First Annual Texas Fly Fishing & Brew Festival a Success: Announces Return

June 27, 2017 By: Marshall Cutchin

On March 10-11, 2018, the Second Annual Texas Fly Fishing & Brew Festival (TFFF) will return to the Plano Centre in Plano, a mere 20 miles north of Dallas and easily accessed off Route 75. Last year more than 80 vendors filled the Plano Centre’s main exhibition hall, and attendees enjoyed numerous classes and demos in the Centre’s multiple state-of-the-art classrooms. “We’ll be returning to the Plano Centre as the location for this unique event,” says Festival Director Beau Beasley, “because of its easy access to a large population center. The facility allows us a great deal of flexibility. Our event is heavily geared toward bringing new people into the sport, so having plenty of room for hands-on instruction is vital.”   

Unique to the Texas festival was the introduction of local microbrewery beer to participating fly anglers. With their paid admission, festival attendees 21 years and over received a series of tasting tickets from local brewers Four Corners Brewing Co., Oskar Blues, Texas Ale Project, and Sweetwater Brewery, all of which had personnel on hand to explain what sets microbrewed beer apart, why and how certain ingredients yield different flavors, and how to brew and taste different types of beer.  

“We weren’t sure what to expect, since nothing like this had ever been attempted before in Texas,” says Greg Leftwich, co-owner of Dallas-based Four Corners Brewing Co. “We thought the idea of combining fly fishing and Texas beer was a good one, but even we were surprised at how well the idea went over. At one point people were purchasing our product so fast, we had a hard time getting it cold enough.”

An early supporter of the festival and owner of Tailwaters Fly Fishing Co., David Leake was fairly certain that the fusion of fly fishing and microbrewing would find traction among Texans, but even he admits to doubt. “Nothing is a sure thing in business, but sometimes you just have to put yourself out there and try something new to attract new customers and advance your brand. We were pleased with the outcome.”

Greg Welander, fly fishing manager for Austin-based Sportsman’s Finest, had a similar response: “I really didn’t know what to expect since it was the first year of the festival, but I was pleasantly surprised. There was a very good mix of vendors, and the public was most certainly eager to buy. We met a lot of new customers who didn’t know about us despite our store being so close to Dallas. We’re eager to return and see how the festival grows.”

Anglers interested in both local and destination sporting travel also had lots of options. In addition to Tailwaters Fly Fishing Company, additional  companies like Emu Outfitters, Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures, and Expedition Outfitters all took part in the inaugural event. Mike Mercer, travel sales specialist for Redding, California’s The Fly Shop was similarly pleased with the event’s first attempt to reach Southwest fly anglers. “Our store is committed to providing good customer service and meeting new clients who want to travel to unique destinations. This festival drew the very fly anglers we’re looking for; we booked trips as a result. The festival was well organized, and it was obvious a great deal of thought and effort went into meeting the needs of the public, and vendors as well.”      

Festival attendees will enjoy a variety of free lectures taught by local, regional, and nationally known guides, authors, fly tyers, and speakers. Vendors last year hailed from such far-flung locales as Patagonia, Guatemala, Canada, Alaska, and of course trout-specific destinations like Colorado, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Participating vendors included such well-known brands as TFO, Sage, Hardy, Patagonia, Fishpond, NuCanoe, Fatties on the Fly, Diablo Kayaks, Jackson Kayak, Umpqua Feather Merchants, Cortland, and Chota. Nonprofit organizations such as Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited, CCA-Texas, Heroes on the Water, IFFF, and Reel Recovery were also present.

Major sponsors who have already committed to supporting the event in its second year include Dallas-based fly rod manufacturer Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO), the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), and Tailwaters Fly Fishing; other major sponsors as well as a full slate of speakers will be announced as the season progresses. For more information, visit www.txflyfishingfestival.org or call 703-402-8338.