In addition to the great food, fun and fellowship at the ALTO 2nd Annual Flies & Pies Tying Event in Natchitoches, LA, we are expecting not only some of the best fly tyers in the region, but we also have some great demonstrations on tap!
AND… We will be having our event at a new location… The First Baptist Church of Natchitoches, 508 Second St, Natchitoches, LA 71457. The new location will have an outdoor casting area too! So whether you need a free casting lesson, or maybe a tune-up to your current cast, if you are having a casting problem, just know that we will have a minimum of two FFI Certified Casting Instructors on-hand to help you out!
Remember, our event is FREE TO ATTEND! However, we WILL be taking up a LOVE OFFERING to present to the First Baptist Church for allowing us to use their facilities!!! We are grateful to them for allowing us this opportunity and feel this is the least we can do for them!
ALSO, this is a perfect event to bring your spouses, friends, and/or your significant other with you! While you are tying, they may well want to venture down a block into the heart fo the Meat Pie Festival!! As mentioned above, expect great food (there will be no shortage), lots of fun…PROMISED and fellowship (some of the best around)! There may well be some music and dancing involved!
WARNING… the planners of this event bear NO responsibility if you come to this event and fail to PASS A GOOD TIME (Cajun for Have A Good Time)…just saying!!!
Hotels in Natchitoches:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/SmartDeals-g40335-Natchitoches_Louisiana-Hotel-Deals.html
ARKLATEXOMA (ALTO) FLY TYERS PRESENTS FLIES AND PIES @ The Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival
Saturday, September 20, 2025 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
(Doors open at 7 am….look for the 2 ArkLaTexOma Fly Tyers Entrance signs )
PLEASE REMEMBER….ABSOLUTELY NO FOOD INSIDE THE GYM!
7-8 am- Registration
8 am-End- Complementary Water, Coffee & Donuts- ArkLaTexOma Fly Tyers
AGENDA
8 am- Opening prayer- Pastor Tommy Rush
9-9:45 am-Topic: Bream on the Fly Speaker: Jerald Lewis *
10-11 am- Topic: Steps to Build the Cane River Popper
Speaker: Burley Johnson **
11 am-1 pm- Lunch on your own (Be sure to check out the Meat Pie Festival on Front St and/or indulge in some of Natchitoches’ world famous cuisine. OR, feel free to bring your own lunch and enjoy the dining area adjacent to the gym. Feel free to continue tying during the lunch break!
1:00-2:00 pm- Topic: Constructing and Fishing Furled Leaders
Speaker: Mike Hawkins ***
3-4 pm Raffle (ticket sales close at 2:45 pm!)
Speaker Bios
* Jerald Lewis is an FFI Certified Casting Instructor and excellent warm water fly fisherman. He serves on the Board of East Texas Fly Fishers. The vast majority of his time spent on the water is fly fishing for bass, bream and a variety of salt water species. He has won the bream tournament at Bass on the Fly twice.
Jerald’s presentation will cover all aspects of fishing for bream-from helping beginners understand equipment setup to fly selection, to advanced techniques of how moon phases and water temperature affect fishing outcome. Jerald wants this to be an open group discussion between all participants.
** Burley Johnson is a longtime resident of Natchitoches with a B.S. in P. E and a Masters of Education in Administration from NSU and is a retired P.E. coach from the Natchitoches school system and he is a staple within the local community. His love for fishing spans many years, and his love for fly fishing began when, over 30 years ago, his daughter gave him a fly rod one Christmas. Needless to say, HE WAS HOOKED (pun intended)!
He began making Popping Bugs 25 years ago…. some he uses for fishing and some he keeps for display!
*** Mike Hawkins is an FFI Certified Casting Instructor and serves on the Board of Directors for the FFI Texas Council, and is the Fly Tying Chairman for that group. He also is a member of the FFI Fly Tyers Group.
Mike’s presentation will cover a brief history of furled leaders as well as the pros and cons of furled leaders, followed by a demonstration of the construction of a leader.