Troutfest, a Fly-Fishing Banquet and Exposition will be held on the Guadalupe River at Rio Raft Resort on the 20th, 21st & 22nd of February. The funds generated by the Banquet and Expo will be used by GRTU to conserve, protect and restore the cold tailwater fishery immediately below the Canyon Dam on the Guadalupe River.
The Guadalupe River is the premier southernmost trout fishing destination in the USA. The “Guad” is listed as one of the best 100 trout streams in the US. This is the perfect opportunity to help promote and educate others on the river we call home. Announcements have been sent to all fly fishing clubs throughout the state of Texas inviting them to attend Troutfest.
New Braunfels and the area below the dam of the Canyon Lake offer motels, campgrounds, and rental cabins for your lodging.
Guest Speakers
Our keynote speakers are all well-known fly fishing adventurers, guides, and conservationists.
Wanda Taylor
Wanda Taylor has been fishing since she was four. Her grandmother taught her to fish in the mountains of north Georgia. However, her love for fishing greatly increased when she agreed to marry Gary Taylor, a professional fly angler.
Within their partnership, she became a fly fishing guide, fly casting instructor, Fly Fish TV hostess, featured in fly fishing videos, and online podcasts, and a published outdoor writer.
Wanda teaches fly fishing and conducts instructional guiding classes locally in Tennessee and Georgia, as well as, nationally at IFFF Expo’s, TU Festivals, club events, and fly fishing shows.
Skip Clement, publisher of flylifemagazine.com writes about Wanda. “For Wanda to be able to get folks fast-track launched into the world of fly fishing takes a special talent. Never saw anyone do it better than her.”
She has been a featured speaker at fly clubs, expos, conclaves, and private fly fishing events across the United States. Her fly fishing topics range from how to fly fish in fresh and or saltwater, destination fly fishing, mentoring others into the sport, and her fly fishing life story.
Wanda has been advising different brands on designing and making some of the greatest trout rods for many years. She is on the Pro Staff of Chota Outdoor Gear and an Ambassador for Aqua Design and Maven Fly, technical clothing for avid women anglers. She is a co-owner of Taylor and Taylor fly fishing schools. You can email Wanda for more current information about her teaching or lectures near you.
Pat Dorsey
A native of Colorado, Pat has been guiding for over 23 years. He spends approximately two hundred days a year on the water, enjoying a unique quality of life both personally and professionally. “I am blessed to be able to make a living as a fly fishing guide and I will never lose sight of how fortunate I am to really love my job.
Pat is Guide Director and a partner in the Blue Quill Angler fly shop. He oversees and trains more than 20 guides and helps to set the standard for integrity and professionalism in the Blue Quill Angler guide operation.
Pat, also, writes the central Rocky Mountain stream report that monitors stream flows and conditions on the Blue, Colorado, South Platte (Cheesman, Deckers, Spinney Mountain Ranch, and Elevenmile Canyon), North Fork of the South Platte, and Williams Fork rivers.
Pat is proud to be a Simms Guide Ambassador. “I cannot imagine guiding without Simms apparel; their gear is simply the finest and most durable stuff available.” Pat is also a member of the Sage Fly Rods Advisory Team. “My favorite rods are the Sage TCX 9’ 4 weight and 9’5 weight VXP. I feel confident putting these rods in my client’s hands as I know we will get a quick hook-set with enough suppleness in the tip to protect light tippet.”
Pat is the Southwest Field Editor for Fly Fisherman Magazine. In 2005, Pat authored the book, A Fly Fishing Guide to the South Platte River, a complete how-to fly fishing manual for the entire South Platte River drainage. It encompasses a thorough look at each section of the river detailing the hatches and recommended fly patterns for each of the four seasons of the year.
Pat didn’t stop there, in 2009 he authored Fly Fishing Tailwaters, a comprehensive book on how to fish tailwater fisheries. In 2010 a companion book to Fly Fishing Tailwaters hit the shelves, Tying and Fishing Tailwater Flies, which is jam-packed with how to tie Pat’s favorite “guide flies”. This book includes 500 step-by-step tutorials, as well as, helpful tips and illustrations on how to rig and fish them.
Pat is an accomplished fly tier and has originated a number of very effective patterns such as the Mercury series, UV scud, Limeade, Cherry-Limeade, Paper Tiger, Top Secret Midge, Medallion Midge, and the famed Black Beauty.
Although Pat no longer has the time to tie flies commercially, he once produced over 28,000 flies in a year. Pat is a fly designer for Umpqua Feather Merchants. Pat’s signature flies are available at the Blue Quill Angler. Pat is also a Pro Team Member for Whiting Farms. Many of his flies incorporate Whiting Farm products.
Another one of Pat’s interests is photography. He produces many digital slide presentations used in his speaking engagements at fishing clubs throughout the United States. He is a Celebrity Speaker for the International Sportsmen’s Exposition in Denver and is very active in Trout Unlimited and the conservation of cold-water fisheries.
Pat is the proud father of three wonderful boys, Forrest, Zach, and Hunter. He also has two stepchildren, Nicole, and Michael Richardson. They, like their dad, enjoy fly fishing. Pat’s wife, Kim, is an avid angler and often appears with Pat at trade shows and other speaking engagements. Kim and Pat, also, host a yearly trip to Alaska Sportman’s Lodge each September with a group of his clients.
Kelly Galloup
Kelly started his fly fishing career at the age of 13, tying flies for the local tackle shop. He started guiding at the age of 16 and still manages to run a couple of trips a year. Kelly owned and operated The Troutsman fly shop and guide service in Northern Michigan for 20 years.
He sold the Troutsman in 2001 and purchased The Slide Inn Lodge on the banks of the Madison River in southwest Montana.
Kelly has written two books: Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout and Cripples and Spinners and has numerous DVDs on tying and fishing. In 2003 Kelly received the living legend award from the FFF and was awarded the Charles E Brooks memorial life award in 2007.
He has over fifty nationally recognized fly patterns that are sold worldwide and he is currently a signature tier for Rainy’s Flies. He is also a rod and line designer for St Croix rods and Airflo fly lines. Kelly has been published in every major fly fishing periodical in the U.S. and is one of the Editors a large for Fly Fisherman magazine. Kelly is also the host of Fly Fish TV with Kelly Galloup. As one of the most sought speakers in the country, Kelly spends much of his winter months speaking for clubs and Sports shows across the country.
Casting Instructors
Sign up for some of the casting classes taught by the International Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructors. Bring your own equipment or borrow one of our loaner rigs. Registration for remaining slots can be completed at Troutfest but you are encouraged to pre-register by email for your desired participation. Don’t miss this opportunity to improve your casting!
Dayle Mazzarella
Dayle Mazzarella is an IFFF Master Casting Instructor and has a Master’s Degree in education with an emphasis in educational psychology.
He is an award-winning educator whose professional experiences include teaching, coaching, and training teachers in the areas of curriculum development and instructional methodology.
Dayle has fly-fished for 30 years and has guided fly-fishing trips in Wyoming for 20 years. He has contributed recent articles to the IFFF Loop applying his expertise to the development of casting instruction.
Gary Davison
Gary Davison is an IFFF Certified Casting Instructor and a member of the IFFF, TU Guadalupe Chapter, and local clubs here in Texas: The Montgomery County Fly-Rodder and The Woodlands Fly Anglers.
He and Jim Bass are co-leaders of Ol Al’s CCI Study Group assisting CCI candidates worldwide with preparation for IFFF certification. Gary has been teaching single and double-handed casting for over 10 years and has had the honor of learning and teaching fly-casting with some of the best in the field.
Gary is an avid fisherman with a passion for fly-casting and is especially interested in techniques that trend toward adaptation of Spey Casting to the Gulf Coast area for both single- and double-handed presentations.
Jim Bass
Jim Bass is an IFFF Certified Casting Instructor. He started to fly fish as a 6th grader progressing to tournament casting with the Dallas Anglers Club.
By 1954 he was successfully competing in tournaments around Texas and in the National Tournament in Long Beach, CA. At age 17, he qualified for the All-American Casting Team.
He currently operates the North Texas Fly Fishing School where teaching is based on methods developed by the late Al Crise.
He has taught at Troutfest, Oktoberfisch, and Fly Fish Texas in addition to Texas Council Events and the National Fly Fishing Fair. Jim thinks there is no better feeling than teaching someone to cast in the morning and having them return in the afternoon telling you they caught fish.
Carroll Hall
Carroll Hall is an IFFF Certified Casting Instructor. He teaches fly casting classes and individual lessons in central Texas and Washington state with the primary goal of sharing the fly fishing experience.
He initiated the Hill Country Casting Games at Troutfest 2011 and has adapted them to increase their educational content both at Troutfest and Oktoberfisch. He is a staff member at the Northwest Youth Conservation Fly Fishing Academy where he enjoys teaching casting to young people.
Gary, Jim, and Carroll began their certification journey with Al Crise at his Hawk Ridge Fly Fishing School in Glen Rose, Texas.