Welcome to the Suncoast Fly Fishers, a non-profit 501(C)3 organization, which is also a charter member of Fly Fishers International (FFI). Our continually growing membership is well over 100 men and women who all share a love for fly-fishing. Novice and experts, young and older, fresh and saltwater, wading, kayaking or boating, we do it all. We promote member and visitor involvement in fellowship, fly-fishing, casting and tying, as well as marine conservation in a family fun atmosphere. We encourage “catch and release” fishing practices.
Contact Us with questions and/or for more information!
Where do we meet?
Our meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month (except December) from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the:
Walter Fuller Recreation Center
7891 26th Ave N,
St. Petersburg, FL
SFF Member Benefits Include:
- New members’ packet containing SFF by-laws, membership list, pertinent fishing regulations, “Wading the Saltwater Flats with a Fly Rod,” by Don Coleman, and sample flies tied by SFF members.
- If you are a complete novice, we will teach you how to fly fish and introduce you to local waters.
- Meet local experts and learn where and how to fly fish
- Fly tying workshop every Monday night
- Monthly Happenings:
- Meetings with guest speakers.
- Fly tying demonstrations.
- Club sponsored fishing outings in nearby salt and fresh water locations with lunch provided.
- Monthly newsletter, “On the Fly”, emailed to you!
- Annual Events:
- Hog Roast dinner and Silent Auction usually the last Saturday in March
- “Trash and Treasures” auction
- Holiday “Ugly Sweater” party
- SFF sponsored FFI Casting Clinics – usually twice per year with FFI Certified Casting Instructors. Free to any FFI member, otherwise $35.00 (which includes a 1year membership to FFI)
- Carl Hanson Tournament with Tampa Bay Fly Fishing Club on the Hillsborough River
- Don Coleman Classic with neighboring clubs in December at Fort DeSoto
- Don Manning Annual Everglades Outing in April
- Outreach Programs and Volunteering:
- Supporting veterans at the Bay Pines Veterans Medical Center
- The Mayfly Project
- Youth fly fishing lessons
- Demonstrate and teach fly tying and casting at outdoor expos
- We participate in the Florida Council FFI Expo and the FFI Fly Fishing Fair
FFI Member Benefits Include:
Resources
- Fly Fishers International produces Flyfisher magazine and is a sponsor of The Osprey newsletter in print, along with a number of digital newsletters, a blog, and online E-News. FFI publications can be found on the FFI website under the Resources tab.
» Flyfisher magazine is a bi-annual publication that is available for purchase or viewable online for free.
» The Loop newsletter is a digital magazine, a medium through which the talents, knowledge, and ideas of our fly casting professionals can be shared.
» Tying Times is the official newsletter of the Fly Tying Group of FFI and is published quarterly online.
» The Osprey is published by a consortium of like-minded conservation organizations, including FFI, and is a journal for salmon and steelhead conservation. For more info visit www.ospreysteelhead.org.
» E-News is a monthly email featuring articles on Conservation, Education, and Community.
Conservation
- FFI continues to work with our partners to make our voice heard on important conservation issues that need our support. Updates on our Conservation Committee’s actions can be found on the FFI website under the Conservation tab.
- Additionally, local conservation and education efforts are led by our community of councils and clubs. They are our “feet in the streams” and participate in many local conservation projects.
Education
- FFI’s Education Committee created the Learning Center in 2018 and has published learning modules for 4 major areas: Casting, Conservation, Fly Fishing Skills, and Fly Tying.
- Included under the Casting module, we’ve developed guides and videos to assist with learning 5 important casts as well as the casting skills challenge.
- Additional modules are being developed and deployed each year.
- FFI’s Fly Tying Video Library offers over 500 fly tying videos, reviewed and approved by our Fly Tying Group to provide quality teaching videos from a variety of tiers. This library brings the best of the best all in one place!