fisherofzen

"Turn Back Time" Retreat
2023-09-21 - 2023-09-24 | Camp Waldemar, 1005 FM 1340, Hunt, TX, 78024
Cari will be offering beginning fly fishing clinics and guided fly fishing opportunities at Camp Waldemar’s annual Women’s Week Retreat.

The Good Fly Roundup
2023-09-30 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Millican Reserve, 3792 High Prairie RD, College Station, TX, 77845
Come enjoy all things fly fishing featuring Casting, Tying, Fishing Tournament, Live Music, Food Trucks, Kid’s Activities, Raffle and Silent Auction, and more! Cari will be part of a “Meet the Pros” panel discussion co-presenting a women’s casting clinic, and certifying casters for the FFI Fly Casting Skills Development Program. Click the link below for all the info!

Casting Presentation - St. Stephen's Fly Fishing Club
2023-10-04 11:00 - 12:00

Casting For Recovery Central Texas Fall Retreat
2023-10-13 - 2023-10-15 | Camp Capers, 418 FM1621, Waring, TX, 78074
Cari volunteers as a fly fishing instructor for this amazing nonprofit organization that provides fly fishing retreats for women living with breast cancer. Please click the link and consider supporting this worthy organization with your time and/or resources!

"Fishing the Guad" Presentation at New Braunfels Fly Fishers
2023-10-25 18:00 - 20:00 | New Braunfels Library, 700 E Common St, New Braunfels, TX, 78130

Texas Trout School - Guadalupe Tailwater
2023-11-18 13:00 - 17:00, 2023-12-09 13:00 - 17:00, 2024-01-27 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-02-24 10:00 - 14:00 | Summit Vacation & RV Resort, 13105 River Rd, New Braunfels, TX, 78132, United States
If I had a dime for every time I get asked “what flies are you using?” I’m always happy to oblige, but what I often want to say is “you’re asking the wrong question.” Time and again, I meet anglers who fail to understand that it is insufficient skill and/or knowledge, not their tackle, that holds them back. This is my answer to that conundrum. A curriculum that goes beyond flies and rigging to cover the skills necessary to achieve consistent success.
It is essential for beginners, but especially helpful for warm water anglers looking to better understand the finer points and finesse of trout angling,and those who often fish with guides looking to achieve similar success independently.
In this 1/2 day skills clinic, you’ll come away better understanding:
• The primary differences in approach when targeting trout vs. warm water species
• Various flies and rigging techniques
• How to read water and find fish
• How to fish nymphs, dries, & streamers with greater success
• Casts that catch fish
• When and how to mend effectively
• How to set up and manage your drift
• How to set the hook and play the fish to reduce the risk of “remote release”
ON-SITE LODGING AVAILABLE!
If you’d like to make a weekend of it, both cabins and RV spots are available at Summit. You can take advantage of a special 12% school discount or buy 2 nights and get one free (Thurs-Sun or Fri-Mon).
You will receive a confirmation email after purchase that will secure your spot in the class. You will also receive an email communication of more detail about what to bring and what to expect about a week out.
If you have any question before or after registering, please reach out to cari@zenflyfishing.org.

Lumiere Women's Retreat
2023-12-01 - 2023-12-03 | Camp Waldemar, 1005 FM 1340, Hunt, TX, 78024
At Lumière, we encourage your journey to self-discovery and rejuvenation with a diverse array of activities that cater to your mind, body, and spirit. Our carefully curated program invites you to reset and reconnect with your inner essence and the healing nature of the hill country.

Energize
Immerse yourself in a variety of invigorating exercises and break a sweat instead of sweating the small stuff.
Archery
Cacao Ceremony
Healing with Horses*
Hiking in the Hills
Laughing Yoga
Tennis
Pickleball
Yoga
Express
Dive into a range of artistic activities that allow you to unleash your inner artist and draw inspiration from every stroke and creation.
Ceramics*
Jewelry Making*
Kintsugi*
Rhythm Drumming Circle

Explore
Rediscover inner peace and embrace the calming and revitalizing experiences that await you and will ultimately lead to a more balanced and centered state of being.
Angel Card Reading
Chocolate Decadence Experience
Dream Circle
Deep Healing Massage*
Evolutionary Astrology*
Intuitive Spiritual Coaching*
Iridology*
Meditation on the River
Reiki*
Shakti Dancing
Sound Bath Healing*

*Additional Cost

GRTU Troutfest 2024
2024-02-16 - 2024-02-18 | Lazy L&L Resort, 11699 River Rd, New Braunfels, TX, 78132, United States
Cari will be joining other FFI Certified Instructors to offer free casting clinics all day Saturday & Sunday of the event.
GRTU’s Troutfest TX is a nationally recognized event, and the largest of its kind in Texas, bringing out a crowd of over 3,000 people interested in fly fishing and preserving and protecting cold water fisheries. This three-day event takes place on the Guadalupe River Tailwater, and it includes a fund-raising banquet and weekend Expo.

Free Fly Casting Lessons and Clinics
Keynote Speakers
Presentations from Guides, Outfitters, Gear Manufacturers and Experts from Around the World
Live Auction & Online Silent
Vendor Expo with Guides, Fly Shops, Artists, Outfitters, Gear Manufacturers, Rod Builders
On Water Watercraft Demos
Live Auction
Movie Night
Kids Events
Door Prizes
Great Food & Local Craft Beer

CASTING MATTERS: Mapping Your Casting Journey - Virtual Presentation
2024-02-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Online, United States
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Casting is arguably the preeminent skill in fly fishing. It is also, quite possibly, the most frequently overlooked. While there is no consensus as to why, I would point to a few reasons as likely suspects. Historically, for lack of any existing standard of measure, it has been difficult for a fly angler to self-assess his/her proficiency. Even if they could, what then? What should be the next area of focus, the next goal set? And how much time and effort would it really take to achieve notable improvement on the water?
In this presentation, we’ll talk about how improved casting can both enhance your enjoyment of fly fishing and lead to more consistent success. We’ll also bust some myths about the amount of time and energy it takes for marked improvement (spoiler alert: it’s not as much as you think). I’ll offer some tips you can employ that will improve your cast the very next time you pick up a fly rod as well as ideas for mapping a path to continue building from there.
This presentation is appropriate for all casting skill levels.
Presenter: Cari Ray, FFI Certified Casting Instructor, FFI Texas Council Casting Director
The first time Cari Ray cast a fly rod she was all in. It stands to reason. Having spent years as a singer-songwriter and musician, the rhythm and balance of fly casting felt immediately familiar…and satisfying. After stepping away from the touring life, Cari combined her passion for fly fishing with her love of teaching to launch Zen Fly Fishing, a school and guide service.
Cari is a full time fly fishing guide, Fly Fishers International (FFI) Certified Casting Instructor, host of the Fisher of Zen Podcast, and serves on the FFI Texas Council Board as Casting Director.
With a particular passion for inspiring new fly anglers, she loves mentoring beginning as well as advanced students/clients to identify, learn and grow the skills necessary to achieve consistent and independent success on the water. Through her guiding, teaching, writing, and public speaking efforts she invites anglers to learn and experience fly fishing in the wilds of nature and the context of mindfulness and conservation.
Find Cari online at fisherofzen.com or on Instagram at @fisherofzen
This event is free and brought to you by the Texas Council of Fly Fishers International.
Looking for more educational resources and/or fly-fishy-folks? Click here to find a club in your neighborhood: Texas Fly Fishing Clubs
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Topic: CASTING MATTERS: Mapping Your Casting Journey
Time: Feb 21, 2024 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

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The "Zenefits" of Fly Fishing - Keynote Presentation, Trinity FLYFEST
2024-03-09 09:00 - 17:00
Cari (fisherofzen) will be giving the event’s keynote presentation and offering casting instruction at Fort Worth’s annual Urban Fishing Celebration. Additional activities at this FREE community fest include the Big Trout Contest, open fishing, kids’ activities, expert presentations, vendors and more. Visit the event website for location and additional details.
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION:
Ask just about any fly fisher why they like to fish, and one of the first things we are likely to say is that time and troubles all but disappear when we’re on the water. After experiencing this phenomenon for years, I began to lean in to the aspects of the sport that contributed to its meditative quality. In doing so, I found that elevated awareness and conscious focus on a few specific areas greatly enhanced that otherworldly experience. But that’s not all. It turns out the same practices that lead to relaxation and calm also make you a better fly angler.
In a world obsessed with shortcuts to performance—10 tips for this, 5 hacks for that, or the ONE secret that will unlock that yet-unrealized level of success—fly fishing beckons us to slow down and take the scenic route. In this presentation, I’ll share some of the decisions you can make, on and off the water, to simultaneously enhance your enjoyment and increase your fly angling success.

CASTING MATTERS: The Magic of the Curve Cast - Virtual Presentation
2024-03-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Online, United States
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There are fishing situations where an intentionally curved fly line will catch more fish than a fly line cast landing in a straight line. Times when the ability to make a curved cast or mend can be the difference between success and an empty net. In this presentation, we’ll cover the skills necessary to make these casts as well as the situations where a fly angler might employ them.
We will cover multiple casting techniques used to make a Curve Cast and how to make an Aerial Mend Around a Target. We will discuss both “How To” and “When” to use them. The “When” is the key focus of this presentation, because these techniques are very effective for catching both Trout and Bass. A Curved Cast presentation can be irresistible to black bass and we will discuss some of those situations.
We will cover the basic skills to allow a beginning caster to start fishing with these techniques and we will also discuss the subtle details that will help a more advanced caster to master these skills.
This presentation is appropriate for all casting skill levels.
Presenter: Rex Walker, FFI Certified Casting Instructor
Rex is a DFW area casting instructor, fly fisher, and fly tyer. Rex has been helping people improve their fly casting skills for the past 16 years. He has worked with many of the region’s fly fishing clubs, at fly fishing events across Texas, and with both Reel Recovery and Project Healing Waters. Rex is a Fly Fishers International certified instructor and a member of TFO Rods Pro Staff. When not helping other fly fishers improve their casting skills, Rex can often be found on Lake Texoma chasing black bass and striped bass on the fly.
This event is free and brought to you by the Texas Council of Fly Fishers International.
Looking for more educational resources and/or fly-fishy-folks? Click here to find a club in your neighborhood: Texas Fly Fishing Clubs
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Topic: CASTING MATTERS: The Magic of the Curve Cast
Time: Mar 13, 2024 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
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CASTING MATTERS: Fighting the Wind - Virtual Presentation
2024-04-10 19:00 - 20:30
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There are few things that intimidate, and potentially frustrate, a fly angler faster than a windy day. But when it comes to fishing the salt, Texas Hill Country, the mountains of Patagonia, the Western US, and many other famously fishy destinations, breezy conditions are the norm rather than the exception. FFI CI Austin Orr will talk about a few simple changes you can make to increase casting efficiency in the wind and to help keep your presentations on target.
Presenter: Austin Orr, FFI Certified Casting Instructor
Austin Orr’s incredible passion for fly fishing and teaching led him to become an FFI Certified Casting Instructor back in 2011. To help educate and bring others into the sport, Austin started his business Elevate Fly Casting in 2019, teaching fly casting and helping people get the most out of their fishing trips both nearby and abroad. Find him online at his website elevateflycasting.com or on Instagram at @elevateflycasting.
This event is free and brought to you by the Texas Council of Fly Fishers International.
Looking for more educational resources and/or fly-fishy-folks? Click here to find a club in your neighborhood: Texas Fly Fishing Clubs
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Topic: CASTING MATTERS: Fighting the Wind
Time: Apr 10, 2024 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
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Getting a Line on Fly Lines: Specialty Lines
2024-04-18 19:00 - 20:00 | Northwest Rec Center, 2913 Northland Dr, Austin, TX
Cari (fisherofzen) will be giving this presentation to the Austin Fly Fishers Club meeting. You do not need to be a club member to attend, this meeting is open to the public. Doors at 6pm, meeting at 7pm.
There’s no shortage of line options available to fly anglers these days, which is great. But the challenge of trying to wade through these variations and understand how they apply to different angling situations means many folks just leave it to the fly shop to make a recommendation. That’s fine, at first.
But when you’re ready to begin exploring different species, throwing different flies, and encountering more challenging situations, choosing the right line for the job will make your day on the water much more enjoyable…and likely more successful! Whether you’re ready to add a new line to your quiver, or simply wanting to make sense of the overwhelming number of line options currently available, this presentation is for you.

CASTING MATTERS: Minding Your Loop - Virtual Presentation
2024-05-08 19:00 - 20:30 | Online, United States
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If you ask most fly anglers what the fly rod is for, they’d likely say to cast the fly, or perhaps the more experienced would tell you it’s to cast the line. That answer is close. But to be more specific, the proper movement of a fly rod by an angler is to create a loop of fly line, either forward or back, extending from the rod tip. It’s this loop, then, that does the work of delivering the fly to the target.
Once you learn the steps necessary to form and control the size of that loop, your ability to place flies where and in the manner you wish expands exponentially. In this presentation, FFI CI Jim Richards will cover the fundamentals of loop formation, use cases for different loops, and the skills necessary to control loop shape and trajectory.
Presenter: Jim Richards, FFI CI
Jim is a Fly Fishers International Certified Casting Instructor and is an officer and member of the Board of Directors for the Fly Fishers International Texas Council. Additionally, Jim is a 15 plus year member of the Texas Fly Fishers, where he has served as an officer and member of the Board of Directors, is a member of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and is a member of Trout Unlimited (Guadalupe River Chapter). In addition to fly fishing experience from coast-to-coast in the United States, for multiple freshwater species such as trout, small and largemouth bass and Arctic grayling, along with saltwater species including redfish, trout, bonefish, snook and tarpon, Jim has also fished the waters of Belize, Canada and the United Kingdom. Jim has served as a volunteer instructor for The Mayfly Project – a fly fishing-based organization created for the benefit of foster children and enjoys fly fishing from his SUP and kayak as a member of the Texas based Paddling Anglers in Canoes and Kayaks.
This event is free and brought to you by the Texas Council of Fly Fishers International.
Looking for more educational resources and/or fly-fishy-folks? Click here to find a club in your neighborhood: Texas Fly Fishing Clubs
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Topic: CASTING MATTERS: Minding Your Loop
Time: May 8, 2024 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
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"TRY THE FLY" Fly Fishing Retreat- Adirondack Edition - Great Camp Sagamore
2024-05-30 - 2024-06-02 | Great Camp Sagamore, 1105 Sagamore Road, Raquette Lake, NY, 13436, United States
Spend the weekend learning the basics of fly casting and fishing while immersed in the beauty of the Adirondacks. You’ll learn about equipment, casting, flies and fishing techniques. In addition, the retreat includes angling opportunities to target wild, native Brook Trout on the fly. This means you’ll come away with the information and skills necessary to strike out on your own fly-fishing journey. You’ll also have ample free time to explore. Take a walk, sit by the fire, fly fish, or paddle a canoe or kayak around Sagamore Lake. Embrace the opportunity to connect more deeply with the natural world of which you are part.

CASTING MATTERS: The Building Blocks of Accurate Fly Casting
2024-06-12 07:00 - 20:30 | Online, United States
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Description to come…
Presenter: Bill Campbell, FFI Certified Casting Instructor
Bill grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore, MD where he learned to fly fish when he was eleven years old. The area’s local farm ponds and its tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay proved to be excellent fishing classrooms for him. During his teenage years, his passion for fly fishing grew by regularly reading Lefty Kreh’s “Maryland Outdoors” article, which was published weekly in The Baltimore Sun.
Throughout his fly-fishing journey, Bill has had the good fortune to fly fish from New Zealand to Maryland and many places in between. Today, he fishes mostly on Lake Texoma and in the lakes and rivers of East Tennessee. His favorite place to fish is on the banks of Lake Texoma chasing smallmouth bass on topwater with his British Lab, Charleigh by his side. He divides his time between his residences in Lewisville, TX and Monteagle, TN.
This event is free and brought to you by the Texas Council of Fly Fishers International.
Looking for more educational resources and/or fly-fishy-folks? Click here to find a club in your neighborhood: Texas Fly Fishing Clubs
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Topic: CASTING MATTERS: The Building Blocks of Accurate Fly Casting
Time: Jun 12, 2024 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
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