2016 Conclave – a success!

Web editor Conclave, Events

Brian Beaudoin
Conclave Chair

2016-conclave1New Mexico Trout’s Annual Conclave was held on 6 February and was a great success with over 200 attendees, including many women fly fishers. Our three exceptional guests, Skip Morris, Van Beacham and Karen Denison, provided entertaining and educational presentations about local and regional waters, fishing techniques, and fly patterns.
Skip Morris, a well-known author of eighteen fly-fishing and fly-tying books, gave informative tips for beginning and seasoned fly fishers with three presentations on fishing with dry flies / emergers, with nymphs, and in creeks. His presentations featured Skip’s beautiful photography and that of his wife, Carol Ann Morris, who was also on hand showcasing her watercolor and ink drawings of our favorite fish food insects.

2016-conclave2Van Beacham has been guiding in New Mexico, southern Colorado and southwest Wyoming since 1980 and provided in-depth descriptions of local waters and how to fish them. His tips will surely help us fish those secluded waters, and succeed in catching the elusive wild trout found on these streams.
Karen Denison, an avid fly fisher and co-author of a regional fly tying book, gave an excellent presentation on fly fishing for women, including gear, tackle, clothing and casting techniques that will help women be more effective fly fishers. Karen also provided a hands-on casting clinic for eight ladies, with special emphasis on efficient casts for New Mexico waters.

As a complement to our featured presentations, Lance Leach and Hank Westrich gave an excellent explanatory show-and-tell on bamboo fly rod building.

2016-conclave3This event has always been enjoyed by members as a chance to hear from renowned fly fishers, guides and fly tyers. It is also a great time for meeting and greeting fellow members, sharing stories and adventures. This year, lunch was catered by Jason’s Deli and offered excellent vegetarian and nonvegetarian entrees, salads, vegetables, rolls and deserts.

A highlight for many attendees was the raffle, a chance to win fabulous prizes for the cost of a single ticket!

This year’s donations from our sponsors and vendors were highly sought after, and included fly rods, reels, waders, boots, guided fishing trips, antique fishing equipment, and handmade quilts. If you get a chance, please thank our sponsors for their generous support. Without their generosity New Mexico Trout would surely not be able to put on the programs that it does year after year.

Business Donors:

Angler’s Book Supply
Charlie’s Sporting Goods
Chota Outdoor Gear
Cindy’s Creations
Creek Company
Custom Fly Rod Crafters
Europa International
Fagan’s Guided Fly Fishing
Far Banks Enterprises
Jim Teeny
Land Of Enchantment Guides
Los Pinos Fly & Tackle
Mageyes Inc.
Mountain States Guides
Saltery Lake Lodge
Scott  Fly Rod Company
Simms Fishing Products
Soaring Eagle Lodge
Solitary Angler
Sportsman’s Warehouse
St. Croix Rod
Winston Rod Company

Individual Donors:

Brian Beaudoin
Fred & Trish Breslin
Jerry Burton
Paul Butler
Bob Day
Mark Del Frate
Ron Hildreth
Don Hurst
Mark Kalin
Susan Leach
Doc Minter
Dave Patton
Roy Richardson
Dave Sanchez
Warren Slade
Hank Westrich

Thanks to all the folks who put a lot of time and effort into making the 2016 Conclave a reality. Among these are Pat Mileshosky, Brian Beaudoin, Lance Leach, Hank Westrich, Mike Maes, Lee Widgren, Bob Widgren, Ron Loehman, Jerry Burton, Mark Kalin, Bob Day, Lorenzo Maldonado,Richard Sommerville and many others.

2016 Conclave

Web editor

poster image

Join us for the annual New Mexico Trout Conclave.

  • Date: Saturday, February 6, 2016
  • Time: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
  • Location: Sandia Prep Russell Student Center and Performing Arts Theater
    532 Osuna Road NE, Albuquerque

Summary

Activities include

Each speaker will give a series of talks throughout the day. Ms. Denison’s presentations will focus on topics of particular interest to women. The Conclave will also include clinics on beginning and advanced fly-casting, fishing knots, aquatic insect entomology, and a raffle of donated fly fishing gear and other items.

The cost of admission this year is $25 for members and $35 for nonmembers. Children 13 and under will be admitted free, but please fill out the ticket form to ensure that we have enough lunches.

Lunches are included for attendees who purchase tickets by 10am on February 5.

Details

Schedule

8:30–9:00 Registration
9:00–9:30 Introductions, announcements, reports & awards
9:30–10:30 Skip Morris, Make Nymph Fishing Work and
Van Beacham, Northern NM /Southern CO
10:45–11:45 Skip Morris, Make Dry Fly & Emerger Fishing Work and
Van Beacham, Wyoming
11:45–1:00 Lunch
1:00–2:00 Skip Morris, Make Dry Fly & Emerger Fishing Work and
Karen Denison, Fly Fishing for Women
2:15–3:15 Skip Morris, Make Nymph Fishing Work and
Van Beacham, Northern NM /Southern CO and
Women’s casting
3:30–4:00 Skip Morris, Creeks
4:00–5:00 Raffle drawing
All day Fly-tying, knot-tying and bamboo rod building demonstration; raffle tickets; casting instruction (weather permitting)

Featured speakers

Skip Morris

This year we will be featuring noted author and fly tyer Skip Morris. Skip Morris is among the most prolific fly-fishing and fly-tying authors alive—his name is known to anglers around the world.

He has written eighteen books on fly fishing and tying, including the established standard beginning fly tier’s volume Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple, and The Art of Tying the Bass Fly, Morris & Chan on Fly Fishing Trout Lakes (with lake-fishing guru Brian Chan), Concise Handbook of Fly Tying, and Fly Fisher’s Guide to Western River Hatches.

Skip has published over 250 articles on fly fishing and tying in magazines from Fly Fisherman to American Angler. For three years he was among the hosts of the Fly-Fish Television Magazine show.

Skip will present on Making Nymph Fishing Work, Making Dry Fly and Emerger Fishing Work and a fun and informative session on Creeks.

Skip will also be here on Sunday the 7th for a fly tying seminar from 11 AM to 3 PM. This special event will be limited to the first 20 paid respondents at a cost of $30.00 to include lunch. This will be a bring your own tools and materials event. We will provide a list of suggested material before the event. Come out and learn some new patterns and techniques before the big game Sunday evening. Please Contact Brian Beaudoin to reserve your spot for Sunday’s fly tying seminar by email or 505-281-0092.

Van Beacham

Van is a fourth generation New Mexican born in Santa Fe in 1958. His great-grandfather William Beacham started the “fly fishing in New Mexico” family tradition when he opened the first hardware and fishing tackle shop in Santa Fe in the 1908. Van was the founder and owner/operator of Los Rios Anglers Fly Shop and Guide Service in Taos from 1983 to 1996 and now owns The Solitary Angler.

He’s been guiding since 1980 and currently has operations in New Mexico, southern Colorado and southwest Wyoming. Van has written extensively about flyfishing and was a co-author of the book Fly Fishing In Northern NM, edited by Craig Martin and the Fly Fisher’s Guide to New Mexico. He regularly gives lectures, clinics, and slide presentations for flyfishing clubs throughout the country. He also operates an annual flyfishing guide school in Taos, where he resides.

Van will be providing informative sessions on Northern NM/Southern CO and Wyoming.

Karen Denison

Karen Denison is a 30-year resident of Santa Fe, a former biologist turned guide for the area she loves. Among her other activities, she is an avid fly fisher, co-author of a regional fly tying book, Fly Patterns of Northern New Mexico, an instructor at the local community college in map-reading and hand-held GPS use, and an active volunteer for a number of area non-profits. She has been guiding visitors in the northern New Mexico outdoors since 1997. Karen is a former guide for High Desert Anglers as well as the Reel Life in Santa Fe.

Karen is providing a special presentation and casting clinic (weather permitting) for the conclave this year that will focus on women and flyfishing. She will cover things such as technical clothing for the ladies to the differences that are specific to women. For all you ladies out there that are interested to learn about flyfishing or advance your skills from an extremely knowledgeable person that can give you a woman’s take on the sport now is your chance! Guys, bring your spouses, significant others, daughters or friends that have always had an interest out to learn more.

Purchase tickets

Ticket cost

Members – $25 for members and
Nonmembers – $35 for nonmembers.
Children 12 and under – free, but please fill out the ticket form

You can purchase tickets in the following ways

  • Online using PayPal or a credit card. You will receive a confirmatory ticket by return email.
  • Starting January 12 – at Los Pinos Fly Shop, 4360 Cutler Ave NE or Charlie’s Sporting Goods, 8908 Menaul NE
  • At the January 12 general meeting
  • At the door (although lunch will not be included)