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President: Jim Worden 239-261-6922 bffpresident@flyfishingnaples.com
Vice President: Joe Pugach 239-254-0610 fichem@comcast.net
Secretary: Joe Palladino 239-262-6608 lpallad@attg.net
Treasurer: Tom Nolte 239-949-0960 tomnoltemd@embarqmail.com
Past President: Alan Parker 239-262-2204
Communications: Ralph Pike 239-596-1245 bffinfo@flyfishingnaples.com
Community Relations: Tom Shaw 239-389-1128 tshaw150@comcast.net
Conservation: Mike Koether 239-642-3654 mkoether@aol.com
Education: Joe Beauchamp 239-262-2826
Facilities: J.V. Williams 239-591-2106 1940jvw@comcast.net
Membership: Tom Brown 239-261-0144 margwbrown@aol.com
Outings: Alan Kuhre 239-596-7718 alankuhre@aol.com
Programs: Bill Sutton 239-261-9129 wsutton@comcast.net

Backcountry Fly Fishers P.O. Box 971 Naples, FL 34106
E-Mail Us


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Welcome to Backcountry Fly Fishers
The Backcountry Fly Fishers of Naples, Florida was formed in 1993 to:
- Provide members a place to share fly fishing experiences in the interest of fun and fellowship
- Assist and educate members to improve their fly fishing skills and knowledge of the sport
- Promote conservation of natural resources
- Promote the sport of fly fishing in the community
Today the club has over 100 members. There is a monthly meeting featuring an expert speaker and fly tying demonstrations. Monthly outings provide an opportunity for members to fish in an interesting variety of area locations. Also, the club’s website and on-line newsletter, e-Breeze, is updated monthly (www.flyfishingnaples.com).
The Backcountry Fly Fishers is affiliated with the Federation of Fly Fishers, an international organization of over 300 clubs, whose purpose is to provide a strong voice in the state and national conservation movement. The Federation provides fly fishing education programs and teaching aids.
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Meet the Directors
June 2008
Ralph Pike Communications
I caught my first trout with a fly rod when I was eight years old. It was a split cane bamboo rod with a single action reel, not a high dollar rod but a typical rod of the 1950’s. I can’t remember whether I was using worms or salmon eggs at the time. So does that count as fly fishing? Probably not. In my early teens I was introduced to fishing with flies using a spinning rod and a clear plastic float or bubble that was partially filled with water to provide weight. So was that fly fishing? Sort of. About the same time I bought a fly tying kit at Boy Scout camp. I won’t discuss the quality of those early flies other than to say I did catch a few bluegill and bass with them. My interest in fly fishing and fly tying grew from there. I especially liked fly tying because it was a great escape during the long cold winters (I grew up in Nebraska not Florida).
The next phase of life was imparting my passion for fishing to my two sons. Fortunately for them they had a grandfather who was much better then me at teaching fly casting and fly tying. The result is my sons are both skilled at fly tying and fly casting and I have two fishing partners for life.
Prior to moving to Florida three years ago my fishing experiences were all in the Midwest, Rocky Mountain States and Alaska. Part of my reason for moving to Naples was the saltwater fishing opportunities. I joined BFF shortly after moving to Naples and began the process of learning about fly fishing in saltwater. Fly tying classes at Mangrove Outfitters were a real benefit. It was quite a change going from size 18 hooks to 2/0.
Since I did not have a boat I fished along the beaches with marginal success. Then I rented a kayak and went on my first outing, fishing Ding Darling NWR. I came away with two learning’s. First, outings were a great way to meet other members and learn from them. Second, a kayak provided great mobility. With the help of Chris Boland at Saltwater Sports I purchased a kayak and accessories. I try to go on every outing as I always learn more about our sport each time.
I became the Communications Director, two and a half years ago when the previous director, John Cumberlidge, moved from the area. It was an interesting time as the Club was changing to electronic communication and development of a website. The website has gone through several enhancements with the latest being the addition of a webpage for guides.
The purpose of my position on the Board is to keep the membership informed of activities of the Club and general sharing of information. I welcome ideas for additional enhancements to the website or the monthly eBreeze. Thank you to those of you who have shared pictures from your fishing trips.
Tight Lines,
Ralph Pike
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Meeting Date Second Monday of the month No meetings in July and August
Meeting Location The Norris Center 755 8th Avenue South Naples, FL (MAP)
Times 6:30-7:15 Socializing 7:15-7:45 Demonstration 7:45-8:00 Business Meeting 8:00-8:50 Program 8:50-9:00 Raffle 9:00 Adjourn
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Next Meeting September 8th
Speaker and Topic Captain Bill Blanton Fishing the south coast of Cuba
Demonstration Mike Franz Technical Table
Outings
MARCO ISLAND/CAPE ROMANO Date Changed to SEPTEMBER 26TH
Submissions Please send articles, info, or photos for inclusion in the e-BREEZE to bffinfo@flyfishingnaples.com
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