2011 Dinner Speakers

2011 FFV Dinner Speakers

FFV Awards presented at the 2011 Annual Banquet

Long-time FFV Board member Steve Lewis was presented with a PHW Award

Taylor Turner Conservation Award (to Jerry Benson)

Brent Golladay Memorial Award (to Mike Hatfield)

Nat Burgwyn Lifetime Achievement Award (to Urbie Nash)

Kenny Grandstaff Continuing Service Award ( to Robert Thomas)

A link to the 2011 Annual Banquet Program...

January 15, 2011 Annual Banquet

Jim Teeny!

Fishing The Great Lakes Tributaries

Saturday, January 15 2011 Salisbury Country Club

Special Free Afternoon Programs by Jim Teeny

Salisbury Country Club

4:00 Fly Tying

5:00 Fishing with Sinking Lines

Jim Teeny is one of the first names that should come to mind when the words Fly Fishing Innovator come up in conversation. First there was the Teeny Nymph, which he designed at age 16 for large, cruising trout at Oregon's East Lake. Little did he realize then, as junior in High School, how this simple fly pattern would impact his future. As he experienced growing successes with his Teeny Nymph fly pattern, Jim began to experiment with different color variations of the fly and was able to have increasing success even on other species of fish. After keeping the fly a secret for 9 years, Jim started the Teeny Nymph Company in July of 1971. This was the start-up of what is now Jim Teeny, Inc., the business which Jim and his wife, Donna, now run from their HQ's in Gresham, Oregon.

Innovation was to become a habit with Jim. He conceived of an idea for sinking fly lines which resulted in his T-Series sinking tip fly lines, a concept what was welcomed all across the fly fishing community, from Steelhead fly fisherman to deep water off-shore Salt water fisherman. Jim has, subsequently, designed a full line of specialty fly lines that range from full floating lines to deep sinking salt water lines.

Jim has appeared on many television shows teaching and sharing his innovations and techniques with interested fly fishers from all across our land and other countries. He has authored articles in major fishing publications and been featured in articles by other authors as well. Jim's new book, Fly Fishing Great Waters, documents the fly fishing adventures of his life with a focus on some of his favorite fly fishing spots in the world. Full of great photography, this hard bound coffee table book is hard to put down. In 1988, Jim was featured in an award winning video (now on DVD), Catching More Steelhead, produced by Scientific Anglers.

One of Jim's proudest moments was taking the Gold at the "Pacific Rim Fly Fishing Tournament" held in B.C. Canada September 2007. As a member of the TFO Advisory/Pro Staff, Jim's innovative contributions have continued with his designing of the Jim Teeny Series of fly rods. The Teeny Series of rods are smooth casting fly rods built with a powerful butt section for lifting strong, heavy fish and powering up distance casts. Jim's knowledge, experience and passion for the sport of fly fishing have helped and will help tremendously as the folks at TFO seek to honor their commitment to build affordably priced, high performance fly rods.

FFV members Brian and Colby Trow were our March 17th dinner

speakers.

Prospecting Virginia’s Trout Streams

Thursday, May12, 2011

(20# Brown - White River, Arkansas on a streamer)

Mark Sedotti

Mark Sedotti was Casting Columnist for Saltwater Fly Fishing Magazine and has written many articles on both salt and freshwater fishing as well as fly tying for various prominent outdoor and fly fishing magazines. He was the first to show that flies larger than seven inches long were not only easily fishible and castible (before him these were considered COMPLETELY uncastible), but that you could cast them about as far as you could cast ANY fly, no matter the size, and with uncanny accuracy too. He's known for tying and fishing giant 10-20 inch streamers, commonly casting them 150 ft. or more at casting demos, and putting them into the middle of 2 ft. diameter casting hoops at 135 ft. His series of Sedotti's Slammer Menhaden flies (and others) have graced the pages of various fly tying and patterns books.

Mark hails from Port Chester, NY, a village in the NY City suburbs located along the shoreline of Long Island Sound. Besides having a fly casting/fly fishing/fishing obsession, he likes birding, baseball, art, reading, music, jazz, thinking, and playing bass trombone. He loves tarpon fishing, pursuing big Striped Bass on fly, and has a passion for chasing big trout with streamers all over North America.

July, 2011 - George Daniel.

George began fly fishing at age 6 while growing up in Potter County, PA. Many of the small freestone streams flowing through “God’s Country” became George’s outdoor laboratory and where he developed his passion for fly fishing. Early in his teens, George and his family relocated into the Centre region where fly fishing legends George Harvey, Joe Humphreys, and Charles Meck resided. The rich angling history in the Centre region along with its resident legends was a fruitful area for a young lad wanting to expand his fly fishing knowledge. At age 16, George eventually crossed paths with his fly fishing idol, Joe Humphreys at a local shop. Joe made George a promise that he would find time in his busy schedule to fish with him one afternoon. Twenty pestering phone calls later from George, Joe agreed upon a time when he would take George fishing. From that first time on the water, Joe took George under his wing as an apprentice and spent countless hours with George, on and off the water, providing angling knowledge that has allowed George to successfully enter the fly fishing industry.

Currently, George works for TCO Fly Shop, the largest fly shop in the east. The State College location is where he spends most of his time acting as the assistant manager and director of education. George’s passion is spending time conducting educational classes for TCO and traveling the country conducting clinics for various groups and organizations.

George is a former competitor FF Team USA and now focuses his time coaching both adult and youth teams. Currently, George is the Head Coach for the US Adult FF Team and is the Associate Coach for the US Youth Team. Some of his accomplishments include being a two time national fly fishing champion and ranked as high as fifth in the World. He logs over 200 days a year on trout waters near and far from his home.

George is currently working on his first book with Stackpole Books, “Dynamic Nymphing” and will be available January 2012. George currently resides in Lock Haven with his wife, Amidea and their two children, Evangeline and Logan, along with their golden retriever that answer to the names Madison.

Some of George's accomplishments include:

· Head Coach: 2011 US Adult FF Team

· Gold Medal (Individual) 2009 US Nationals

· Gold Medal (Team) 2009 US Nationals

· Champions (Team) 2009 Healing Waters Two Fly Contest

· 8^th Place (Team) 2009 World FF Championships, Scotland

· Head Coach: 2009 US Youth Fly Fishing Team, Czech Republic

· Head Coach: 2008 US Youth Fly Fishing Team, Portugal

· 8^th Place (Team) 2008 World FF Championships, New Zealand

· Gold Medal (Team) Canada National FF Championships

· Gold Medal (Individual) 2007/2008 US Nationals

· Silver Medal (Team) 2007/2008 US Nationals

· Champions (Team Under Armour) 2007 Versus Fly Fishing Masters

· 6^th Place (Team): 2007 World FF Championships, Finland

· Coaching Staff: 2007 World Youth FF Championships

· Gold Medal (Team) 2006 US Nationals

· 8^th Place (Individual) 2006 US Nationals

· 5^th Place (Individual) 2006 World Fly Fishing Championships, Portugal (Second Highest US finish)

· Gold Medal (Individual) 2006 Eastern US Nationals Qualifier

· Bronze Medal (Individual) 2006 Western US Nationals Qualifier

· Bronze Medal (Individual) 2005 Western US Nationals Qualifier

· 3rd place fishing (team) 2003 Fly Fishing Masters

· 1st place Casting Competition 2004 OLN Fly Fishing Masters

Our September dinner speaker was Jim Casada.

About Jim...

Jim Casada, who was born on January 28, 1942, is a son of the Smokies. He grew up in Bryson City, N. C. and cut his sporting teeth hunting and fishing in and around this small mountain town. He says that “a corner of my heart” still belongs to the high country.

Education and Professional Background

B. A. in history, King College, Bristol, TN (1964); M. A. in British history, Virginia Tech (1967); Ph. D. in British imperial history, Vanderbilt University (1972). Taught history at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC from 1972-1996 before taking early retirement to work as a full-time freelance writer/photographer. While at Winthrop rose to the rank of full professor, was recognized as the institution’s Distinguished Professor (in 1983), and served two terms as chairman of the graduate faculty. Member and past president of the South Carolina Outdoor Press Association and Southeastern Outdoor Press Association. Past president of Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA).

Background Writing Experience

Author of more than 3,500 magazine and newspaper articles and columns on hunting, fishing, firearms, conservation and other outdoor-related tops. Author of a number of academic books and more than 100 articles in scholarly journals.

Books Written as a Freelancer

Modern Fly Fishing (1993)
From Campsite to Kitchen (1994)
The Complete Venison Cookbook (with Ann Casada, 1996)
Wild Bounty (with Ann Casada – 2000)
Innovative Turkey Hunting (2001)
The Ultimate Venison Cookbook (with Ann Casada, 2004)
Backyard Grilling (with Ann Casada, Kate Fiduccia and Teresa Marrone, 2004)

Our November dinner speaker was Jerry Benson.