Meetings/Events/News

Next Club Meeting

Our normal public meeting place for our general meeting is the Bass Pro in Pearl, and we meet on the 2nd Thursday of the month, 6:30 PM; the next meeting is May 14th, 2026. Our planned speaker for May has had some conflicts arise and has had to cancel. In lieu of a planned speaker, Mark and Glen have a guided redfish trip next week. Hopefully we’ll have some photos, stories etc about fly fishing for redfish in the Louisiana marsh. In addition, the May meeting will be the first meeting after the Gulf Coast Classic of which several members have made plans to attend. It’s a great show and should be a lot of fun, there should be plenty to talk about.

Our June speaker will be Kyle Moppert. Kyle is an entomologist, an active fly fisher and member of the Red Stick Fly Fishers and the FFI. He and can answer a lot of questions about local invertebrates like the mayflies, crane flies, midges etc. that the local fish feed on.

We get a two’fer in June because a good friend of Kyle’s, Mark Pincel, a fly tyer that has competed in Europe and is a well-known member of the New Orleans club and the FFI will be coming along with Kyle. Mark has innovated many flies:

The 4M (a baitfish pattern)

The B&W Woolhead

The Bream Woolhead

The Orange Bream Bass Fly

He is also recognized as a master of wool flies and has tied at shows across the US and Europe for over 30 years

Our fly tying meetings are always the 4th Thursday (the next one is April 23) in Richland at the Senior Center, 371 Scarbrough across from the Richland library, beginning at 6:30. There’s light now for an hour or so, so casting at the meeting is now an option, but please mention that you would like to do casting so we can prepare.

(Updated 4.29.2026)

EVENTS

Gulf Coast Classic – May 1-2, 2026

The Gulf Coast Council (GCC) of Fly Fishers International (FFI) is proud to present our 4th annual Gulf Coast Classic fly fishing festival, to be held Friday-Saturday, May 1-2, 2026, at the Learning Campus of Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

To register for the Classic – CLICK HERE

This unique facility offers state-of-the-art theatre area, several meeting rooms, outside facilities, and much more. The adjacent state park offers miles of hiking trails, bike paths, a large brackish lake with both freshwater and inshore species, bike and kayak rentals, and white sand beaches. Gulf Shores offers something for all!

Among the activities:

Seminars on fishing locations, tactics, and species
Exhibitors and vendors
Fly tying demonstrations
Conservation programs
Keynote speaker presentation
Beginner fly casting instruction (free with admission)
Beginner fly tying instruction (free with admission)
Fly tying workshops (registration required, cost $20-$50)
Casting workshops (registration required, cost $0-$20)
Fishing Tournament (free with admission, kicks off Thursday a.m.)
Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T) (ticket purchase required, limited seating)
Raffles & silent auction, offering many one-of-a-kind items

This event will be focused on activities and education in the form of fly tying, casting, various methods for catching species on the fly, fly fishing destinations, and conservation. Many of the region’s top fly tyers will be on hand demonstrating their favorite patterns. We’ll have a large raffle and silent auction with many unique items. Along with a fly fishing film festival, and other cool happenings.

For 2026, we’re very excited to announce Dr. Aaron Adams as our Conservation Keynote speaker. Aaron is Director of Science and Conservation at the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT). A passionate conservationist, Aaron leads the development and execution of BTT’s science and conservation strategy.

In addition to being one of the nation’s most respected fisheries scientists, Aaron is also a renowned fly fisherman as well, having published a number of books including Fly Fisherman’s Guide to Saltwater Prey: How to Match Coastal Prey Fish & Invertebrates with the Fly Patterns That Imitate Them.

We’ll once again have our Mixed Bag Challenge – a fishing contest where size doesn’t matter, but diversity does. After all, Gulf State Park is a very unique location for fly fishing enthusiasts, with 600-acre Lake Shelby within the park offering a wide variety of both fresh and brackish species. The clear Gulf waters along the park’s beach are home to pompano, spanish mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish, and numerous other marine species. There is no entry fee… it’s free with admission to the Classic.

In addition to fishing, the park also offers numerous other activities for the entire family. The 6,000-acre park has three-and-a-half miles of beach for swimming, collecting shells, or sunbathing.

The backcountry trail has 28 miles of paved trail to hike or bike. Visitors can explore using the bike share program, which is free for the first 3 hours. With over 50 bikes available. Or bring your own. There’s kayaking on Lake Shelby, the closest freshwater lake to the Gulf of Mexico. Kayaks can be rented at the Rental Center. Then there’s also the park’s Interpretive Center.

A short 38 minute drive from the park is Pensacola with many more things to see and do. One that should be on everyone’s list is the Naval Air Museum.