January

Wednesday, January 2^nd – Fly Tying @ Living Waters

We have now divided our fly tying night into three distinct skill levels– Beginner, Intermediate, and Roundtable.  We eat dinner at Pok-E-Jo’s BBQ in Round Rock at 6:00 P.M. and then meet back at Living Waters at 7:00 P.M. for fly tying.

Beginners – We supply materials, tools, vises, and instruction for the Fly of the Night.

Intermediate – We provide materials and instruction for the Fly of the Night.  You bring your vise/tools.

Roundtable – You bring your own stuff and tie whatever you wish.

——————————–

Beginner Level Fly:  Brushy Creek Streamer

Intermediate Level Fly:  Chris’ Ozark Craw / Instructor:  Chris Johnson

Saturday, January 5^th – Layering Logic & Tying Hooks 101

Layering Logic / Instructor:  Chris Johnson

When you fish in the winter, do you look like the Michelin Man?  It’s one thing to own warm clothes, but learning how properly layer is another thing entirely.  Come and learn how to build and use a layering system efficiently.  Gain the most out of your gear and fish in maximum comfort when it’s cold!

Tying Hooks 101:  A Comprehensive Look at Fly Tying Hooks / Instructor:  Chris Johnson

Do you get lost in a sea of numbers and letters when you are hook shopping?  How about the difference between a TMC100 and TMC2499-SPBL?  If you struggle with selecting the proper hook for your tying projects, then this class is for you!  Chris will walk you through several brands and hook types and will help you simplify the process of purchasing the right hook for the job!

Event Schedule:

9:00 A.M. – Doors Open/Round Rock Donuts/Coffee

10:00 A.M. – Layering Logic

2:00 P.M. – Hook 101:  Learn Your Tying Hooks

6:00 P.M. – Doors Close

Wednesday, January 9^th – Fly Tying @ Living Waters

We have now divided our fly tying night into three distinct skill levels– Beginner, Intermediate, and Roundtable.  We eat dinner at Pok-E-Jo’s BBQ in Round Rock at 6:00 P.M. and then meet back at Living Waters at 7:00 P.M. for fly tying.

Beginners – We supply materials, tools, vises, and instruction for the Fly of the Night.

Intermediate – We provide materials and instruction for the Fly of the Night.  You bring your vise/tools.

Roundtable – You bring your own stuff and tie whatever you wish.

——————————–

Beginner Level Fly:  Elk Hair Caddis

Intermediate Level Fly:  Craven’s Two Bit Hooker (CDC) / Instructor:  Chris Johnson

Saturday, January 12th – TPWD Guadalupe Bass Restoration on Brushy Creek

Presenters:  Marcos De Jesus and Patrick Ireland of Texas Parks and Wildlife

Texas Parks and Wildlife has highlighted our very own Brushy Creek as a fishery of special interest due to its ease of access and its population of genetically pure Guadalupe Bass.  Marcos De Jesus, District Fisheries Management Biologist for Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, will present the department’s overall vision for urban fishing opportunities locally and statewide.  Marcos will then hand it over to Patrick Ireland, who is the lead for the management and survey of Brushy Creek.  They will both discuss some of the preliminary survey results from Brushy Creek and will share how this data is teaching us about this valuable ecosystem and influencing potential management approaches in the future.  Marcos and Patrick will both be available to answer questions or discuss other locally relevant topics following their presentation.

Event Schedule:

9:00 A.M. – Doors Open/Round Rock Donuts/Coffee

10:00 A.M. – Brushy Creek Guadalupe Bass Restoration Plan

6:00 P.M. – Doors Close

Wednesday, January 16^th – Fly Tying @ Living Waters

We have now divided our fly tying night into three distinct skill levels– Beginner, Intermediate, and Roundtable.  We eat dinner at Pok-E-Jo’s BBQ in Round Rock at 6:00 P.M. and then meet back at Living Waters at 7:00 P.M. for fly tying. 

Beginners – We supply materials, tools, vises, and instruction for the Fly of the Night.

Intermediate – We provide materials and instruction for the Fly of the Night.  You bring your vise/tools.

Roundtable – You bring your own stuff and tie whatever you wish.

——————————–

Beginner Level Fly:  Foam Beetle

Intermediate Level Fly:  Pat’s Rubber Legs / Instructor:  Josh Smitherman

Wednesday, January 23^rd – Fly Tying @ Living Waters

We have now divided our fly tying night into three distinct skill levels– Beginner, Intermediate, and Roundtable.  We eat dinner at Pok-E-Jo’s BBQ in Round Rock at 6:00 P.M. and then meet back at Living Waters at 7:00 P.M. for fly tying.

Beginners – We supply materials, tools, vises, and instruction for the Fly of the Night.

Intermediate – We provide materials and instruction for the Fly of the Night.  You bring your vise/tools.

Roundtable – You bring your own stuff and tie whatever you wish.

——————————–

Beginner Level Fly:  Wooly Bugger

Intermediate Level Fly:  Mercer’s Little Brown Bug / Instructor:  Chris Johnson

Saturday, January 26^th – Tying and Fishing 6 Hill Country Favorites

Presenter and Guest Tier:  Kevin Hutchison of Hill Country Fly Fishers

Kevin will show you how to tie six of his favorite patterns and will teach you how to fish each of them effectively!  These patterns have produced for his guide service year after year and belong in every hill country fly angler’s box.

Pattern Listing:

– Bass Candy

– Micro Jig

– Bottoms Up

– Spun Hair Diver

– Swamp Monster

– Foxy Clouser

Event Schedule:

9:00 A.M. – Doors Open/Round Rock Donuts/Coffee

10:00 A.M. – Tying and Fishing 6 Hill Country Favorites

6:00 P.M. – Doors Close

Wednesday, January 30^th – Fly Tying @ Living Waters

We have now divided our fly tying night into three distinct skill levels– Beginner, Intermediate, and Roundtable.  We eat dinner at Pok-E-Jo’s BBQ in Round Rock at 6:00 P.M. and then meet back at Living Waters at 7:00 P.M. for fly tying.

Beginners – We supply materials, tools, vises, and instruction for the Fly of the Night.

Intermediate – We provide materials and instruction for the Fly of the Night.  You bring your vise/tools.

Roundtable – You bring your own stuff and tie whatever you wish.

——————————–

Beginner Level Fly:  Brushy Creek Streamer

Intermediate Level Fly:  Jeff’s Damsel / Instructor:  Chris Johnson

February Events

Saturday, February 2^nd– Introduction to Fly Fishing

FREE OF CHARGE AND NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Event Schedule:

9:00 AM — Doors Open/Round Rock Donuts/Coffee

9:30 AM — Introduction to Fly Casting
(Traditional and Tenkara)
We’ll be kicking things off with a casting class catered towards beginners. Join us for a clinic on the basic principles of fly casting. Casting traditional and tenkara fly rods will be demonstrated and discussed, with plenty of interactive learning opportunities!

11:00 AM — Basic Rigging for the Hill Country
(Traditional and Tenkara)
This presentation will explain the how’s and why’s behind rod, reel, and line selection for fly fishing our local waters. We’ll also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different fly line tapers, and show you the knots you need to get rigged up and ready to fish!

2:00 PM — Local Hot Spots – Llano River, San Gabriel River, Brushy Creek, and more!
We did this presentation back in May, and it was a big hit. Come find out where, how, and when to fish our local fishing hot spots. We will be giving a presentation on multiple hill country rivers and will discuss fishing techniques and flies according to each river. After this presentation you can consider yourself to be armed and dangerous from a local fly fishing standpoint! If you’re new to the area, this is a presentation you won’t want to miss!

6:00 PM — Doors Close

Wednesday, February 6^th – Fly Tying @ Living Waters

We have now divided our fly tying night into three distinct skill levels– Beginner, Intermediate, and Roundtable.  We eat dinner at Pok-E-Jo’s BBQ in Round Rock at 6:00 P.M. and then meet back at Living Waters at 7:00 P.M. for fly tying.

Beginners – We supply materials, tools, vises, and instruction for the Fly of the Night.

Intermediate – We provide materials and instruction for the Fly of the Night.  You bring your vise/tools.

Roundtable – You bring your own stuff and tie whatever you wish.

——————————–

Beginner Level Fly:  Elk Hair Caddis

Intermediate Level Fly:  CDC Flumpy / Instructor: Chris Johnson

Saturday, February 9^th

Fly Fishing for White Bass & Species Spotlight: Rio Grande Cichlid

Event Schedule:

9:00 AM — Doors Open/Round Rock Donuts/Coffee

10:00 A.M. –Fly Fishing for White Bass / Presenter: Pat Vanek

Learn how to chase white bass effectively on the fly by taking some time to listen to what Pat Vanek has to say about one of his favorite species!  Pat, owner of Bosque Valley Fly Fishing, guides the Brazos River and Lake Waco tributaries for a wide variety of fish, but he has a special place in heart for the scrappy white bass.  Come and find out when, where, and how to catch them with a fly rod!

2:00 P.M. – Species Spotlight:  Rio Grande Cichlid / Presenter: Chris Johnson

We know it’s a bit early in the year to be chasing cichlids, but it won’t be long until you will begin seeing this special fish in most of our local creeks and rivers.  Chris will teach you about the Rio Grande Cichlid’s behavior and feeding habits as well as how to select the proper flies for your next trip!  Chris has made it a point to target cichlids specifically over the past several years, on a number of central Texas rivers, and this is the first time that he has compiled his findings in a presentation.

6:00 PM — Doors Close

Wednesday, February 13^th – Fly Tying @ Living Waters

We have now divided our fly tying night into three distinct skill levels– Beginner, Intermediate, and Roundtable.  We eat dinner at Pok-E-Jo’s BBQ in Round Rock at 6:00 P.M. and then meet back at Living Waters at 7:00 P.M. for fly tying.

Beginners – We supply materials, tools, vises, and instruction for the Fly of the Night.

Intermediate – We provide materials and instruction for the Fly of the Night.  You bring your vise/tools.

Roundtable – You bring your own stuff and tie whatever you wish.

——————————–

Beginner Level Fly:  Foam Beetle

Intermediate Level Fly: Kiwi Muddler / Instructor: Josh Smitherman

Saturday, February 16^th – Featured Tier:  Josh Smitherman

Josh is the newest addition to the Living Waters shop family, is one of the finest fly tiers in the state, and is one of Umpqua’s Signature Fly Designers.  In addition to tying up a number of custom patterns for the shop, Josh has a number of his own original patterns that have proven themselves time and time again!  Come learn how to tie some of the hottest fly patterns we have ever seen!  You will learn many new tying techniques from Josh during this class, so be sure to bring a notebook!

Event Schedule:

9:00 A.M. – Doors Open/Round Rock Donuts/Coffee

10:00 A.M. – Streamers:  Smitherman’s Sugar Shaker, Electric Slide, and Fry Candy

2:00 P.M. – Hopper/Craw/Nymph:  Smitherman’s Draggin’ Nymph, Mass Hopper, and Mountain Lobster

6:00 P.M. – Doors Close

Wednesday, February 20^th – Fly Tying @ Living Waters

We have now divided our fly tying night into three distinct skill levels– Beginner, Intermediate, and Roundtable.  We eat dinner at Pok-E-Jo’s BBQ in Round Rock at 6:00 P.M. and then meet back at Living Waters at 7:00 P.M. for fly tying.

Beginners – We supply materials, tools, vises, and instruction for the Fly of the Night.

Intermediate – We provide materials and instruction for the Fly of the Night.  You bring your vise/tools.

Roundtable – You bring your own stuff and tie whatever you wish.

——————————–

Beginner Level Fly:  Wooly Bugger

Intermediate Level Fly:  Trussell’s Big Fat Aunt / Instructor:  Chris Johnson

Thursday, February 21^st –Austin Fly Fishers Meeting with Nick Streit @ 7:00 P.M.

While not an in-store event, we highly encourage folks to head to the AFF club meeting to see our good friend Nick Streit, owner of Taos Fly Shop.  He always gives a great presentation and we guarantee you will learn more about his home water!  The meeting officially starts at 7:00 P.M. but many folks gather early for fly tying and fish tales.  We will see you there!

February 22nd– 24th / GRTU TROUTFEST

Troutfest 2019 is going to be bigger and better than ever!!  National level speakers, educational clinics, casting classes, fly tying instruction, and more – and all for FREE!!!  Chris will be one of the featured speakers for Troutfest 2019, so make sure to come out and enjoy all of the free instruction and presentations!  We will have a booth in the event tent, so drop by and say hello!  We will also be hosting John Geer from Tenkara USA in our booth, so drop by and see him to get all of your Tenkara questions answered!  For more info visit:  http://www.grtu.org/troutfest/

Wednesday, February 27^th – Fly Tying @ Living Waters

We have now divided our fly tying night into three distinct skill levels– Beginner, Intermediate, and Roundtable.  We eat dinner at Pok-E-Jo’s BBQ in Round Rock at 6:00 P.M. and then meet back at Living Waters at 7:00 P.M. for fly tying.

Beginners – We supply materials, tools, vises, and instruction for the Fly of the Night.

Intermediate – We provide materials and instruction for the Fly of the Night.  You bring your vise/tools.

Roundtable – You bring your own stuff and tie whatever you wish.

——————————–

Beginner Level Fly:  Brushy Creek Streamer

Intermediate Level Fly:  Johnson’s Fuzzcluster

March Events

Saturday, March 2^nd – Fishing for White Bass in the Texas Hill Country

FREE OF CHARGE AND NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED

9:00 A.M. – Doors Open / Round Rock Donuts and Coffee

10:00 A.M. – Fly Fishing for White Bass (Hill Country Region)
Presenter: Keith Barnes
Planning on fly fishing the Texas Hill Country for white bass? Keith Barnes will show you how! He has been guiding the Highland Lakes for years and knows what’s up for springtime sandies!  Learn about behavioral patterns, fishing locations, favorite flies, techniques, and more!

6:00 P.M. – Doors Close

Wednesday, March 6^th – Fly Tying @ Living Waters

We have now divided our fly tying night into three distinct skill levels– Beginner, Intermediate, and Roundtable.  We eat dinner at Pok-E-Jo’s BBQ in Round Rock at 6:00 P.M. and then meet back at Living Waters at 7:00 P.M. for fly tying.

Beginners – We supply materials, tools, vises, and instruction for the Fly of the Night.

Intermediate – We provide materials and instruction for the Fly of the Night.  You bring your vise/tools.

Roundtable – You bring your own stuff and tie whatever you+ wish.

——————————–

Beginner Level Fly:  Elk Hair Caddis

Intermediate Level Fly:  Johnson’s Egg-Foo-Tung

Wednesday, March 13^th – Fly Tying @ Living Waters

We have now divided our fly tying night into three distinct skill levels– Beginner, Intermediate, and Roundtable.  We eat dinner at Pok-E-Jo’s BBQ in Round Rock at 6:00 P.M. and then meet back at Living Waters at 7:00 P.M. for fly tying.

Beginners – We supply materials, tools, vises, and instruction for the Fly of the Night.

Intermediate – We provide materials and instruction for the Fly of the Night.  You bring your vise/tools.

Roundtable – You bring your own stuff and tie whatever you+ wish.

——————————–

Beginner Level Fly:  Foam Beetle

Intermediate Level Fly:  Johnson’s SOS Baitfish

Saturday, March 16^th – Snake Identification Class

Presenter:  Tim Cole of Austin Reptile Service

FREE OF CHARGE AND NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Event Schedule:

9:00 A.M. – Doors Open/Round Rock Donuts/Coffee

10:00 A.M. – Texas Snake Identification / Tim Cole of Austin Reptile Service

Austin Reptile Service offers several types of programs in the city of Austin and surrounding areas, which center around education on Texas native reptiles. Tim Cole maintains a sizable collection of indigenous reptiles, including lizards, harmless snakes, as well as venomous species.  Many of the animals are used to express the ecological importance of reptiles, and how they benefit humans. Tim will also show commonly confused species side-by-side, including harmless water snakes next to cottonmouths, Mexican milk snakes next to coral snakes and Texas rat snakes next to western diamondback rattlesnakes.

6:00 P.M. – Doors Close

Wednesday, March 20^th – Fly Tying @ Living Waters

We have now divided our fly tying night into three distinct skill levels– Beginner, Intermediate, and Roundtable.  We eat dinner at Pok-E-Jo’s BBQ in Round Rock at 6:00 P.M. and then meet back at Living Waters at 7:00 P.M. for fly tying.

Beginners – We supply materials, tools, vises, and instruction for the Fly of the Night.

Intermediate – We provide materials and instruction for the Fly of the Night.  You bring your vise/tools.

Roundtable – You bring your own stuff and tie whatever you+ wish.

——————————–

Beginner Level Fly:  Woolly Bugger

Intermediate Level Fly:  Johnson’s Super Sally

Saturday, March 23^rd – Fly Fishing the San Marcos River

Presenter:  Marcus Rodriguez of Living Waters Fly Fishing

FREE OF CHARGE AND NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED

9:00 AM — Doors Open/Round Rock Donuts/Coffee

10:00 AM — Fly Fishing the San Marcos River / Presenter: Marcus Rodriguez

Very few know the San Marcos River as well as our very own Marcus Rodriguez!  He is a San Marcos River guru and he considers the San Marcos his home water – especially now that he lives on its banks!  Come learn how to fish the river yourself and/or see what is in store for you when you book a trip with Marcus on the San Marcos this year!

Wednesday, March 27^th – Fly Tying @ Living Waters

We have now divided our fly tying night into three distinct skill levels– Beginner, Intermediate, and Roundtable.  We eat dinner at Pok-E-Jo’s BBQ in Round Rock at 6:00 P.M. and then meet back at Living Waters at 7:00 P.M. for fly tying.

Beginners – We supply materials, tools, vises, and instruction for the Fly of the Night.

Intermediate – We provide materials and instruction for the Fly of the Night.  You bring your vise/tools.

Roundtable – You bring your own stuff and tie whatever you+ wish.

——————————–

Beginner Level Fly:  Brushy Creek Streamer

Intermediate Level Fly:  Johnson’s Camp Robber