raffle for our September meeting which you will not want to miss. We can’t wait to hear fishing stories from those of us who have been able to get out on the water. We all want to know what you may have been doing during the pandemic. Are your fingers worn down from tying flies? Have you watched every YouTube video about fly fishing ever made? Have you been stockpiling gear?
We hope that you have been able to weather the pandemic safely in good health. Not everyone has. Some of our members have been battling illnesses other than Covid-19 in this difficult time. Reach out to your friends in the group. Let them know you are thinking of them. Tell them to join us at our next general
meeting if they want to socialize. Together is better!
See you on June 22!

Stephen M. Moon, Esq.

PRESIDENT’S CORNER
December 2020
Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!
It is hard to believe that the holidays are here already. It seems like only
yesterday we were starting the year. We had great plans for our Club. The plans
have been postponed while we hunker down to keep each other safe from the
dreaded novel Corona virus, Covid-19.
Your board wants you to know that it is ready to jump start our Club as soon
as it is safe enough to do so. In the meantime we encourage you to use our website
to communicate with fellow members and update everyone if you have been lucky
enough to go fishing. We all would enjoy seeing and sharing some good news!
If you know anyone that needs help or prayers during this difficult time
please let your board know. We will do what we can to assist our members in
need. The reason our Club is so popular is because we have members that are
happy to teach skills, share knowledge and offer help when it is needed.
I want to thank all of our members that have kept the Club running, the
website up to date and contributed to the website content for the benefit of all of
us. I am proud to be associated with you. Your efforts will sustain our Club during
this pandemic and make it outstanding when we resume our meetings.
On behalf of the board I want to wish you good health, love, peace and
prosperity in 2021.
Steve Moon

Presidents Corner

Happy New Year! It’s time to start thinking about fishing again now that the holidays are behind us. There will be a lot going on this year as far as your club is concerned. Our first general membership meeting will be January 28, 2020. The legendary Bob Clouser will be our presenter. He is always willing to share valuable information and hilarious fishing stories. Don’t miss this kick off to our best year yet! Our silent auction and Christmas raffle were great successes. The silent auction netted $682.50. The Christmas raffle netted $440.00. Now we need to collect this year’s dues. Please make an effort to pay your dues at our next general meeting. Our new treasurer, Justice Rivera, and our secretary, Don Killingsworth, will be collecting dues at a table just inside the door so bring cash or a check made payable to FFFA. The dues remain unchanged for 2020. One of our association’s primary goals in 2019 was to increase membership. We have not been able to make big gains but Keith Braun’s fly tying class did get us some much needed exposure with the younger anglers. There are plenty of like minded people in Brevard County that want to enjoy the activities our club has to offer. Let’s double our efforts and meet our goal of expanding membership in 2020. Each one of us can spread the word to the anglers we know. It is difficult to convince some recreational fishermen to try our methods of angling. Most recreational fishermen have heard about the frustrations associated with tying flies, casting long distances and catching fish with flies. Dispel the myths whenever possible and stress the pleasures associated with casting a fly to fish and the rush of seeing that fish attack a lure made of feathers or synthetic fibers. If each one of us can share the excitement we feel with at least one person we are bound to make a few converts. We will have numerous outings in 2020 including the Everglades canal trip which will take place April 23rd to the 26th. Last year was the first time I was able to go. I had a great time and really learned a lot. (Thank you Ron Nemets!) If you have not made it before you should really make an effort to go. More information on the hotel and outing will come soon. Thank you to all of the members that assisted in the planning, preparation and hosting of our 2019 holiday party. If you were unable to attend you missed a great time and a chance to win a brand new flats boat! O.K. I’m just kidding about the flat’s boat but the raffle prizes and gift exchange gifts were the best in years! I also want to thank Richard Goode of Harry Goode’s for donating a rod for the Holiday raffle; Joe Sherer for tying the flies for the raffle tree and Bob Clouser for donating a shadow box with one of his world famous flies and a video that I was very lucky to have obtained during the gift exchange. A special thank you goes to our venue host, Donna Gabor, who invited us to celebrate at Viera East’s Resident’s Center even though she had suffered a tragedy in the days leading up to our celebration. Her dedication to this club during a very difficult time in her life is nothing short of amazing. She has earned a special place in our hearts. Thank you Donna! More improvements will be coming to our website soon. It has had a few unexpected hiccups but your board is working hard to fix any perceived problems. We will do our best to keep it current. We welcome any suggestions and/or submissions from our members. Our board is made up of volunteers from the membership. They work passionately to improve the club for all of us. The more help the board can get from individuals like you the better the website and the club will be. See you on the 28th!

Steve Moon