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IN-STORE EVENTS
February Events
Saturday, February 2nd– 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 6th – 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.
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Beginner Level Fly: Elk Hair Caddis
Intermediate Level Fly: CDC Flumpy / Instructor: Chris Johnson
Saturday, February 9th
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 13th – 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.
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Beginner Level Fly: Foam Beetle
Intermediate Level Fly: Kiwi Muddler / Instructor: Josh Smitherman
Saturday, February 16th – 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 20th – 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.
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Beginner Level Fly: Wooly Bugger
Intermediate Level Fly: Trussell’s Big Fat Aunt / Instructor: Chris Johnson
Thursday, February 21st –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/
Monday, February 25th @ 7:00 P.M. – Trinchera Ranch Hosted Trip Promo / Special Guest: Nick Streit
Guest Presenter: Nick Streit of Taos Fly Shop
If you have chatted with Chris lately, you have probably heard about his trip to the Trinchera Ranch in 2018. We are proud to announce that Living Waters will be hosting a trip with Nick Streit of Taos Fly Shop for summer of 2019! This trip is beyond incredible and offers anglers five star meals/lodging as well as the opportunity to catch brown, rainbow, brook, and cutthroat trout. The part of the trip that we are most excited about, is the fact that the Trinchera Ranch offers prime fishing for relic/aboriginal Rio Grande Cutthroat. We have two date ranges available for this year and each week features an all-star guide staff! Come and find out what the trip is all about and come give our good friend Nick a big Texas hello!
Tuesday, February 26th @ 7:00 P.M. – Fly Fishing the South Platte River / Special Guest Pat Dorsey
Guest Presenter: Pat Dorsey of the Blue Quill Angler
The South Platte River is one of America’s top tailwater fisheries. From the headwaters to the outskirts of Denver, the South Platte River has something for everyone. This is an opportunity to take a sneak peak at Dorsey’s revised edition of a Fly Fisher’s Guide to the South Platte River. Dorsey takes you on a tour of the South Platte watershed, plus offers helpful advice on river access, entomology, matching the hatch, fly selection, and much more.
Wednesday, February 27th – 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.
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Beginner Level Fly: Brushy Creek Streamer
Intermediate Level Fly: Johnson’s Fuzzcluster
March Events
Saturday, March 2nd – White Bass in the Hill Country & Snake ID Class
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!
2:00 P.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 6th – Fly Tying @ Living Waters CANCELED (see event below)
Wednesday, March 6th – BBQ Baby Shower for Chris and Emily Johnson
IT’S A BOY!!!! The adventure begins and you are invited as our Living Waters family to celebrate with Chris and Emily Johnson. Living Waters Fly Fishing will be hosting an after hours BBQ Baby Shower Wednesday, March 6th at 6:30pm. Come participate with some lighthearted fun, food, and fellowship. This is a RSVP ONLY event. Please click here to RSVP if you want a plate of Chris’ Dad’s BBQ! For questions please contact Store Manager, Melody Herron at admin@livingwatersflyfishing.com. Chris & Emily are registered at Target — Click here for registry.
Wednesday, March 13th – 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.
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Beginner Level Fly: Foam Beetle
Intermediate Level Fly: Johnson’s SOS Baitfish
Saturday, March 16th – Stack, Pack, and Trim: Tying with Deer Hair
FREE OF CHARGE AND NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Deer hair can be a troublesome material if you haven’t tied with it much. Join us for a day devoted to one of the most versatile natural materials around! Each class will focus on a different deer hair skill set and will help you gain confidence at the tying bench when you try your hand at tying with hair! All presentations will be on the big screen, so you won’t miss any details! Bring a notebook and a pen.
Event Schedule:
9:00 A.M. – Doors Open/Round Rock Donuts/Coffee
10:00 A.M. – Demo: Tying Deer Hair Bass Bugs / Presenter: Chris Johnson
2:00 P.M. – Demo: Tying the Llanolope / Presenter: Jeff Hoelter
3:00 P.M. – Demo: Tying Sliders and Streamers / Presenter: Josh Smitherman
6:00 P.M. – Doors Close
Wednesday, March 20th – 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.
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Beginner Level Fly: Woolly Bugger
Intermediate Level Fly: Johnson’s Super Sally
Saturday, March 23rd – 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 27th – 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.
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Beginner Level Fly: Brushy Creek Streamer
Intermediate Level Fly: Johnson’s Camp Robber
April Events
Wednesday, April 3rd – 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.
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Beginner Level Fly: BC Streamer
Intermediate Level Fly: TBA
Saturday, April 6th – The History of Fly Fishing
9:00 A.M. – Doors Open/Round Rock Donuts/Coffee
10:00 A.M. – History of Fly Fishing / Presenter: Mike Morphew
Join Mike for a fun morning of learning where fly fishing started and about the tackle used from the 1700 -1800’s. Take the opportunity to look at touch and feel a selection of antique tackle from Mike’s collection, as well as some flies tied to horsehair which are amazing! At the end of the presentation Mike will tie a few patterns from that era that he still fishes with. Yes, they still catch fish!
6:00 P.M. – Doors Close
Wednesday, April 10th – 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.
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Beginner Level Fly: Elk Hair Caddis
Intermediate Level Fly: TBA
Saturday, April 13th – How to Target BIG BASS on the Fly
Guest Presenter: Bob Pool
9:00 A.M. – Doors Open/Round Rock Donuts/Coffee
10:00 A.M. –Fly Fishing for BIG Bass / Presenter: Bob Pool
Bob Pool has a passion for fly fishing for the biggest bass available in any body of water. He is one of the few local fly anglers that consistently targets these large fish and has positive results. Bob will show you how to apply his tactics to any body of water, and hopefully land your personal best bass on the fly. If you want to laugh until your sides hurt and don’t mind catching a bass that can eat a fly pattern the size of a squirrel – then this class is for you!
6:00 P.M. – Doors Close
Wednesday, April 17th – 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: TBA
Saturday, April 20th – Fly Design Panel with Umpqua Signature Tiers
Presenters: Matt Bennett, Josh Smitherman, and Chris Johnson
9:00 A.M. – Doors Open/Round Rock Donuts/Coffee
10:00 A.M. – Solving Problems through Fly Design
Join three Umpqua Signature Fly Designers Matt, Josh, and Chris as they discuss how they solve fishing difficulties through fly design. Learn how they determine which materials to use in the tying process, how to properly weight flies, the balance of realism and motion, and so much more! This class is going to be packed with info and is sure to help you in your own fly design process! Bring a notebook and a pen!
Fun fact: All three of these Umpqua Signature Fly Designers are or were part of Living Waters Fly Fishing staff!
Matt Bennett (owner of Fly Geek Custom Flies, www.flygeek.net) got his fly tying start at Living Waters and went on to become a full time, custom fly tier and one of the finest fly tiers that we have ever known! The shop now stocks a number of his proven patterns for the Texas Hill Country! Having a hard time catching bass? Just throw Matt’s Lunch Money at them – problem solved!
Josh Smitherman is an extremely accomplished fly tier and is currently part of the current fly shop staff. Plain and simple, Josh’s flies catch fish. Lots of them! His signature streamer pattern the Sugar Shaker was first tested in Brushy Creek, and with GREAT success we might add!
As for Chris Johnson, everyone actually reading this should know his story by now…
6:00 P.M. – Doors Close
Wednesday, April 24th – 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.
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Beginner Level Fly: Woolly Bugger
Intermediate Level Fly: TBA
Saturday, April 27th – Introduction to Fly Fishing
FREE OF CHARGE AND NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Event Schedule:
9:00 A.M. — Doors Open/Round Rock Donuts/Coffee
9:30 A.M. — 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 A.M. — 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 P.M. — 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 P.M. — Doors Close