Author: Scott Seifel

Westfield River Watershed Association’s Bill Rose Memorial Fly Fishing Clinic

Post author By Scott Seifel
Post date October 1, 2025

A reminder of the upcoming Westfield River Watershed Association’s Bill Rose Memorial Fly Fishing Clinic. If anyone is planning to attend, please let John LaFrancis know by phone 860-597-6334 or by email JLaFrancis@wmffclub.org

The Westfield River Watershed Association (WRWA) and the Western Mass. Fly Fishermen (WMFF) will honor their late president with the free Bill Rose Memorial Fly Fishing clinic Saturday, October 18 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The clinic will take place on Route 20 in Huntington, Mass., in the turnout on the Westfield River, across from the Huntington Health Center. Children and teens are welcome with the supervision of an adult at this family-friendly event.

Please read the Springfield TV Station WWLP-22News piece on this special event:

Bill Rose Memorial Fly Fishing Clinic

Tags Event

Meetings

Monday October 20, 2025 Meeting Notice

Post author By Scott Seifel
Post date October 1, 2025
Sticky post

Fall in New England, October is one of those magical months. With the summer heat behind us, cooler nights, and the leaves on the trees changing, starting to paint a beautiful water color on our streams and warm days still in the air it is the perfect time to get out and cast our fly’s for maybe the last time of the season. The cold nights will be turning into cold days pushing us into more indoor activities. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years will be upon us sooner then we realize now is the time for those last casts before October slips away.

We will be conducting our October meeting at 7:00 pm right after the Fly-Tying Demo, at the Ludlow Elks Club, 69 Chapin Street in Ludlow MA.

Our guest speaker for our October meeting will be Biologist Brian Keleher from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife! He will talk about the Brook trout study that is ongoing at the Swift River. Because they are just starting to spawn he will be giving an overview of the project with an open date to come back in the future to discuss the findings. Terry Connolly gave us some information about his involvement in this project at our September meeting.

The Westfield River Watershed Association (WRWA) and the Western Mass. Fly
Fishermen (WMFF) will honor their late president with the free Bill Rose Memorial Fly Fishing clinic Saturday, October 18 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The clinic will take place on Route 20 in Huntington, Mass., in the turnout on the Westfield River, across from the Huntington Health Center. Children and teens are welcome with the supervision of an adult at this family-friendly event.

Election of Officers: Something to think about for our upcoming November meeting. The current officers are at the end of their term and as always, the November meeting is the officer election month. Please start thinking about nominees for the officer positions so in November we can see some new faces to vote on.

Thank you

John Lawor, WMFF Secretary
JLawor@wmffclub.org

Fly Tying Demo

Dan Trela will be demonstrating how to tie the following flies at our meeting on Monday night before the scheduled meeting.

MOP Fly
Thread – 6/0 uni black
Hook – scud emerger size 10
Bead -black 1/8 slotted
Body – mop material from bath rugs, car wash mitt. best color white, chartreuse
Collar – pearl chenille black

EGGSTACY EGG
Thread – 6/0 uni any color
Hook – lightning strike egg hook size 08/10
Bead – gold 1/8
Body – eggstacy material any color (pearl chenille)

BLACK LEECH
Thread – black uni 6/0
Hook – jig fly size 10
Bead – slotted black 1/8
Body – red holographic tinsel
Tail -black or any color zonked pine squirrel

Tags Meetings

Meetings

Monday September 15, 2025, Meeting Notice

Post author By Scott Seifel
Post date September 2, 2025
Sticky post

I hope everyone had a great summer and enjoyed some great fishing during our break. Our first meeting of the fall season will be on Monday September 15^th, and I hope many of you will have some great fishing stories to tell. The September meeting is a very important one this year because we will be voting on accepting the new rewritten Bylaws. By now, all of you would have had time to review the new Bylaws sent to all members in an email message on August 4th. On Monday the 15th, you, as members, will be asked to accept the new Bylaws by a vote. I hope to see all of you in attendance. If for some reason you were not able to review the new Bylaws, a copy was attached to the meeting announcement, and can be downloaded using the link at the bottom of this notice.

We will be conducting our September meeting at 7:00 pm right after the Fly-Tying Demo, at the Ludlow Elks Club, 69 Chapin Street in Ludlow MA.

August’s email to the membership: “The Western Mass Fly Fishermen Club Bylaws have been revised to better reflect the way the club is currently doing business. For the past 15 years we have been operating under obsolete Bylaws. These revised Bylaws have been accepted by the Board of Directors and now it is your turn as members to vote on acceptance.I am sending a copy of the newly revised Bylaws to all members so you will be able to review before our September meeting on the 15th of September.Please make an effort to attend that meeting because we will be conducting a vote on the revised Bylaws.“

Fly Tying Demo

Dan Trela will be demonstrating how to tie the following flies at our meeting on Monday night before the scheduled meeting.

HOT SPOT PERDIGON
Hook – Jig style size 18/16
Bead – silver slotted
Tail – nat. woodduck
Body – Black 6/0 uni
Rib – Silver wire
Hot Spot – UTC hot orange 70D

FOAM BUMBLE BEE
Hook – size 10 dry fly
Thread – Yellow
Body – Black yellow black foam glue 2 pieces black foam,
2 pieces yellow and 2 pieces black. Then using a female ferrule bunch out the bodies and superglue to hook
Legs – Small black rubber legs

WALT’S SEXY WORM
Hook – jig style size 16/18
Bead – silver slotted
Thread – UTC hot orange 70D
Body – Lt; hares ear mixed with clear antron or pearl SLF fibers
Rib – sulky silver metallic. Available from Hobby Lobby
Hot spot – UTC hot orange 70D

WMFF Bylaws 2025-2026 Draft Proposal last edit 4-9-25 Download

Tags Meetings

Meetings

2025-2026 Meeting Dates

Post author By Scott Seifel
Post date July 28, 2025
Sticky post

Dates and times for the 2025-2026 Western Mass Fly Fishermen & Tying club to be held at the Ludlow Elks Lodge.

We meet the third Monday of the month 7-9 PM.

Fall 2025 meeting dates:

1) September 15th 7:00 – 9:00 pm
2) October 20st 7:00 – 9:00 pm
3) November 17th 7:00 – 9:00 pm
4) December 15th 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Spring 2026 meeting dates:

5) January 19th 7:00 – 9:00 pm
6) February 16th 7:00 – 9:00 pm
7) March 16th March Expo 2:00 pm – 10:00 pm
8) April 20st 7:00 – 9:00 pm
9) May 18th 5:00 – 8:00 pm Outside Pavilion cookout

2026 List of 8-week WMFF’s fly tying classes to be held on Thursday nights, 7-9 PM
1) January 8th
2) January 15th
3) January 22rd
4) January 29th
5) February 5th
6) February 12th
7) February 19nd
8) February 26th

Snow make up day if needed is March 5th

Harold Norman, President

Meetings

Monday May 19, 2025, Meeting Notice

Post author By Scott Seifel
Post date May 3, 2025
Sticky post

The May 2025 meeting will be our last meeting before we go on summer break. We had another great year and got through another meeting season and WMFF March Expo.

Our May 19th meeting will start at 5:00 PM and will be held at the Ludlow Elks Club, 69 Chapin Street in Ludlow MA at the Pavilion for
our close of the season cookout. The meeting will commence after the cookout outside in the Pavilion area. Anyone wanting to help with the cookout please see Dan Trela at 4:00 PM to assist him with preparations and cooking.

We will be starting back up in September on Monday the 15th. Our regular September Meeting will be held at the Ludlow Elks Club, 69 Chapin Street in Ludlow MA. I will be sending out a September meeting announcement the end of August. Also please check the WMFF’s website (https://wmffclub.org) throughout the summer for news and events, and new fly fishing and tying related information.

See you in September. May you all have an enjoyable and safe summer.

~ John Lawor, Secretary.