A (short) History of the Mid-South Fly Fishers

Since the majority of the early members lived in West Memphis the club’s charter is in Arkansas so we’re a member of the Southern Council (AR, KS, western LA, MO, OK and TX) instead of the South Eastern Council (AL, FL, GA, KY, eastern LA, MS, NC, SC, and TN) of the Federation of Fly Fishers.

In May of 1988, the MSFF along with the Arkansas Fly Fishers of Little Rock raised funds to purchase a public access at Cow Shoals on the Red River. Each club raised $2,000 each and the Little Rock Club had a member that donated $1,000 on his own. AGF Foundation matched our donations on a two to one basis to reach the purchase price.

In 1993 Mid-South Fly Fishers published "Home Waters: Guide to Fishing Northern Arkansas, Western Tennessee, and Southern Missouri". 

1994 saw the beginning of a long association with the Ducks Unlimited “Great Outdoors Festival”. The Mid-South Fly Fisher’s has consistently supplied one of the largest groups of volunteers for this event. We are always there in the fishing village, teaching casting, demonstrating fly tying and put on seminars.

Established W.E.T. (Water Education Teams), a water monitoring program that involves high schools located near a selected river or stream. The selected schools collect samples and perform as many as 25 experiments including dissolved oxygen, nutrients, heavy metals, and study aquatic life.

Established the Mid-South Fly Fishers Scholarship Foundation.

In 2003 we participated in the first “Hooked on a Cure” event in Mountain Home, AR to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Reel Divas” Organized by the Women of MSFF in 2003 (Women’s Outreach).

 

Awards and Recognition

 

Club Logos, Patches and Newsletter Headers

Past Presidents