The Gulf Coast Council FFF 2007 Expo will be held at the Lakefront Civic Center, Lake Charles, LA on May 18-20, 2007.

Check out this web sit: http://www.gulfcoastfff.org/index.php?page=expo

Lefty Kreh and Nick Curcione will headline this first Gulf Coast Council conclave. If you've never seen Lefty or Nick, ya' got to come; and if you have seen them before, you know what I mean! Also if you have a book authored by Lefty, and most of us have several, this may be an opportunity to have it autographed!

There will be:

Fly-tying demos and instruction by dozens of the best tiers in the country (see the list and BIO's on the web site);

Casting instruction for beginners to experts (check out their BIO's on the web site);

Auction and raffle items including one-of-a-kind collectibles;

Seminars on all species, all waters including the Gulf Coast's best fishing;

Workshops covering fly tying, casting, kayak fishing and rigging, IGFA
records, outdoor photography, shooting lines and leaders;

Exhibitors with great products, deals and information about fishing and species;

Youth activities including fly tying, casting, and programs - all youth activities are free of charge!;

Great local fishing for redfish, spotted seatrout, flounder, drum. Bank and kayak opportunities abound; and

Great local food including the conclave's own Friday night crawfish boil and Saturday banquet.

The Gulf Coast Council was formed last fall as a sub-Council of the FFF Sothern Council. The GCC has been a dream of many in our area for almost twenty years and in just a few days we'll be having our first EXPO!

And no, it is NOT JUST a SALT WATER COUNCIL! There will be plenty of programs for all kinds of fishing from the Texas Hill country to the marshes of Louisiana, plus flyfishing the Texas coast, nymphing for tailwater trout, woven panfish flies, poons of the Florida panhandle, bigger-better bluegills, aquatic entomology for fly fishers, casting shooting lines, casting from kayaks an canoes, bluewater, building bamboo blanks, and a host of other classes and seminars!

While many of you reading this have never been to an FFF Conclave, and may not understand much about these events, let me reassure your that if you will just come to this EXPO or the SE Council in June, the Southern Coucnil's Conclave in Oct., the FFF National Conclave in August, or any other FFF conclave, I feel confident that you'll continue to make plans for these yearly gathering.

Why?

Well, because the people at these Conclaves come because they love them! You get to see some of the best tyers, casters and programs in the country! You can receive free instruction on improving your tying and casting skills, get to know great tyers (many of whom are world class tyers), and FFF Certified Casting Instructors, including several Master Casters.

If ya' live in one of the north the Gulf Coast states, this is YOUR council and YOUR event. It was designed put together by volunteers (i.e. YOUR friends, or soon to be friends) from across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama (plus others for OK, AR, TN or a number of other states).

No, you don't have to be a member of the FFF to attend, nor do ya' have to be a member of an FFF club. Actually, many of the people who are voluntering their time and efforts to this show have started clubs after first attending an FFF conclave.

So, if you're willing to spend your time viewing this or other fly fishing boards, and ya' live in this part of the country, you should be interested enough to come to this EXPO and see how little it will cost you.. expecially when you realize how much YOU will gain from this weekend!

Hope to see ya' in Lake Charles!

Bowfin47

http://www.gulfcoastfff.org/index.php?page=expo
PS

Bring the kids and I'll tie them a fly! I'll be tying Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, and on Saturday at 1:30, I'll be giving a talk on "Dry Run Ceeek or How to Make a Trout Bum Out of Your Six Year Old". The pictures of these kids with huge trout will inspire your kids to take up the long rod!!