Ambassadors

The Southern Council has been planning and organizing what we call our Ambassador Program. The intent is to provide all council clubs with a list of free monthly programs available for your club meetings or activities. Council officers or designated ambassadors have volunteered to present programs for you in exchange for your club’s commitment to increase FFF membership. The program presentations are designed to parallel your present monthly meeting programs. These are not FFF programs but we hope that you will take advantage of the officer's presence to ask about the FFF and our council.

To arrange for a program, you will need to contact the officer you would like present it (see the list below). We ask that you try to choose someone located near your club since travel costs are so expensive. Several officers have jobs that limit their ability to visit you during the week, unless you are very near. They have asked to be able to make their presentations on a Saturday if at all possible.

We are aware that some small clubs cannot afford 12 new memberships so we ask that you join the Incentive Program to accumulate 15 memberships. There is no time restriction on this program at the present and you might also plan special club projects to raise money to purchase these memberships. These new memberships could be used to reward outstanding club members for their hard work in your club. Please commit to whatever number you might can support and let us know.

We hope this offer will become popular with all our clubs. This gives you an opportunity to personally meet your elected representatives and exchange ideas. Officers will also get to meet you and see firsthand how your club operates. We can grow these relationships to benefit both clubs and our council. Thank you very much for this opportunity. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Current Ambassadors

Bob Tabbert (Louisiana)

I have 2 - 30 minutes 35mm slide show-talks.

  1. "Sight Fishing for Brown Trout in Tasmania"
  2. "Fishing for Native Brook Trout in Remote Spring Ponds of Northern Wisconsin". Have given these several times, good slides, interesting fishing, from big browns to tiny brookies. Bob wants to visit the Western IL FF club.

Roger Maler (Tennessee)

  1. "Sinktipzing" (Includes a 20 minute video filmed at the 2000 Conclave along with a 30 minute discussion and display of the equipment I use). A Q&A session usually follows. Club will need the video equipment necessary to project the video either to a screen or TV depending on the size of the group. If the club is near a stream I can do the program on a Saturday in the water.
  2. "Flyfishing Travel" (Slide presentation and or discussion of the following destinations):
    1. The Alaskan Kianai river and Kodiak Island for salmon and dolly varden trout
    2. Tarpon fishing in Mexico out of Cancun.
    3. Redfish and spec (sea trout) fishing in the gulf in general as well as a 3 day trip to the Chandelier islands out of Biloxi, Miss.
  3. "A Comprehensive Beginners Fly Fishing Class" (1-2 hour class, including gear, strategies and flies). The Midsouth Flyfishers will soon have the complete program on video and in writing for distribution to other clubs if any are interested.

Dennis Slane (Missouri)

"Camp Cooking featuring the Dutch Oven" (Slide show or hands on demo or class on using the Dutch Oven). A trailer brings everything to do a class for up to 16 people or a demo to feed up to 40 people. Travel and food expenses are required.

Walter McLendon (Texas)

  1. "Fly Fishing East Texas" (Overhead projection of lake and stream layouts, favorite fishing spots, structure, boat ramps, etc.).
  2. "History of Fly Fishing and Tying" (Overhead projection of pictures of examples of subjects being covered)

Chuck Easterling (Arkansas)

"Practicing with a Purpose" (a casting workshop, a systematic approach to improving a caster's skill). This should take -3-4 hours and should be scheduled for a Saturday.

Steve Jensen (Missouri)

Since Steve works fulltime, weekdays will be hard to arrange and weekends might be also.

  1. "Getting Started in Saltwater Fly Fishing"
  2. "Fly Fishing Western Waters"
  3. "New Zealand on a Budget"
  4. "Knots and Leader Systems"

Shawn Taylor (Missouri)

I would be willing to do a show for the clubs in Russelville & Rogers, Arkansas and for Springfield, Missouri.

  1. "Wake Up To The North Fork" A presentation on the North Fork of the White River in southern Missouri. Describes techniques that work there and in many other rivers throughout the country.
  2. "Tricks of the Trade" A show made up of many tips learned from years of guiding and stealing techniques from other guides.
  3. "Central America Combo" A show describing the incredible variety of flyfishing available in Costa Rica and Panama.
  4. "Flyfishing Norfork Lake" A video presentation of the different species that can be caught on flies on Norfork Lake. Features the guide service of Darrel Binkley of Bink's Guide service. We are giving this video presentation at the Sowbug Roundup.

Brian Ellis (Missouri)

  1. "Topics In Fly Casting" – This is a program that consists of a combination of lecture, demonstration, and hands-on casting instruction program tailored to a clubs requests and available facilities.
  2. "FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor Preparation Workshop" – The purpose of the certification program will be discussed along with the knowledge and skills required to pass the certification exam. Assessment of participates skills and identification for areas of improvement will be made as time permits.
  3. "Fly Fishing The Ozark National Scenic Riverways" - The Current and Jacks Fork Rivers in Missouri
  4. "FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor Certification Exam" – This exam requires the availability of a second Certified Master Casting Instructor to conduct the test. This exam might possibly be scheduled prior to one of the previous topics.

Bill Brant (Missouri/Kansas)

  1. "Flyfishing for trout in Minnesota"
  2. "Flyfishing for steelhead and salmon in Michigan"

Bob Woodruff (Northeast Texas)

Email:
Offers a series of Entomology programs and fly fishing on some Texas lakes.

Mark Marmon (Houston)

Email:
"Urban Angling"

Al Crise (Ft. Worth)

Email: flysoup@itexas.net

  1. Fly Casting for Texas Rivers. A casting clinic for moving waters of Texas. The mends, dumps, slack line cast. + several others (can be done on the grass) 2-3 hours hands-on
  2. Fly Fishing the Brazos River From PK to Lake Whitney Tail race. 1-2 hours ( I will try to get some slides ready for this.)
  3. Teaching the Instructors Just what should an instructor know to put on a fly casting clinic. All day. 6+ hours. (break for lunch.) Working on this now should be ready by Jan.03
  4. Fly Tying for beginners 'Oh that Wooly Bugger'
  5. Basic fly tying for youth (FWFF vices)Basic Rod Building Maybe. All day or two classes or Just a talk on rod building.
  6. Bugs For Breakfast - What fish eat for breakfast. Trip to the river with nets.

I am working on a 'Class/presentation that I want to give at Conclaves, and clubs too. Bob Tabbert and I are trying to put together a class we call "Getting Ready for the FFF Instructor's Class" as of now. It is two things one to let people know just what the requirements are to pass the test. Most important to get some instruction to the people that what to be FFF instructors. If we can get this going then it can do several things:

  1. Of course getting people ready.
  2. Introduce the FFF instructors program ( set up to raise money for the FFF in the first place)
  3. Let people know more about the FFF instructors program and why they should like to be an FFF instructor.
  4. If we charge for the classes some of the money can go to the FFF and some to us for gas/time.
  5. Given by FFF instructors. Not to get a FFF instructor's certificate but to give them the tools and reason to go and get one.

Steve Ford (Tahlequah, OK)

Email:
"Fly Fishing the Scenic Rivers of Northeastern Oklahoma" or "Okie Fly Fishing"

Larry Clark (Tahlequah, OK)

Email:
URL: www.tah-usa.net/onthefly

  1. "Flyfishing the Illinois River System" - slide show
  2. Smallmouth Flyfishing Clinic
  3. Beginner Flyfishing Clinic
  4. FUN-damentals of Flyfishing - slide show (can also be used for non-flyfishing events)

Harry Boyd (Louisiana)

Email:
I'd be happy to offer my services to any club within a reasonable (6-7 hours or less) drive of northeast Louisiana. I have three programs ready to go and have presented these to clubs in Monroe, Shreveport, Baton Rouge and Memphis. Those folks can offer their opinions on the quality of the programs I present.

  1. "Building Bamboo Fly Rods: An introduction" This is a 40 minute slide show presentation giving a general overview of how culms or Chinese bamboo are transformed into magnificent fishing tools.
  2. "Trout? In Oklahoma" A short 25 minute program on fishing and conserving the Lower Mountain Fork River at Broken Bow, Oklahoma. This program follows my article on the LMF in "Fly Fish America" Magazine.
  3. "America's Best Fishing Hole?" This is a brief program on wade fishing the various walk-in accesses at the Norfork River. Norfork in "Fly Fish America" Magazine.