I would like to thank all of you who volunteered to work the WMFF Booth at the Springfield Sportsman Show in West Springfield last month. Your hard work and dedication to the club made our presents at the show a success.
As a Membership Reminder March 2025 is the time to renew your membership for the 2025-2026 season. For those of you that have not renewed please find the mail in renewal form with this meeting announcement. You can fill this form out and mail your renewal directly to me and I will mail your Membership Card to you. Or you can bring the completed form to the March EXPO meeting to renew in person.
Hope to see many of you at the EXPO
Our March 2025 Meeting will be our 2025 WMFF EXPO. For March Expo information please visit the WMFF web site at the WMFF’s website.
As we move into the new year, we have a number of Club events coming up in February and March. We have the Springfield Sportsman’s Show at the Big E in February and we will be in need of volunteers to representative the club, we will also be preparing for the WMFF EXPO and we will also need club member participation and volunteers.
We will conduct our February 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 at our February meeting will be Reece McDowell. Reece runs the graphite department at T&T Fly Rods in Greenfield, MA. He also works at the Deerfield fly shop part time and has been fly fishing for close to a decade. Reece’s passion is fly fishing for Carp and his presentation will be Carp 101. He will be going over gear, habits, habitat, flies and everything to get started fly fishing for Carp.
Once again, we have been invited back to the Springfield Sportsman’s Show at the Big E, February 21, 22, and 23. We are in need of volunteers to man the booth at this event. You can tie fly’s or just be there to talk about fly fishing, fly-tying and the WMFF club. We want to have coverage all three days so please sign up to help. A sign- up sheet will be available at our meeting. Here is a link to this event http://www.osegsportsmens.com
As a reminder we are rapidly approaching the time to renew our individual 2026 membership. Renewals are due by the end of March 2025. Please note that attached to this meeting announcement you will find a Renew by Mail Form. Please follow the directions on the form to renew by mail or if you prefer to renew in person fill out the form and bring it to the next meeting. Dues are still $20.00. I will be available to renew your membership during the meeting.
If you have not filled out the club questioner yet, please do. The club is sending out this questionnaire to all members so we can get your input and ideas for making the club better, to find out from the membership what they think will enhance the club, what we are currently doing and what other programs you as members would like to see put into place. I will also be attaching a copy of the questionnaire to this announcement.
We will also be discussing preparation and planning for the 2025 WMFF March EXPO.
Thank you. – John D Lawor, Secretary WMFF
Fly Tying Demo:
Dan will be demonstrating how to tie the following fly’s at our meeting on Monday night before the scheduled meeting. (6:30). Thanks Dan
Little Black Stone Fly Dry
Hook – Standard dry size 16, 14
Thread – Black uni 8/0
Body – Black superfine dubbing
Wing – mallard primary slip sprayed with clear lacquer
Happy New and welcome to 2025. I expect that everyone is well and has had an enjoyable Holiday. WMFF is ready to start the 2025 season. We have some great things coming up in 2025. The 2025 WMFF Fly-tying classes starting on January 9th. 7:00pm to 9:00pm continuing for eight weeks ending on February 27, we have been asked back once again to represent the club, fly fishing and fly-tying at the Springfield Sportsman Show at the Big E in West Springfield. February 21-23, we will also be holding our March Expo, along with having some great guest speakers in 2025. We will be looking forward to another successful year
We will conduct our January meeting at the Ludlow Elks Club, 69 Chapin Street in Ludlow MA on Monday the 20th. at 7:00 pm right after the Fly-Tying Demo.
January Guest speaker TBA
Fly Tying Demo:
Dan Trela will be demonstrating how to tie the following flies at our meeting on Monday night. Thank you Dan.
MARLA BLAIR’S JAILBIRD
Hook – standard curved scud hook 14-16-18
Thread – 8/0 uni olive
Rib – Red wire
Body – Blue wing olive synthetic dubbing
Wing case – 2 mm white foam
BRONZE BACK PHEASANT TAIL
Hook – standard nymph 10-16
Thread – black uni 8/0
Tail – natural pheasant tail fibers
Body – natural pheasant tail with bronze flashabou
It’s December and Thanksgiving is behind us and Christmas is only weeks away. It is time to rejoice and to enjoy the company of family and friends.
Our 2025 office’s elections were successfully held at our November meeting. The current club officers were voted in for another term and will be resuming their duties in 2025. We would also like to welcome Codi Ackley who was voted into the open Board of Directors spot vacated by Manny DeSilva.
The December meeting will be held at 7:00 pm right after the Fly-tying Demo, at the Ludlow Elks Club, 69 Chapin Street in Ludlow MA.
Fly Tying Demo:
Dan Trela will be demonstrating how to tie the following fly’s at our meeting on Monday night before the scheduled meeting.
TOM BALTZ para nymph
Hook – standard dry fly size 10 -20
Thread – uni black 8/0
Tail – brown antron or zelon (tri-global fibers)
Body – hare’s mask Wing – yellow calf body hair Hackle – grizzly
TOM BALTZ Iron x caddis
Hook – standard dry fly 12-20
Thread – uni brown 8/0
Tail – brown/olive antron or zelon
Body – hare’s mask
Wing – short & fine deer body hair
Sighter -hot pink antron fibers
Frenchie
Hook – Jig hook 12-18
Bead – slotted gold to match hook size
Thread – 70 D UTC red
Tail – coc de leon fibers or substitute wood duck fibers
November the gateway to winter, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder. The leaves are off the trees and most of us have put away our rods and reels for the season as we move into holiday mode with Thanksgiving right around the corner.
Our November meeting will be held at 7:00 pm right after the Fly-tying Demo, at the Ludlow Elks Club, 69 Chapin Street in Ludlow MA.
November is Club Officers election month. Be prepared to submit your nominees for Club President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer we will be voting for our 2024 officers. We will also be voting on a Board Member position this year.
Tom Ricardi will be our guest speaker for November’s meeting, Presenting Birds of Prey. Local raptor rehabilitator, Tom Ricardi, has been rescuing birds of prey for more than 50 years. He has saved thousands of owls, hawks, falcons, eagles, and many more during the course of those 50 years. MA Birds of Prey Rehab is a non-profit organization and most of its costs are paid for out of Tom’s own pocket. Please bring a friend to this meeting and enjoy Tom’s talk!
Fly Tying Demo:
Dan Trela will be demonstrating how to tie the following fly’s at our meeting on Monday night before the scheduled meeting. Thank you Dan!
Purple Para Ant Hook- standard dry fly 12-14-16 Thread – black Wing- white para post Body – antron purple sparkle dubbing Hackle – Grizzly
Alexandra wet fly Hook – standard wet fly 10-12 Thread- black Tail – red hackle fibers Body – silver tinsel Wing – peacock sword Throat- black hackle
Partridge and peacock
Hook- standard wet fly 12-14-16 Thread – UTC Fl.fire orange Tag – fire orange thread Body – peacock herl Hackle – partridge or speckled hen neck Head – fire orange thread
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.
It’s October and fall in New England. There is no better time to be on the water with the summer heat behind us, cooler nights, the colors reflecting off the water and the days warmth still in the air. To be rewarded with an afternoon winged hatch, to cast your fly upon the ripples, the drift, the take, the set the fight, will all soon be memories once the trees are devoid of leaves, there spiny fingers reaching up into the gray sky. Soon cold days and the threat of ice and snow forcing us indoors to pursue other hobbies and the warmth of the fireplace.
Our October guest speaker will be Ryan S. Leclerc of New England Guide Service. His presentation will be Fishing Alaska
A Little about Ryan Leclerc:
Fishing is an obsession, a passion, a love. Fishing is a pillar of my life, not merely a past time. I have trained with some of the most well-known names in the industry like Rodney Flagg & Ora Smith. A differentiator for me when one considers choosing a guide is that I am Licensed and Registered to guide any inland open bodies of water in New England & Alaska.
Fly Tying Demo: Dan Trela will be demonstrating how to tie the following fly’s at our meeting on Monday night before the scheduled meeting.
PHEASANT FLASHBACK TAIL Hook – Standard nymph hook 18-14 Thread- Black 8/0 uni Tail – 3-4 pheasant tail fibers Body – 4 Pheasant tail fibers, Rib fine copper wire Thorax – Peacock herl Covert – Pheasant tail & small pearl mylar Legs – Pheasant tail
RAINBOW WARRIOR Hook Scud hook 16 Bead – Silver Thread – Red uni 8/0 or UTC 70D Tail – Pheasant tail Body Red thread with pearl mylar over Thorax – Rainbow Sow-Scud dubbing Collar- Red thread
THE THUD Hook – 2 xl dry fly size 8-10 Thread – 8/0 black uni Tail – Moose Mane fibers Body – Mahogany brown superfine dubbing Wing – Lt Grey poly yarn
