Download 2015 Festival Guide (PDF)

15th Annual

South River - Waynesboro, Virginia

April 11-12, 2015

IF FISH HAD A WANTED POSTER...

FLIP, LEFTY, ED, NICK & BOB

Welcome Virginia Fly Fishing &

to the 15th Annual

Wine Festival,

held each year on the banks of the South River in beautiful Waynesboro, Virginia. We are proud to be the largest outdoor fly fishing event in the country, drawing thousands of anglers and vendors from across the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. We have gathered some of the country’s finest anglers, vendors, and fly fishing instructors for this weekend’s extravaganza. Try out a kayak, book a trip with a guide, get an autograph from one of our many attending authors, or take home that perfect piece of artwork for your home or office. If you’ve attended the festival for the past few years you know we’ve grown considerably. For this year’s festival we’ve not only expanded our programs and instructors, we’ve relocated the festival grounds to the opposite side of Main Street. This new location gives us more vendor space, a better casting area, and easy access to the river—and our wonderful wineries. This year we have also included a few microbreweries! We’ve also expanded our lecture tents to accommodate more students eager to learn about fly fishing. This year we are pleased to offer our Family Fly Fishing Classes (3FC), designed to teach basic fly fishing skills to families with children of all ages. Classes will be taught by Paul Kearney, lead instructor of the Trout Unlimited Tri-State Conservation and Fishing Camp, held each year in June near Shenandoah National Park. These classes are provided free of charge through the sponsorship of the Recreational Fishing and Boating Foundation’s Take Me Fishing Campaign. Families who enjoy these classes may want to consider sending their teens to Mr. Kearney’s weeklong camp, which offers even more hands-on instruction. Our 3FC program also features a Fly Tyers’ Tent, which is manned by program members of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) from Fort Belvoir and Marine Corps Base Quantico. In addition, uniformed Boy Scouts of America can earn their Fly Fishing Merit Badge right here at the festival in a badge track designed exclusively for them and taught by the BSA. All materials and classes are free to festival attendees. Are you an aspiring lady fly fisher? Plan to attend our free “Women’s Fly Fishing Forum” offered each day from 12:30-1:45 PM in the Jackson River Tent. This forum will host a panel of female fly fishing professionals from across the country—magazine editors, professional guides, retail store managers, and casting instructors. If you are a woman new to the quiet sport and have questions on where to begin, what to wear, and what gear to carry, don’t miss this forum. You’ll get the answer to all these questions and more from the top female anglers in the sport. All of the festival lectures are free with paid admission, and for those 21 years of age or older, a number of Virginia’s top wineries will offer complimentary wine tasting (with paid festival admission) throughout the weekend. If you’re feeling lucky, be sure to enter our many drawings for excellent prizes ranging from guided trips to casting classes and wonderful artwork. Then sit back and enjoy live music and a riverside lunch. Finally, rouse yourself again in time to browse vendor booths, take in another free class, or listen to a lecture. This year we are pleased to welcome Trout Unlimited as our official Conservation Sponsor; please stop by the TU booth to learn what they are doing to protect our coldwater fisheries. In addition to the Recreational Fishing and Boating Foundation and Trout Unlimited, we also want to welcome a couple more new sponsors: Bethany Christian Services and Ruthless Outdoor Kayak Fishing Adventures. Please be sure to thank them—and all of our generous and loyal sponsors—for their ongoing support. The Virginia Fly Fishing Festival could not happen without them and our faithful, world-class vendors. Finally, we are eager to hear your suggestions for next year’s festival. How might the festival be even more informative and fun? Don’t hesitate to let us know. Thanks for sharing your weekend with us. Dana Quillen, Executive Director Virginia Fly Fishing Festival

Don’t forget to pick up your 2015 Festival T-shirts! www.vaflyfishingfestival.org

*check out page 19 for more information Virginia FLY FISHING FESTIVAL 2015

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Virginia FLY FISHING FESTIVAL 2015

www.vaflyfishingfestival.org

Table of Contents Welcome Letter

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Festival Map

6-7

Schedule of Events — Saturday & Sunday

12-13

2015 Festival Speakers

14-17

2015 Festival Fly Tyers

17-18

2015 VA Fly Fishing Festival T-Shirt

19

Trout Unlimited: Making A Difference

21

2015 Festival Artist: Dave Krupa

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AWARD WINNING PRINTING FOUR COLOR PRINTING • DIGITAL PRINTING DIE CUTTING • MISCELLANEOUS FOLDING FOIL STAMPING • EMBOSSING FULL SERVICE BINDING & PACKAGING FULL SERVICE ART DEPARTMENT AUTOMATED COLLATING & STITCHING MAILING • FULFILLMENT

540-248-5300

1-800-248-5746

46 Laurel Hill Road • Verona, VA 24482 • [email protected] • www.midvalleypress.com www.vaflyfishingfestival.org


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S Kayak Area

Do

Kayak Area

Map Legend

Admissions Tent Family Fly Fishing Classes TU Camp Tent - Rapidan River Tent

DCCU ATM

Fly Tying Tent BSA Fly Fishing Merit Badge Tent

E

Lecture Tents - James River, South River, Mossy Creek, Shenandoah River & Jackson River

Food, Wine & Microbrews

Spey Casting Area * MAP NTS

Restrooms

Pedestrian Crossing

Vendor & Exhibitor Parking

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y Trail Greenwa

ominion Pavilion

B

C

D

A Festival Promenade

Wine ID Check

DMV

Fishing License

Festival Tickets

Main Entrance

Festival Parking

Vendor’s Tent Festival Raffle Display Inside

Casting Area

E

Arch Avenue www.vaflyfishingfestival.org

Short S treet

Festival Boundary


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Support your local business and enjoy expert advice in outdoor recreational activities

kayak & paddleboard rentals kayak tours & instruction kayak sales & service roof rack sales & service outdoor gear & apparel angling & SUP competitions

Tel: 757 431-8566

www.wildriveroutfitters.com

3636 Virginia Beach Blvd. #108, Virginia Beach, VA 23452

Maybe Your Best Banking Option

Isn’t a Bank.

DCCU is your best local option for the personal attention you deserve and competitive rates on the financial services you need. Live or work in the central Shenandoah Valley? You can join! Learn more and become a member at mydccu.com today. Locations in: Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, Stuarts Draft, Verona, Fishersville, Woodstock

Federally Insured by NCUA

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PROUD SPONSOR OF THE

15TH Annual Virginia Fly Fishing Festival

VISIT BLUERIDGEOUTDOORS.COM FOR MORE REGIONAL FLY FISHING COVERAGE www.vaflyfishingfestival.org


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Take the ultimate fly-fishing trip every issue! Welcome to Eastern Fly Fishing, the magazine of choice for fly-fishing anglers who live and fish in the Eastern United States and Canada. Often referred to as the “National Geographic of fly fishing,” Eastern Fly Fishing is the magazine of choice for anglers living in the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest. Published since 2005, Eastern Fly Fishing has always taken great pride in the simple fact that no other magazine can compare to us in quality or regional focus. Visit our website to order your subscription or download our free app on iTunes.

www.matchthehatch.com www.vaflyfishingfestival.org


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Schedule of Events 2015 Saturday, April 11th

10-10:50 AM Matt Miles Fishing for Virginia Smallies and Trout 11-11:50 Steve Monahan Fly Fishing for Beginners 12-12:50 PM Colby Trow Fly Fishing the Shenandoah Valley 1-1:50 Mark Taylor TU’s Ten Special Places 2-2:50 Duber Winters Orvis Fly Fishing 101 3-3:50 Beau Beasley Virginia’s Best Waters and Fly Patterns

South River Tent 10-10:50 AM 11-11:50 12-12:50 PM 1-1:50 2-2:50 3-3:50

Bob Clouser Blane Chocklett Harold Harsh Tom Gilmore Jon Hooper Brian Shumaker

Shenandoah River Tent 10-10:50 AM 11-11:50 12-12:50 PM 1-1:50 2-2:50 3-3:50

James River Tent 10-10:50 AM 11-11:50 12-12:50 PM 1-1:50 2-2:50 3-3:50

Jackson River Tent 9-11:30 AM 12:30-1:45 PM 2-4:30

Rapidan River Tent* 10-11 AM 1-2 PM

Fly Tying Tent*

9 AM-5 PM

All You Need to Know About Smallies Musky Fishing the James and New Rivers Western Maryland’s Best Trout Waters Trophy Tailwaters: Maine to Georgia Fishing Tennessee’s South Holston River Fishing PA’s Susquehanna & Juniata Rivers

Ed Jaworowski Steve Vorkapich William Heresniak Capt. Gary Dubiel Capt. Ed Lawrence Bryan Kelly

Trout Streams: Casting/Fishing Techniques Techniques/Proper Use of Strike Indicators Fly Patterns for Trophy Trout and Bass Catching Giant Reds on NC’s Neuse River Fishing for Specs in Mobjack Bay Kelly’s Heroes: 12 Killer Patterns

Dusty Wissmath Capt. Ed Lawrence Randy Ratliff Walt Cary Mike Smith Kiki Galvin

Fly Fishing the Greater Yellowstone System Fishing for Specs in Mobjack Bay Fishing for Trout on TN’s Watauga River Creating the World’s Best Popping Bugs Landing New River Walleye and Smallies Tips and Tactics to Make Fly Fishing Easier

Pat Cohen Women’s Forum Blane Chocklett

Bass Bug Fly Tying Class (fee) Panel Discussion Tying the Game Changer (fee)

Paul Kearney Paul Kearney

3FC: Family Fly Fishing Classes 3FC: Family Fly Fishing Classes

Marty Laksbergs

Free Beginner Fly Tying Classes (walk-up)

BSA Tent

10 AM-5 PM Pete Adams BSA Fly Fishing Merit Badge Class (Scouts only)

Casting Classes (fee)

8:30-11 AM Galvin/Groundwater Ladies-Only Casting Instruction (YMCA) 8:30-11 Dan Davala Spey Casting Instruction (Riverside) 1-3:30 PM Ed Jaworowski Advanced Casting Instruction (YMCA) 1-3:30 Clouser/Heller Beginners’ Casting Instruction (YMCA)

Main Casting Pool

9:30-10:30 AM Lefty Kreh 11-11:45 Ed Jaworowski 1-1:45 PM Dusty Wissmath 3-4 Lefty Kreh

Author’s Corner (Inside the Festival Store) 11 AM -12:30 PM Lefty Kreh 1-2 Open 2-3 Tom Gilmore 3-4 Open 4-5 Beau Beasley

On The River Demonstrations

11 AM Tom Sadler Tenkara Demo 11 Cory Routh How to Rig Your Kayak for Fishing 12 PM Dan Davala Spey Casting Demo 1 Cory Routh How to Rig Your Kayak for Fishing 2 Tom Sadler Tenkara Demo 3 Cory Routh How to Rig Your Kayak for Fishing

Saturday

Mossy Creek Tent

* Families (including children of all ages) can receive free casting lessons at the Rapidan River Tent (located next to the Kids’ Trout Pool) from TU Tri-State Conservation Camp director Paul Kearney. All gear will be provided. Families with children can also try their hands at fly tying at the Fly Tying Tent staffed by members of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing

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Schedule of Events 2015 Sunday, April 12th Mossy Creek Tent

10-10:50 AM Bob Clouser All You Need to Know About Smallies 11-11:50 Steve Monahan Fly Fishing for Beginners 12-12:50 PM Jon Hooper Fishing Tennessee’s South Holston River 1-1:50 Duber Winters Orvis Fly Fishing 101 2-2:50 Jon Hooper Fishing Tennessee’s South Holston River 3-3:50 Matt Miles Fishing for Virginia Smallies and Trout

South River Tent

Shenandoah River Tent 10-10:50 AM 11-11:50 12-12:50 PM 1-1:50 2-2:50 3-3:50

James River Tent 10-10:50 AM 11-11:50 12-12:50 PM 1-1:50 2-2:50 3-3:50

Jackson River Tent 9:00-11:30 AM 12:30-1:45 PM 2-4:30

Rapidan River Tent* 10-11 AM 1-2 PM

Fly Tying Tent

9 AM-5 PM

Ed Jaworowski Duber Winters Capt. Gary Dubiel Capt. Ed Lawrence Dusty Wissmath William Heresniak

Trout Streams: Casting/Fishing Techniques Orvis Fly Fishing 101 Catching Giant Reds on NC’s Neuse River Fishing for Specs in Mobjack Bay Fly Fishing the Greater Yellowstone System Fly Patterns for Trophy Trout and Bass

Harold Harsh Brian Shumaker Tom Gilmore Randy Ratliff Colby Trow Kiki Galvin

Western Maryland’s Best Trout Waters Fishing PA’s Susquehanna & Juniata Rivers Trophy Tailwaters: Maine to Georgia Fishing for Trout on TN’s Watauga River Fly Fishing the Shenandoah Valley Tips and Tactics to Make Fly Fishing Easier

Pat Cohen Women’s Forum Blane Chocklett

Bass Bug Fly Tying Class (fee) Panel Discussion Tying the Game Changer (fee)

Paul Kearney Paul Kearney

3FC: Family Fly Fishing Classes 3FC: Family Fly Fishing Classes

Marty Laksbergs

Free Beginner Fly Tying Classes (walk-up)

BSA Tent

10 AM-5 PM Pete Adams BSA Fly Fishing Merit Badge Class (Scouts only)

Casting Classes (fee) 8:30-11 AM 8:30-11 1-3:30 PM 1-3:30

Galvin/Groundwater Dan Davala Ed Jaworowski Clouser/Heller

Ladies-Only Casting Instruction (YMCA) Spey Casting Instruction (Riverside) Advanced Casting Instruction (YMCA) Beginners’ Casting Instruction (YMCA)

Main Casting Pool

9:30-10:30 AM Lefty Kreh 11-11:45 Ed Jaworowski 1-1:45 PM Dusty Wissmath 3-4 Lefty Kreh

Author’s Corner (Inside the Festival Store) 11 AM -12:30 PM Lefty Kreh 1-2 Open 2-3 Tom Gilmore 3-4 Beau Beasley

On The River Demonstrations

11 AM Tom Sadler Tenkara Demo 11 Cory Routh How to Rig Your Kayak for Fishing 12 PM Dan Davala Spey Casting Demo 1 Cory Routh How to Rig Your Kayak for Fishing 2 Tom Sadler Tenkara Demo 3 Cory Routh How to Rig Your Kayak for Fishing

Sunday

10-10:50 AM Steve Vorkapich Indicator Fishing: Controlling Unseen Drag 11-11:50 Blane Chocklett Musky Fishing the James and New Rivers 12-12:50 PM Bryan Kelly Kelly’s Heroes: 12 Killer Patterns 1-1:50 Colby Trow Fly Fishing the Shenandoah Valley 2-2:50 Mark Taylor TU’s Ten Special Places 3-3:50 Mike Smith Landing New River Walleye and Smallies

* Families (including children of all ages) can receive free casting lessons at the Rapidan River Tent (located next to the Kids’ Trout Pool) from TU Tri-State Conservation Camp director Paul Kearney. All gear will be provided. Families with children can also try their hands at fly tying at the Fly Tying Tent staffed by members of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.



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Festival Speakers Beau Beasley (www.beaubeasley.com) is an outdoor investigative journalist whose work has appeared in Fly

Fisherman, American Angler, Eastern Fly Fishing, and other national fly fishing magazines. His in-depth investigation into Kings’ grants as well as other access and use issues has garnered him praise from conservationist, and land owners alike. His class “Virginia’s Best Waters and Fly Patterns” is a must for those angling in the Old Dominion. Beau is currently working on his third book about Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.

Dan Davala, fishing manager for Orvis-Arlington, is the founding member of the Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders (www.tpfr.org). He’s an FFF Master Certified Casting Instructor and is indefatigable in his desire to teach fly fishing to anyone who’ll stand still long enough to hold a fly rod. The festival is pleased to have Dan as our Spey casting instructor this year. Captain Gary Dubiel is the owner of Spec Fever Guide Service (www.specfever.com) is on Temple Fork Outfitters Advisory Staff. His angling skills have brought him international coverage on multiple fishing shows on ESPN, Outdoor Life Network, and Europe’s Discovery Channel. Though Gary is partial to speckled trout, he’s also made a name for himself landing monster-sized red drum near his hometown of Oriental, North Carolina. His popping cork method of fishing for giant drum has set a new standard for landing these finned brutes. Kiki Galvin is the owner of Ms. Guided Fly Fishing Services and has been a fly fishing guide since 2002. Kiki has volunteered with Project Healing Waters since 2007 and was recently recognized as Volunteer of the Year for the National Capital region. Kiki’s a member of both the Federation of Fly Fishers and the International Women Fly Fishers. She will be teaching our free walk-up casting classes and will also be a panelist in the Women’s Fly Shop Forum. Tom Gilmore has received numerous conservation awards and is the past president and CEO of the New Jersey Audubon Society, as well as the past president and general manager of the Philadelphia Zoological Society. Gilmore, author of False Albacore: A Comprehensive Guide to Fly Fishing’s Hottest Fish, has also authored Tuna on the Fly and The Fly Fisher’s Guide to the Big Apple. His latest book A Fly Fishing Guide to Eastern Tailwaters was just release. Mary Griffin learned to fly fish on her family’s bass pond in Waxhaw, North Carolina, and since then has spent countless hours fishing and exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains for trout and searching the Carolina coastline for redfish. While attending the University of Virginia, Mary spent a summer guiding on the North Platte River near Encampment, Wyoming, and spent three years working for The Albemarle Angler in Charlottesville. After college, Mary returned to her hometown and worked at Orvis Charlotte from its opening in 2009 until moving to Texas in 2011 to open Orvis Austin as Fishing Manager. She is currently the store manager at Orvis Charlotte, and will be a panelist on this year’s “Women’s Fly Fishing Forum.” Kaitlin Groundwater, fishing manager of Orvis Woodbridge (www.orvis.com), is as passionate a fly angler as you’re likely to meet. She recently graduated with a BA in Global Studies from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, where she was very active in the university’s fly fishing club. While Kaitlin went to school in the South, she is quick to point out that her fishing background is firmly in the West. She often fished the Gallatin, Madison, Yellowstone, Soda Butte, and Slough Creek. Want to ask Kaitlin a fly fishing question? Be sure to attend the Women’s Fly Shop Forum, for which she will be a panelist. Harold Harsh is the owner of Spring Creek Outfitters (www.springcreekoutfitter.com) and one of the most respected guides in all of Maryland. For over two decades Harold has fished the hallowed waters of the Savage, Youghiogheny, and Potomac Rivers, landing trophy trout and hefty smallies. If you desire to explore western Maryland’s famous waters, Harold is the man to see. A word of warning, however: Once you see experience the beauty of western Maryland and its waters, you may not want to go home. 14



William Heresniak is the owner of Eastern Trophies Adventure (http://www.easterntrophies.com/) and guides extensively for trout, bass, and the occasional musky in Virginia and Maryland. He has a passion for fly tying and never seems to tire of sharing his knowledge and improving his own skills as well. Always on the hunt for larger fish, William’s musky patterns are so large that they look like nothing so much as feathered squirrels. Jon Hooper is the General Manager of the South Holston River Lodge (www. southholstonriverlodge.com) as well as the lodge’s fishing program manager. Originally from Upstate New York, Jon grew up fishing the Great Lake tributaries and the Catskills; today he calls the Southeast his home. Hooper has guided clients from Alaska to New York, putting thousands of anglers on fish. If you’ve ever thought of taking on the wild browns of the South Holston River in East Tennessee, then Hooper is the man to see. Ed Jaworowski is passionate about fly casting. The author of The Cast and Troubleshooting the Cast, among other fly fishing books, Ed is an excellent instructor who connects well with his students regardless of their skill level. He is currently on the Temple Fork Outfitters pro staff and his Intermediate to Advanced Casting Class is just what you’ll need to take your casting skills to the next level. Bryan Kelly has been a professional guide for nearly two decades who routinely fishes the Shenandoah and upper Potomac Rivers. A former “Top 10 Bass” Bass Pro, and Classic Qualifier, Bryan has agreed to share with festival goers his Kelly’s Heroes: his top-producing 12 smallmouth bass patterns. Bryan and his wife Deb are also owners of the Angler’s Inn and White Fly Outfitters (www.whiteflyoutfitters.com) in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Lefty Kreh is doubtless the best known fly angler of our time. He is considered the father of modern fly fishing, and his best-selling books are considered by many to be fly fishing bibles. His countless magazine articles and approachable demeanor have brought thousands of new devotees to the quiet sport of fly fishing. Captain Ed Lawrence, owner of Speckulater Charters (www.speckulatercharters.com), operates out of Gloucester and knows the Middle Peninsula and the Northern Neck like the back of his hand. It is here that he pursues the elusive speckled trout. In addition to specs, Ed also fishes for stripers, flounder, redfish, and blues whenever he can. Matt Miles is a Lynchburg native who moved to Evergreen, Colorado, in the 90s to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a fly fishing guide. After guiding professionally at the Blue Quill Angler, he returned to his home state in 2003 to open his own independent guide service, Matt Miles Fly Fishing, LLC. Miles is an Orvis-Endorsed Guide and fishes for musky, smallmouth bass, trout, and striped bass on various Virginia rivers including the James, New, and Jackson. Steve Monahan is a manufacturer’s representative for Temple Fork Outfitters (www. templeforkflyrods.com) with a passion for fly fishing. He is particularly driven to teach new anglers how to tackle the sport, and his “Fly Fishing 101 Class” is perfect for beginners. Do not arrive at his class late unless you enjoy standing! Cory Routh, owner of Ruthless Outdoor Adventures Kayak Fishing (http://www. ruthlessoutdooradventures.come/) is hands-down one of the best-known fly angling kayakers in the country. Having fished from Texas to New York and even along the northern shore of Oahu, Cory’s kayaking experience is something he likes to share. Recently named the Mid-Atlantic Angler of the Year by Extreme Edge Sports, Cory is a pro-staffer for Temple Fork Outfitters who not only guides but enjoys waterfowl hunting as well. Cory is also on the Hobie and Werner Paddles fishing teams and serves as an ambassador for Under Armour. Cory is also the author of Kayak Fishing: The Complete Guide. www.vaflyfishingfestival.org


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Festival Speakers Tom Sadler is a professional guide and dedicated Tenkara fly fisherman. His passion for Tenkara was honed in Virginia’s mountain streams fishing for native brook trout, and he blogs about his experiences at MiddleRiverDispatches.com. In April 2013, Tom was tapped to be the Executive Director of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Tom will be doing Tenkara demonstrations throughout the weekend along the South River. You’re as likely to find Pennsylvanian Brian Shumaker (www.susqriverguides.com) on his beloved Susquehanna with an oar in his hand as you are a fly rod. Brian is on the TFO pro staff and often teaches casting classes with his mentor and good friend, Bob Clouser. Brian also regularly hits the Little Juniata and the Keystone state’s other top smallmouth fisheries. Brian’s easygoing manner and depth of knowledge on all aspects of smallmouth fishing make him the man to see for pointers. When Mike Smith isn’t guiding for trophy-sized smallmouth bass on Virginia’s rivers (as he has been for 30 years), he is the chief fly designer for Flymen Fishing Company (www. flymenfishingcompany.com). Chances are you’ve already seen his patterns gracing the pages of fine publications like Fly Tyer, American Angler, and Eastern Fly Fishing. Check out his New River fishing lecture, and be sure to pick up a few of his latest patterns in the Flymen Fishing Company booth. Randy Ratliff is the owner of Troutfishers Guide Service, based in Kingsport, Tennessee. This region boasts some of the best trout streams and rivers in the South, and Ratliff knows them well. One of Ratliff’s top trips is the Watauga River, which he will be presenting on at this year’s festival. This tailwater fishery has many different and sometimes challenging personalities along its 16-mile length and is the only river in the state to offer a special regulation “Quality Trout Zone.” Ratliff also offers trips for wild rainbow trout, brown trout, and true Southern-strain Appalachian brook trout in the many miles of freestone mountain streams throughout upper East Tennessee. Jenn Ripple is the Editor-in-Chief of Dun magazine and the Executive Editor of A Tight Loop magazine. When not on the water, she spends her time teaching women’s fly tying and fly casting clinics, speaking nationwide on issues regarding women in fly fishing and devoting her time to conservation efforts through nonprofits. A sounding board for women in this currently male-dominated sport, Jen has created a home base for women worldwide to connect and engage in the art of fly fishing. After covering the outdoors beat for The Roanoke Times for nearly 16 years, Mark Taylor joined Trout Unlimited as the eastern communications director in May 2014. Mark oversees internal and external communications for TU (www.tu.org) for a large region covering 17 states, from Georgia to Maine to the upper Midwest. Stop by the TU booth and learn what you can do to improve the coldwater fisheries in and around your state. Mark will be speaking over the course of the weekend on TU’s Ten Special Places campaign, and will be the Keynote Speaker at this year’s VIP Dinner. Mark is a native of Oregon who now lives in Roanoke.

Colby Trow has been guiding fly anglers for over a decade. He sits on many industry boards including The American Fly Fishing Trade Association, Fly Fishers of Virginia, Massanutten TU, and works closely with VDGIF, DEQ, and Shenandoah Riverkeeper on local conservation efforts. Colby fishes and guides extensively on the Shenandoah and the James Rivers and is a fixture on Mossy Creek, Virginia’s best trout stream. He and his brother Brian opened Mossy Creek Fly Fishing (www.mossycreekflyfishing.com) in 2004 and now leads over 100 new anglers a year into the sport at their successful fly fishing classes held at Wintergreen Resort.

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Steve Vorkapich is the owner of Float Master Products (www.floatmasterco.net) and a zealous steelhead angler. After spending years on the river watching frustrated anglers spend more time fighting with their indicators than fishing, Steve designed his own family of strike indicators. His class on the proper technique and use of indicators is a must for those who nymph fish or use indicators while fishing. Duber Winters is the general manager of the newly opened Orvis Company Store (www.orvis.com) in Woodbridge, Virginia. A die-hard saltwater angler who cut his teeth as a guide on the salty shores of the Sunshine State, Duber was the fishing manager at the Orvis Store in Richmond before being tapped to open this new Orvis location. Duber’s knowledge of both salt- and freshwater fish, and the proper techniques and gear needed to land them, is invaluable to any angler. Dusty Wissmath (www.dwflyfishingschool.com) is the lead instructor for the Wissmath School of Fly Casting and is also a fly casting instructor at Whitetail Mountain Resort. When he’s not teaching a fly casting class to eager new students, you’re most likely to find him on the water. Dusty guides in the MidAtlantic as well as Montana and finds the time to teach some of the most popular casting classes in the area.

Festival Fly Tyers Martin Bawden is an innovative fly tyer and the creator of the Nymph-Head™ and Fish-Skull™ products. As owner of Flymen Fishing Company (www.flymenfishingcompany.com), Martin has fished his creative patterns all over the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Stop by the Flymen Fish Company booth at this year’s festival and see all the new fly tying materials offered by this unique company. Jim Bensinger is a former Marine and the owner of Fiber Flies. Obsessed with all things fly fishing—and especially fly tying—Bensinger has developed a line of materials derived from Alpac. This material is perfect for dubbing. Amateur fly tyers will love it. Stop by Jim’s booth, and let him show you how it works.

Walt Cary is a household name to popping bug enthusiasts. Walt’s Poppers are the best popping bugs money can buy (when you can find them) and seem to last forever. Walt has been creating these fishable works of art for nearly 50 years. Be sure to stop by his booth and watch him create these great bass and bream bugs in front of your very eyes. Blane Chocklett (http://newanglefishing.com/) is the creator of numerous unique fly patterns. He has built a solid reputation as a go-to guide for James and New River smallies, and his passion for musky fishing is well known. It’s common for Blane’s clients to land musky well over 30 inches each season. To see his latest innovative patterns, stop by his flytying booth and let him show you his latest creation, the Game Changer. Fly tying classes with Blane will also be available at this year’s festival. www.vaflyfishingfestival.org


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Festival fly tyers Chuck Kraft is hands-down the best known fly fishing guide in the Old Dominion. Having guided on rivers like the James and the Shenandoah for decades, no one knows smallies like Chuck does. He’s also an innovative fly tyer with many unique patterns to his credit, including the CK Nymph, CK Baitfish, Kreelex, Claw-Dad, and his newest pattern, the Crittermite. Tommy Mattioli’s patterns are known throughout the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. Though a native of New Jersey where he learned to fish while working alongside his brother as a commercial angler, he eventually moved to the Old Dominion and has taken his place as one of Virginia’s best known tyers. Both his salt- and freshwater patterns stay in demand year-round, and his famed Tommy’s Torpedo is a must-have pattern for shad anglers. Tommy will be demonstrating fly tying all weekend in the Green Top Sporting Goods booth, and his patterns are available there for sale as well. Shane Maybush has been fishing the waters of the Shenandoah Valley since childhood. Having guided for over a decade at Mossy Creek Fly Shop (www.mossycreekflyfishing.com), Shane does whatever it takes to put his clients on fish. His imaginative streamer patterns have allowed him to pursue musky and other species all over the country. Be sure to stop by his tying bench and see what he’s creating at this year’s festival.

Fish on.

Alaskans host an elegant Adventure B&B in historic Waynesboro; luxurious guest rooms with vintage four-poster beds… delicious, gourmet full course breakfasts… beautiful gardens. Relax, your gear is welcome!

“Can I come back tomorrow?” Lefty Kreh The Speckled Trout is the VIP Home for the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival and host home of Shenandoah Valley Trout Unlimited. Outstanding warmth and hospitality … “Beyond our highest expectations!”

thespeckledtroutbb.com

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(540)-946-4899

mountain laurel studio Proud supporter of the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival


Virginia

15th Annual Fly Fishing

& wine Festival T-Shirt This year the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival t-shirt features the work of well-known angling artist D.P. Krupa (http://www.krupaanglingart.com/). As fly anglers ourselves, we know the importance of comfortable clothes while on the stream; our high-quality festival t-shirts are just the thing to wear on a spring day. We love fly angling for just about every species of fish—from farm pond bluegills to James River smallies to Chesapeake Bay stripers to New River muskie to the Shenandoah National Park’s elusive trout. We believe that, through the years, our t-shirts have reflected this eclecticism. Each year we craft a new festival t-shirt—and each year you, our faithful attendees, spend your hard-earned money to take it home with you. When you wear our shirts, you become an ambassador not just for the Virginia Fly Fishing & Wine Festival but for Virginia fishing itself. Thank you.



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Where Good Nature Comes Naturally

The City of Waynesboro welcomes guests to the 15th Annual Virginia Fly Fishing & Wine Festival May 2

May 30

May 16

11 May 9

July 9

WAYNESBORO AT WAR Civil War Weekend & History Mobile September 11-13

Virginia Chili,

Blues n’ Brews Cook-Off September 19

Bed & Breakfast

The Speckled Trout

October 2,3

October 10,11

Photo Courtesy of The Speckled Trout Bed & Breakfast

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Trout Unlimited’s

efforts pay dividends for region’s anglers By Mark Taylor

shade the creek along the rebuilt stretch. Improved habitat with deeper pools and more swift water translates to better fishing. All told in the Shenandoah Valley, TU efforts have led to the reconnection of more than 40 stream miles though the removal or repair of culverts and dams, and restored or protected more than 5,000 feet of once-degraded stream habitat on five other streams.

Trout Unlimited’s mission statement is pretty succinct: “To conserve, protect and restore North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.” The result of that mission is also simple: We make fishing better. Examples of this work, big and small, abound in Virginia, West Virginia and throughout trout country in the East. A prime example of Trout Unlimited’s efforts can be found at Mossy Creek, a famed spring creek that winds through Augusta County farmland not far from Harrisonburg. Collaboration has been a critical component in the Mossy Creek fishery. Since 1978, generous landowners have agreed to allow public access to a 2-plus-mile stretch of creek. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries helps support the fishery with annual stockings of fingerling brown trout, which can grow to trophy size in the creek’s fertile waters. While Mossy Creek deserves its reputation as one of Virginia’s best trout streams, everything is not perfect. For example, while trout do attempt to spawn it is largely unsuccessful because sediment pollution limits available spawning habitat. In 2013, Trout Unlimited undertook a major project to help address the concerns. Again, collaboration was important, with streamside landowners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and several state agencies also participating in the effort. Part of the project involved the removal of a nonfunctioning dam structure, which improved flows through that section of the stream. The other major undertaking was totally rebuilding the stream channel in one area into a more meandering pattern, and stabilizing more than 4,000 feet of streambank. Riparian plantings have quickly taken hold and streamside willows will help


These aren’t just major projects headed by TU staffers. Not far from Mossy Creek, the Massanutten TU chapter put Embrace-a-Stream grant money to work on a habitat restoration project on Beaver Creek in 2010. Since that work and several other projects on the stream have been completed, wild brook trout are once again being found in Beaver Creek. Across the border, West Virginia features a wide variety of major Trout Unlimited initiatives.

Forest Service prohibition on additional energy leases on the George Washington National Forest. And, in Maryland, permanent protection of Maryland’s Savage River watershed has been proposed. In Virginia and West Virginia, this approach will continue to be important as energy companies explore the possibility of routing proposed natural gas pipelines through national forest lands and, potentially, through areas holding precious native brook trout populations. Be it protection or restoration, the efforts all depend on the involvement of sportsmen and women who understand that we all have a stake in the conservation of the natural resources that bring us so much joy.

Mark Taylor is the eastern communications director for Trout Unlimited. He lives in Roanoke, Va.,and is an avid angler and hunter.

TU is a primary partner in a project to fence livestock out of streams, an effort that has an immediate impact on stream health and water quality, and one where the impact reaches all the way to the Chesapeake Bay. The fencing team hit one million feet in 2013 and is still going strong. In 2014, crews affiliated with TU’s Potomac Headwaters Home River Initiative stabilized more than a mile of eroded streambank, installed 20 in-stream habitat structures benefitting 2 miles of stream, and installed exclusion fencing and plantings to restore more than 35 acres of riparian habitat benefitting 5 miles of critically important brook trout stream. On the Upper Greenbrier River, TU is working closely with the U.S. Forest Service to restore in-stream habitat, remove passage barriers that fragment habitat, restore watershed runoff and improve riparian buffer health. The partnership has created the capacity to measure changes over time in the habitat condition, fish populations and riparian health, and has been a model for other areas throughout the East..

BEAVERCREEK BEFORE

BEAVERCREEK AFTER

Of course we all know that the best type of restoration is that the type that is never needed, which is why Trout Unlimited and its members put so much emphasis on protection. Late in 2014 TU rolled out its 10 Special Places (tu. org/special-places) campaign, which seeks to bring attention to iconic public fishing and hunting areas in the East, including the Monongahela, George Washington and Jefferson national forests, that could be at risk from shale gas development and the related infrastructure.

KIMBLE STREAMBANK BEFORE

Trout Unlimited promotes responsible energy development, and, through collaboration with others, wants to ensure that all reasonable efforts are made to avoid or mitigate the impacts such development may have on important coldwater resources. Since the report’s release, significant additional protections have been implemented, including a

KIMBLE STREAMBANK AFTER


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2015 Festival Artist

Dave Krupa

Dave Krupa’s interest in art began at a very early age and grew into a lifelong passion. His skills and appreciation for art began to blossom when a high school art teacher recognized his talent and encouraged him to pursue it more thoroughly. Like many young artists in the beginning of their careers, Krupa sought full-time employment outside the art world. By 1983, however, he’d decided that he would fully devote his time and attention to his love of painting and carving.

and-release anglers to have reproductions created of their released fish. Krupa and his wife have also started a line of unique “River Guide” bracelets. Each year Krupa and his wife participate in a handful of fly fishing shows and a couple of art competitions. Krupa considers himself very fortunate to have taken many top honors, including Best of Category and Wildlife Artist of the Year at the 2007 Pennsylvania Wildlife Art Competition in Altoona, PA. One of his most memorable accomplishments, however, is having been asked to illustrate Ed Koch and Harrison Steeves’ book Terrestrials: A Modern Approach to Fishing and Tying with Synthetic and Natural Materials. “I am very much blessed,” Krupa says, “having been able to enjoy a life that permits me to spend much of my time fly fishing , painting trout, and being with people who love the sound of a trout stream as much as I do.”

In his desire to offer anglers original, unique, one-of-a-kind gifts that represent It is with pride that we invite you to meet and admire the work of Dave P. his love for the quiet sport and the “world Krupa, the 2015 Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival Artist of the Year. in which trout live,” Krupa’s Life on the Fly Angling Apparel fishing shirts feature his artwork designs. D.P. Krupa Angling Art offers original flat art in oil and acrylic, as well as many limited and open edition prints. Krupa has partnered with a local pottery business to begin placing his artwork on stoneware mugs, serving trays, and dinnerware sets. He has also created wood burnings, built custom bench-top fly boxes, and painted wine glasses and whiskey flasks. He has an extensive fish reproduction studio that allows catchwww.vaflyfishingfestival.org


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THE VIRGINIA SPORTSMAN BOATING

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SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ENERGY WE GENERATE COMES FROM THE POWER OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT. Project Healing Waters connects wounded warriors with fly-fishing experts and guides from across the country, taking veterans from the front lines and giving them fishing lines. And somewhere between the quiet of nature and the clear, cold waters of those trout streams, we hope they’ll find just a little more peace…and just a little more healing. At Dominion, support for our troops goes back generations—and we’re proud that Project Healing Waters is now a part of it. It’s a commitment we’re dedicated to honoring, both when our soldiers are overseas and when they return. In fact, sometimes that’s exactly when veterans need our energy the most. It may be a program about fishing. But this isn’t about the one that got away. This is about the ones who come home. To learn more about Project Healing Waters, visit ProjectHealingWaters.org.

dom.com www.vaflyfishingfestival.org


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LEARN ABOUT THE FISH IN YOUR AREA, WHERE TO FIND THEM AND TIPS TO HELP YOU CATCH ’EM. IT’S ALL HERE.

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