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Mid-South Fly Fishers

Education - Conservation - Fellowship

HomeClub History

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


The Mid-South fly fishers was founded on August 31, 1977. The first officers and directors were: C. B. Nance, President; Kent Ingram,Vice President; Bill Martin, Secretary & Information Office; Merritt Hale, Treasurer; Lloyd McCuiston, Ghiliie; and C. E. Bretherick, Roy Gorrlson and Jim Keeton, Board Members.

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


1983

Paul Pettit FFF Southern Council Award of Excellence

1985

Paul Pettit FFF Southern Council President’s Award (Co-Award)

1986

Paul Pettit FFF Southern Council President’s Award (Co-Award)

1987

Peggy Pettit FFF Southern Council Woman of the Year

1987

George Harmeling FFF Southern Council President’s Award

1988

Paul Pettit FFF Southern Council President’s Award (Co-Award)

1988

George Harmeling FFF Southern Council Man of the Year

1988

George Harmeling FFF Southern Council Award of Excellence

1988

MSFF FFF Southern Council Conservation Award (Co-Award)

1990

C. B. Nance FFF Southern Council President’s Award (Co-Award)

1990

George Harmeling FFF Southern Council President’s Award (Co-Award)

1990

George Harmeling FFF Southern Council Award of Excellence

1991

Peggy Pettit FFF Southern Council Woman of the Year

1993

MSFF FFF Southern Council Club of the Year

1994

George Harmeling FFF Southern Council President’s Award (Co-Award)

1995

MSFF FFF Southern Council Club of the Year

1996

Tracey Maler FFF Southern Council Woman of the Year

1996

MSFF FFF McKenzie Cup - A rotating award, given annually to that FFF Club which has made an outstanding contribution on behalf of the FFF.

1996

Jim Cowan FFF Southern Council Tall Tale Teller Award

1997

MSFF FFF Southern Council Club of the Year

1997

Bill Pickens FFF Southern Council Conservation Award

1997

John Visor FFF Southern Council Tall Tale Teller Award

1999

Judy Boston FFF Southern Council Woman of the Year

1999

Bill Pickens FFF Southern Council Conservation Award

2000

MSFF FFF Southern Council Club of the Year

2000

Tracie Maler FFF Woman of the Year

2000

MSFF Stanley LLoyd Conservation Award
A financial grant for an FFF Club working on a current or future project related to fishery conservation enhancement and preservation. Matching funds required and may be on an in-kind basis.

2001

Judy Boston FFF Southern Council Conservation Award

2001

Brittany Truitt FFF Southern Council Junior Fly Tyer of the Year

2004

John Berry FFF Southern Council Tall Tale Teller Award

2004

Roger Maler FFF Southern Council Federator of the Year

2004

Judy Boston Arnold Gingrich Literary Memorial Award
The Memorial Life Membership Award program provides an FFF life membership in the name of an individual who has contributed significantly to fly fishing.

2004

“Home Waters” The Roderick Haig-Brown Award
The award recognizes a fly fishing author whose work embodies the philosophy and spirit of Roderick Haig-Brown, particularly, a respect for the ethics and traditions of fly fishing and an understanding of rivers, the inhabitants and their environments.

2005

Mike Stark FFF Southern Council Tall Tale Teller Award

2005

Tom Burkett FFF Southern Council Federator of the Year

2005

Dan Berry FFF Southern Council Teacher of the Year

2005

Reel Divas FFF Southern Council Women of the Year

2006

Roger Maler FFF Man of the Year

2006

John Berry FFF Charles E. Brooks Memorial Award

2006

MSFF FFF Membership Award of Merit

2006

Knotheads FFF Southern Council Tall Tale Teller Award

2006

Mac Caradine &
Mike Isom
FFF Southern Council Teacher(s) of the Year

2006

Roger Maler FFF Southern Council Man of the Year

2006

Lori Sloas FFF Southern Council Woman of the Year

2006

MSFF FFF Southern Council Club of the Year

2007

Leon Alexander Arkansas Wildlife Federation 2007 Water Conservationist of the Year

2007

Judy Boston FFF Woman of the year

2007

Mac Caradine FFF Lew Jewett Memorial Award

2007

Leslie Allen FFF Southern Council Woman of the Year

2007

Leon Alexander FFF Southern Council Conservationist of the Year

2008

Leon Alexander FFF Southern Council Man of the Year

2009

Chris “Bubba Gravy” Allen FFF Southern Council Tall Tale Teller Award
2015  Mike Marshall  FFI Southern Council Educator of the Year Award
2017 Chris Allen FFI Southern Council Man of the Year Award

 

Club Logos, Patches and Newsletter Headers

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Past Presidents

cb_nance k_ingram p_petit fred_brown b_hughes

C.B. Nance
1977-8

Kent Ingram
1978-9

Paul Petit
1979-80

Fred Brown
1980-1

Burr Hughes
1981-2

b_troughton g_harmeling no_pic cb_nance indie

Ben Troughton
1982-3

George Harmeling
1983-4

Jack Lewis
1984-5

C. B. Nance
1985-6

Indie Cockerham
1986-7

c_orvis w_longo m_pollard j_berry j_cowan

Chuck Orvis
1987-8

Wayne Longo
1988-9

Mike Pollard
1989-90

John Berry
1990-1

Jim Cowan
1991-2

J_bailey mg_stark j_jenkins m_pachis j_berry

Jim Bailey
1992-3

Monte Stark
1993-4

Jennifer Jenkins
1994-5

Michael Pachis
1995-6

John Berry
1996-7

r_maler d_dunn d_dunderdale d_brown r_maler

Roger Maler
President
1997-8

Donald Dunn
1998-9

Denis Dunderdale
1999-2000

Dan Brown
2000-1

Roger Maler
2001-2

m_stark m_caradine d_branson kathy_post m_isom

Mike Stark
2002-3

Mac Caradine
2003-4

Don Branson
2004-5

Kathy Post
2005-6

Mike Isom
2006-7

mikewilhelm t_burkett david_mccray l_allen j_bannister

Mike Wilhelm
2007-8

Tom Burkett
2008-9

David McCray
2009-10

Lesley Allen
2010-11

John Bannister
2011-12

juan c_allen m_moskal Ken  

Juan Kindelan
2012-13

Chris Allen
2013-14

Mike Moskal
2014-15

Ken Swinburne 2015-16