Hello Everyone and Happy New Year to all,
Just a courtesy reminder to all that we will continue to have our monthly General Membership Meetings on the “THIRD” Wednesday of the month, starting this month, January 21st, 2026 at the Classic Cafe Exhibition Hall on Hillegas Rd, in Ft. Wayne, IN. Starting at 7:00 pm, doors open at 6:30 pm.
Our Board of Directors Meetings will continue on the “FIRST” Wednesday of the month starting this Wednesday the 7th of January 2026. Directors meet at 7:00 pm.
We are excited to announce that our first guest speaker for the new year, presenting at the upcoming monthly membership meeting on the 21st, will be Chad Robison. We will have a bio out on Chad soon, and more details on his presentation, but in the meantime you can check out and follow Chad on the social media pages. If you’re not familiar with Chad, you can usually find him tying and speaking at some of the larger fly shows throughout the midwest, and again via social media. He ties some absolutely incredible/insane deer hair bugs and big bass flies. So check him out, and mark your calendars for his event.
Also mark your calendars for the special Fly Tying Workshops being hosted again by the Eckhart Public Library in Auburn, IN and sponsored by Three Rivers Fly Fishers. Classes will start on Monday, January 12th, 2026 at 5:00 pm, through Monday, February 16th, 2026. There is no charge for these workshops and they are open to the public. Tools and materials are provided by Three Rivers Fly Fishers and are intended to introduce beginners and novice tiers to the wonderful world of fly tying. Classes are limited to 6 students per class, and you must sign up and pre register through the library website. For more information and an agenda please visit the Eckhart Public Library website. The lead fly tying instructor for this event will be our own Brent Walchuk. Brent is also planning on introductory Fly Casting Clinics/Workshops to be held this coming spring/summer in partnership with Eckhart Library. More to follow. 3RFF Members, these opportunities are for your benefit as well, please take advantage of these great programs.
The 3RFF Tuesday Night Fly Tying evenings will be back in full swing for the new year every Tuesday night through the winter and continue until March. From approximately 6:30 until 8:30 pm at the Coyote Creek Bar & Grill (Coyote Creek Golf Club) on Hillegas Road in Ft. Wayne, IN. This is an open event and you do not have to be a Three Rivers Fly Fishers member to participate. We encourage beginners, those who have questions and are curious, or those who just want to watch. Everyone is welcome to come out and enjoy a great evening of fellowship, comradery, conversation, fly tying and great food and drink. Hope to see you there. If you don’t want to tie, just come and hang out.
For those that are tying flies for the upcoming annual Tie-A-Thon event, keep up the good work for a most worthy cause. I know there are a bunch of flies being tied by our members and it won’t be long before we’ll be wrapping this event up for another year and collecting flies to donate. Again our point of contact and liaison for the club is Don Privett. Thanks again Don. By the way, the new Tie-A-Thon logo for the swag this year looks pretty darn cool, so be sure you don’t forget to provide your contact info with your flies so you don’t miss out on yours.
We are working on the schedules and ideas for our upcoming outings and gatherings that historically begin in June and go through the summer/fall months. More on those events, along with a very worthy community outreach program to follow. Agendas and dates forthcoming ASAP.
Don’t forget that with the start of the new year, it’s time to pay your membership dues. Remember, dues are due January 1st of each year. If you have not already sent your’s in, then your 2026 dues are now due. You may also pay them by stopping by at the upcoming Board of Directors meeting, or stopping by the Tuesday night fly tying event, or at the January Membership meeting. Thank you. Speaking of members and memberships, we had 16 new members join the ranks in 2025. Awesome, again welcome and Thank You for your support!! Enjoy your club.
It is that time of year to also be thinking about the direction and long term future of the organization. With elections on the horizon, I would ask all of you to give conscious consideration as to where you may want your club to go. Annually, there are Officer and Director positions whose terms expire or are renewed. The Board can always use additional or new Directors on a recurring basis. The need for new Officers, Directors and overall leadership changes, with new and fresh visions for the future, should always be welcomed, promoted, and embraced as part of a healthy, vibrant and sustainable organization. We will, as happens annually and by-annually, have Officer and Board members whose terms are expiring. This is the natural course of any organization, and the way the system and By-Laws are designed to work. That being said, please engage with your fellow members about who you may want to see fill positions and pave the way forward. What skill sets do you want to see in an individual, or do you have those tools needed for your club? Who would you like to see nominated, or would you yourself wish to be nominated. What vision do you have for your club? Ask yourselves, what ideas can I bring to the table and how can “I” make them come to fruition. Three Rivers Fly Fishers is now in its 31st year. We have a wonderful group of people and an outstanding community with so much to offer and a bright future ahead. Please see where you may be able to fit in to help take your club to 31 more. Thanks for your support. And thanks for your consideration to step up, help out and to get involved so we keep your club moving forward into the future.
In closing, We will be getting additional information and agendas out as we move forward, but wanted to at least get a jump start on the new year and try to keep you folks informed and updated. “Thanks So Much” for your continued support and for being a part of Three Rivers Fly Fishers.
Until next time…get out there, get involved, make a difference, and enjoy your club. Hope to see you on the water!
Most Respectfully and Tight Lines,
Kevin Curtis – President
Three Rivers Fly Fishers – 3RFF
Ft. Wayne, IN