Compiled by Ben Iannotta and Guy Faherty
Plan your April
All meetings held at the Fraternal Order of Police lodge, 471 Old Mission Road, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
April 13, 6 pm - Casting Practice followed by our business meeting at 7 pm. All members are welcome to review and discuss the bylaws provided by Fly Fishers International, our parent organization, and suggest any amendments. You should have a copy in your email, but if not, email Guy Faherty at [email protected].
April 20, 7 pm - Fly Tying. Pattern TBD!
Casting Practice each Saturday at 10 am
Highlights from March
Teaching fly tying’s essentials
Member Carmine Martucci isn’t just a fly fisher. He’s a craftsman of fly rods and flies. On March 16, he demonstrated the basic tying techniques by crafting a Lefty’s Deceiver and a Schminnow. The class drew first-time tyers and also some longtime tyers who were eager to compare Carmine’s techniques to their own. Ten students tied the flies step by step along with Carmine, using vices, tools and materials supplied by the club, and a camera that projected him on a television screen for better visibility.
Member Carmine Martucci demonstrating techniques on March 16. Photo: Ben Iannotta
Briefing from FWC’s Chad Weber
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission does critical work with limited resources, and therefore needs help and cooperation from all of us to protect our fishing grounds and its ecosystem. That was the message from Chad Weber, a former U.S. Marine and since 2016 the agency’s public information officer for the Northeast Region. He ran through a slide show that included scenes of illegally caught snook and a dead bald eagle, shot by a farmer who said it was eating his chickens. The State of Florida is patrolled by just 850 FWC law enforcement officers, including about 18 in Volusia County, and of those, maybe three to four will be on duty during each shift, Weber said. These officers can’t be everywhere, but “we try,” he said. Anglers are among the eyes and ears that can alert officers to potential violations by calling 1-888-404-3922 or 407-275-4150.
Chad Weber, FWC’s public information officer for the Northeast Region, met with us on March 9. Credit: Ben Iannotta
Updating our bylaws
As a charter club of Fly Fishers International, Mid-Coast FlyFishers must have bylaws that are approved by our board and FFI. We were provided a working draft from FFI that our board has approved and will send back on April 1. All members were sent a copy, but if for some reason you did not receive it, feel free to contact Guy at [email protected]. We encourage members to attend the meeting to discuss the bylaws. Any amendments to the document need to be approved by FFI.
President’s report
To assist with fundraising, consider buying items with our club logo. Several local vendors have our logo in hand and are ready to help. For water bottles and vinyl stickers, contact club president, Nick Hisey, [email protected]. For advice about clothing items, contact [email protected] for details. Also, Marilyn Sullivan in New Smyrna Beach, [email protected], has our logo and can put it on a shirt of your choice.
The Fly Fishing Film Tour, better known f3t, reached out to club President Nick Hisey about holding an even in our area. Member Tim Sheehan agreed to coordinate the event. The timeframe would be late October or early November. The Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach was mentioned as the most desirable venue, but Tim also has a connection to the historical theater in Daytona.
