# Fargo area fly fishing clubs??



## Whelen35 (Mar 9, 2004)

Are there any flyfishing clubs or groups in the FM area? How about the Grandforks area? If not, is there any interest in getting one started? I would be willing to help as much as I could, mostly in the winter, as I farm and summers are very full, and when I can get away, I like to fish! But, the winters it would be great to learn more about this sport, and learn more about flytying, and meet more people with a common interest. Is there something out there?


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Whelen -

There aren't any that I know of, but then again, I'm from VC. I know there was a tying group for a while up in GF, as the Herald did a story on them for the outdoors page one year.

I'd be interested in a Fly Fishing group closer to home. I'm a member of MVFF, but just can't make it out to Bis for the meetings.


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## Whelen35 (Mar 9, 2004)

I have thought about the Bismarck club, but with my small kids now is not likely that I can go there once a month. I have so far been reading and attempting to learn the tricks of the trade so to speak, but sometimes it wuld be nice to not have to figgure it out yourself all the time. At least it may speed up my learning curve a bit. I know that if I had some mentor when first learning to tie flies, it would have been cost efective to have a teacher both cost and time wise. Well, perhaps we can stir up enough interest to get something rolling in this area. We don't all fish trout, and learning about pick, bass, bluegills, ect fishing is great too. As I see it, the trout fishing knowledge would be iceing on the cake. Lets get more people to chime in, and perhaps we can get something going.


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## DCOYNUT (Nov 27, 2003)

Myself and a few guys were actually talking yesterday about forming a club out of Fargo! There are 3 of us and we take turns learning a new pattern or tip every week and then we meet on thursdays and teach the other two. 
If anyone in the fargo area would like to help me form a First-rate club, PM me. I would really like a group to take shape and get the sport rolling in this area.

DCOYNUT


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## Whelen35 (Mar 9, 2004)

I dno't think I could make it once a week, but let me know where and when and I would love to meet more people who are into the sport. The winter is when I would be more able to do more things as I farm and have small children, the summers are quite full. The winter is when I could od a lot more.


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## Grey Scot (Jan 5, 2005)

I am in the process of setting up club, that will probably be affiliated w/ the Federation of Fly Fishers, located in Fargo Moorhead and am looking for interested potential members. The chapter would meet monthly throughout most of the year for programs, fly tying, summer outings, stream clean-ups, and whatever we decide. Please email me if interested and leave contact info so I can update you on the process, meeting schedule, and what's happening. My email is [email protected]

Scott


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

I've been following your topic of a fly club for Fargo and thought I'd let you guys know about the next meeting of the MVFF club here in Bismarck. If any of you can get here, you are sure welcome to come. We generally have great meetings, this being no exception. Anybody want to come over with or without families for the weekend we might be able to find Saturday nite accomodation for you. (I just happen to know of a great real cheap flyfishn/huntin/fishin bed and breakfast. For flyfishers willing to swap tales the price is rreeallly rriigghhht! Tractor and loader standing by in case the BS gets too deep!) 
Also If you guys get a club going in Fargo, maybe we could get some of our club down there occasionally for meetings or even have some outings together. Anyway, I'll forward Chuck Loftis's recent announcement. By the way there is also the "magnificent eight" tying lesson going on during the afternoon before the actual club meeting. Always room for a few more if you are going to be in town and want to hit the meeting. Don't hesitate to pmail me if anyone interested! And now - "HEERE'SS CHUCK!!"

Just a reminder about the next club meeting, held this Saturday, April 2nd, 6 p.m., in the fellowship hall of Prairie Family Church.

This is going to have an all-out tying element to it, Gang. Bring your tying stuff and get ready to demonstrate a pattern of your preference. All flies tied will be thrown into together and constitute the evening's door prize... but you have to tie in order to enter- i.e., No tie, no fly! Don't worry if you think that your flies aren't pretty enough to show. Our good friend from up north, Bob Sheedy, is persuaded that pretty ain't always what gets the fish. I agree. If it looks buggy, that's what counts most!

Also, I'll be making a presentation called "Black Hills 101: A May-October Primer." This informative talk will help you know critical information to help save you lots of time stumbling around the Hills trying to figure out the answers to where, what, when, why and how. I think you'll find this to be valuable information.

Make sure to visit www.mvffclub.com at least once a week to check out new things being added. Also, be sure and email me any new photos you take of your fly angling experiences at home or abroad- we'd love to post them on the site! And again, if you've not paid 2005 club sponsorship dues, do so as soon as possible or at this weekend's meeting in order to get on the "angling reports and tips" list. If you care to mail them, club secretary Don Newcomb's mailing address is in the last paragraph of club's website main page.

Cordially,
Chuck Loftis
MVFF Club


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

HHHEEERRES CHUCK again!

My apologies for failing to mention the Excellent 8 Tying Class in the previous mailer, folks.

Here's the deal: we still have room for three more participants. Please email your registration by simply replying to me. You can pay the $20 registration fee the day of the seminar.

Please let us know if you need tying tools, vice, thread etc. Otherwise, bring your own tools and vice, and you will receive packages of materials enough to tie two of each pattern demonstrated.

And remember: 100% of the moneys raised supports Manitoba Parkland trout lake aeration efforts.

Thanks!

Chuck

From HFHH - I suspect that if we had a few of you out of towners that wanted to come over, room could be made for you. Heck, I signed up and could give my place to a newcomer. I'm just there mostly to watch and learn these guys little how to ty secrets, anyway!


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

Here's Chuck again!!

Bob-

You are the man! Thanks for sending the club meeting info onto NODAK.com.

If any of the fly anglers from Fargo contact you, let them know they can get in touch with me and I'll help them get a fly-fishing club going in the Fargo-Moorehead Metro area. It's pretty simple to do. I can give them direction on strategy, marketing and implementation.

As you know, my contact information is:

Chuck Loftis
2034 Assumption Drive
Bismarck, ND 58501
(701) 250-9463
Email: [email protected]

If we can do this in Bismarck-Mandan, anglers could certainly do the same and more in 
the F-M metro, perhaps even including enrolling folks from Wahpeton, Grand Forks and East Grand Forks.


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## superfly (Mar 1, 2004)

Whelen35,
I'm in the GF area and I'd be interested in trying to get something going or even just hang'n and ty'n. As we are sitting in the season we could get a group together to go fishing and take on some projects or do some kamakazi trip somewhere to fish. Then when the snow flies we have a group to work with on getting the tying going. Another thing to do would be to contact the outdoors editor at the GF Herald and see what he knows.

Keep me posted

Superfly


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## Whelen35 (Mar 9, 2004)

Superfly
sounds like it could be fun. In the GF area you have the turtle river for trout, and there are several pothole type places to fish spring pike. If you would ever like to get together, I can be reached at [email protected]. Having agroup of people who have knowledge of places to fish as well as proper stratitgies for the area would be a great learning time. Late June and july are a good time for me to get a bit of time off to fish on the weekends, but with farming, it is not ever a shure thing.


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

Whelan 35 - you mentionedpike fly fishing. There is an excellent article on pike fly fishing by Rick Nelson in the MVFF club website. Rick is a hard core pike fly fisherman! I'm mad at him, though, as he got me going on fly fishing for "slough sharks" and now prefer to do it all spring instead of chasing walleye. More fun! And even a ham handed guy like me can tie those big flies! Ane even catch those big logs!
http://www.mvffclub.com/gpage2.html


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## Whelen35 (Mar 9, 2004)

Great read on the pike fishing! The pike are a non boat owning person a great chance of catching a monster fish and also have lots of oppertunities to do so. You know, there are actually many little sloughs and "new" shallow lakes in ND where the pike are very numerous, and lots of fun. I know a lot of these "local" hot spots can't take lots of fishing pressure, but with catch and release fishing they can provide a fly fishing person lots of fun. It would be interesting to look into a FM area MVFF club. The knowledge base just in areas fished would cover a very wide swath of ND, MN, and SD. I need to win the lotto just to afford the gas to hit all the spots. It is now looking like the next 60 days or so are going to be very busy with farming, so this stuff may have to be put on the back burner intill then. People, keep me in the loop I can be of much more service after the farming season is over. But drop me a note, you never know when the wind or rain will give me a day to do something. Thanks for all the interest, lets keep it going and gain some more people and advice on how to proceed from here.


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