FALMOUTH FLATS FLY FISHERS
All Fish - All Waters
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES -
CONSERVATION, RESTORATION, EDUCATION
As a charter club of Fly Fishers International (FFI), we support their mission of conserving, restoring and educating through fly fishing. We have worked on riparian projects with the US Army Corps of Engineers and Friends of the Rappahannock, and each year we help maintain our local rivers with volunteer work related to river/litter clean-ups. We also host fly tying and casting clinics for anglers of all ages, and we especially enjoy working with the youth who represent the future of fly fishing.
Supporting clean up along the Rappahannock
Never too young to learn fly casting techniques
The Club’s booth is a staple at local fly fishing and outdoor shows, where our members provide fly tying and casting instruction. Two of our favorite events are Fredericksburg’s Earth Day Festival at Old Mill Park and Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries) Exposition at Curtis Lake. At these events, we teach fly tying and casting to young, aspiring anglers who are thrilled to walk away from our tables with flies that they’ve tied themselves.
Fly Tying at Earth Day
Our members support the Boy Scouts of America fly fishing merit badge program. In 2015 the Falmouth Flats Fly Fishers started the BSA Fly Fishing Merit Badge program at the Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival. Since then, the club has provided equipment, materials, and staff to teach each aspect of the merit badge.
This includes knot tying, fly tying, fly casting, fishing skills, and the BSA requirements related to health and safety, how to assemble a balanced fly fishing outfit, how to find out what fish are eating, leave no trace, catch and release, fishing regulations, fishing ethics, and how to catch, clean and cook a fish.
Casting Class
We are proud to support Project Healing Waters and their work with disabled service members and veterans through fly fishing and associated activities. We routinely participate in PHW’s fly tying marathons and provide support staff and volunteer guides for their annual shad fishing weekend on the Falmouth Flats of the Rappahannock River.
Our education programs include presentations at our monthly meetings by Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources officers, state and national park rangers and biologists, representatives of local and regional conservation groups, and fly fishing outfitters. Recent topics have included the advancement of snakeheads into the Rappahannock watershed, impact of heavy rains and flooding on fish populations, certification criteria for Virginia Save our Streams (VASOS) monitors, and efforts to include local waters in Virginia’s Scenic Rivers program.
We provide opportunities to learn and improve fly tying techniques at group sessions prior to our monthly meetings and at a separate, dedicated fly tying event conducted the last Wednesday of every month. For those who want to delve into the finer aspects of the sport, we conduct rod building classes
Explaining Flies and Fly Selection
Fly Tying Lessons
Bamboo Rod Building
And, of course, members are always available to take new or curious anglers to local lakes or streams to try their hand at casting a fly rod and landing a fish. For the more experienced or adventurous, we welcome you to join us on the local waters or one of our regional or national fly fishing road trips.
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