Fly Fishers International - Lake Erie Chapter

05/29/2026

Join us at the Caledonia trout festival.

05/08/2026

Subject: A Huge Thank You to the Gowanda Fire Department, NYS DEC, and All Our Volunteers

On behalf of the Fly Fishers International – Lake Erie Chapter, I want to extend our deepest appreciation to the Gowanda Volunteer Fire Department for hosting this year’s Kids Day event, and to the New York State DEC for their partnership and support. Your commitment to youth education and outdoor engagement makes an incredible impact on our community.

I also want to give a huge shout‑out to our members and volunteers who made the Gowanda Kids Day such a tremendous success. Your enthusiasm, patience, and willingness to teach helped create an unforgettable experience for the kids who joined us.

A special thank‑you goes to Gary Bacon and John Stefko for leading the organization of this program. Your dedication and behind‑the‑scenes work ensured everything ran smoothly.

And finally —
A tip of the Lake Erie Chapter hat to all the volunteers who, in cooperation with the Gowanda Volunteer Fire Dept and the DEC, got over 73 kids geared up and out on the water last Saturday.

You are truly outstanding ambassadors of our sport and our club.

Thank you for showing what community, mentorship, and stewardship look like in action.

With gratitude,
Jennie Worling‑Lewis
President, Fly Fishers International – Lake Erie Chapter

05/08/2026

05/02/2026

Kids and Adult Fishing Clinic- May 2nd 10 am to 2 pm. Gowanda Fire hall 230 Aldrich Street. No license required. Pre-register on our website.

https://www.gowandafirerescue.com/kids-and-adult-fishing-clinic.html

04/26/2026

FLY CASTING PRACTICE🎣

Como Lake Park • Lancaster, NY 14086

📍 Meeting Details

⏰ Time: 6:30 PM

📍 Location: Parking lot next to the Casino building at Como Lake Park

📅 2026 Practice Dates

Practice Date: Monday night

Rain Date: will be following Wednesday

Monday, May 4/
Wednesday, May 13

Monday, June 8/
Wednesday, June 10

Monday, July 20/
Wednesday, July 22

Monday, August 3/
Wednesday, August 5

In case of cancellation, please contact
CONTACT: Mark Thill
📞 716-998-2073

📋 Getting Started — Online Resources

Visit flyfishersinternational.org to access casting education materials:

Navigate to: Fly Casting Education → Casting Skills Programs → Fly Casting Skills Development ( please print & bring sheet with you- also attached below. We strong welcome you to view the educational materials on our web page )

✔️ Foundational Skills — Start here to build your casting foundation

✔️ Bronze Skills — Intermediate casting techniques

✔️ Silver Skills — Advanced casting proficiency

✔️ Gold Skills — Master-level casting excellence

✔️ Instructional Videos — Watch demonstrations for each skill level

✔️ Completion Sheets — Download and track your progress

🎒 What to Bring

✅ Rod with 7–8 ft leader and yarn

✅ Four 12.5 ft ropes

✅ Completion sheet (printed from website)

✅ Water/ Sun screen/ Polarized glasses/ Snacks/ Dress for the weather layers

✅ We will have fly rods on hand for New individuals

04/21/2026

What a buggy good time! 🐛A huge thank‑you to Chuck Sherry for presenting Match the Hatch 🦗 — our entomology night was a hit with 39 members joining in. We learned a ton and had plenty of laughs along the way.

Next month presentation
Will be
Thursday, May 21 – 6:00 p.m. social & tying
Presenter: - 7p.m.
Kirk Klingensmith
Topic: Triggering A focused session on techniques that provoke strikes and improve angler effectiveness. You won't want to miss this 🎣

04/16/2026

Join us this evening for Charles Sherry presentation on matching the hatches. He will be discussing entomology and the impacts on fly fishing our local streams and rivers.
Fly tying and Social hour will begin at 6:00 p.m. followed by Presentation at 7:00pm.
At the
Burchfield Nature & Art Center
2001 Union Rd
West Seneca, NY 14224.

We hope to see you tonight and don't forget to enter the 50/50 increase your odds with more tickets🎟️