The Virginia Fly Fishing Festival is the largest event of its kind in the country and attracts fly anglers from across the United States and the Mid-Atlantic in particular. Nowhere else can anglers learn about the quiet sport in such a beginner-friendly environment. Our unique event combines fine wine tasting, microbrewery beer, and everything you ever wanted to know about fly fishing but were afraid to ask.

Bring your family, relax, take a casting class, and pick up a new sport that the entire family can enjoy. Several new classes for beginners for both adults and children have been added. We’ve also added a bourbon tasting class for adults.

The festival — the largest event of its kind in the country, drawing fly anglers from as far away as New York and Georgia — appeals to anglers of all ages and stages.

Festival attendees listen to lectures from various experts and practice hands-on skills at the two-day, family-friendly event. Several wineries from throughout the Old Dominion provide free wine tastings for those 21 and older.

The festival will be held regardless of the weather. All vendors are under roof and contained within the Farm Bureau Building at Meadow Event Park located approximately 2 miles east of Kings Dominion.

Schedule of Events

January 14, 2023

Specialty Instruction Lecture Area
9:30-10:50am: Jim Bensinger - Beginner Fly Tying [FEE]
11-12:30pm: Ian & Charity Rutter - Fish Like a Predator & Catch More Fish [FEE]
1-2:30pm: George Daniel - Fishing Streamers Effectively [FEE]
3-4:30pm: Tom Rosenbauer - Reading the Water [FEE]

Rapidan River Lecture Area (Beyond the Cast Women's Fly Fishing Symposium)
7:30-7:55am: Registration
8-8:50am: Vatalaro-Galvin - Getting Your Fly Fishing Mojo On
9-9:50am: Charity Rutter - Mountain Trout Tactics
10-10:50am: Kim Ranalla - All About Waders & Wading Safely
11-11:50am: Brazel/Nevel - Interacting with Wildlife
12-12:50pm: Smith/Holt/Bastian - Industry Leaders Panel Discussion and Lunch
1-1:50pm: Rachel Bernard - Being a Savvy Shopper

Rapidan River Lecture Area
2-2:50pm: Kaitlin Groundwater - Fly Fishing 101: Understanding the Basics
3:05-4:00pm: Alex Wise - Taking on Virginia's Smith River Browns

South River Lecture Area
10-10:50am: Jerry Yates - Fishing Tennessee's South Holston River
11-11:50am: Colby Trow - Fly Fishing the Shenandoah Valley
12-12:50pm: Tim O'Neil - Chasing Carp
1-1:50pm: Wayne McGee - Discovering Alaska's Fabled Alagnak River
2-2:50pm: Mike Heck - Learning to Fish Spring Creeks the Easy Way
3-3:50pm: Matt Reilly - Fly Fishing SW Virginia and NE Tennessee

James River Lecture Area
10-10:50am: George Daniel - Trout Tactics Top to Bottom
11-11:50am: Robert Thomas - Taking on Canada's Pike, Grayling, & Arctic Char
12-12:50pm: Mike Williams - All About Peacock Bass
1-1:50pm: Captain Pete Scafaru - Taking on Louisiana Redfish
2-2:50pm: Beau Beasley - Who Owns the River? What Is & Isn't Public Water
3-4pm: Ian & Charity Rutter - Trout Fishing in the Smoky Mountain National Park

Shenandoah River Lecture Area
9:30-10:50am: Tom Rosenbauer - Hatch Strategies: Beyond Choosing a Fly [FEE]
11-11:50am: Matt Miles - Fly Fishing for Virginia Smallies
12-12:50pm: Captain Pete Scafaru - Taking on Louisiana Redfish
1-1:50pm: Tom Rosenbauer - Taking Your Trout Fishing to the Next Level
2-2:50pm: Tim Urtiaga - Landing Pike on the Fly
3-3:50pm: George Daniel - Introduction to Euro Nymphing

Paid Casting Classes [FEE; Casting Area A]
9:30-11:00am: Wanda Taylor - Beginner Casting Instruction
11:15-12:45pm: Mac Brown - Advanced Nymph Fishing
1-2:30pm: Wanda Taylor - Beginner Casting Instruction
2:45-4:15pm: Mac Brown - Advanced Casting Instruction

Free Casting Classes
9:30-10:30am: Kiki Galvin - Women-Only Casting Class
–meets at Casting for Recovery Booth; then moves to Casting Area A
11-3pm: Open Casting
3-4pm: Kiki Galvin - Co-Ed Casting Class
–meets at Casting for Recovery Booth; then moves to Casting Area A

Casting Pond 1
9:30-10:15am: Ian Rutter - Casting Demo
12:30-1pm: Kent Edmonds - Casting Demo
3:30-4:15pm: Wanda Taylor - Casting Demo

Casting Pond 2
11:15-12pm: Wanda Taylor - Casting Demo
2:30-3:15pm: Kent Edmonds - Casting Demo

Featured Fly Tyers
10-11am: Kent Edmonds - Stealth Bomber
11-12pm: Allen Rupp - Whitlock's NearNuff Crayfish
12-1pm: Braden Miller - Creative Tying
2-3pm: Jim Bensinger - Tying Wet Flies
3-4pm: Tim O'Neil - Carp Patterns

January 15, 2023

Specialty Instruction Lecture Area
8-8:45am: Eric Camfield - Chapel Services (vendors/instructors only)
9:30-10:50am: Jim Bensinger - Beginner Fly Tying 101 [FEE]
11-12:30pm: Tom Rosenbauer - Hatch Strategies: Beyond Choosing a Fly [FEE]
1-2:30pm: George Daniel - Fishing Streamers Effectively [FEE]
2:35-4:30pm: Allen Rupp - Saltwater Fly Tying Techniques: Intermed-Adv [FEE]

Rapidan River Lecture Area (Beyond the Cast Women's Fly Fishing Symposium)
8:30-8:50am: Registration - Kiki Galvin
9-9:50am: Tom Rosenbauer - Ask an Expert Anything
10-10:50am: Cilla Johnson - All About Fishing From a Kayak
11-11:50am: John Mozingo - Take Charge of Your Personal Outdoor Safety
12-12:50pm: Kiki Galvin - Survey & Follow Up Support

Rapidan River Lecture Area
1-1:50pm: Captain Pete Scafaru - Taking on Louisiana Redfish
2-2:50pm: Simone Valencia - Stripers, Shad, and More on Virginia's James River
3:05-4pm: Matt Reilly - Fly Fishing SW Virginia and NE Tennessee

South River Lecture Area
10-10:50am: Tim Urtiaga - Landing Pike on the Fly
11-11:50am: Kaitlin Groundwater - Fly Fishing 101: Understanding the Basics
12-12:50pm: Robert Thomas - Taking on Canada's Pike, Grayling, & Arctic Char
1-1:50pm: Tim O'Neil - Chasing Carp
2-2:50pm: Alex Wise - Taking on Virginia's Smith River Browns
3-3:50pm: George Daniel - Introduction to Euro Nymphing

James River Lecture Area
9:30-10:50am: Ian & Charity Rutter - Fish Like a Predator & Catch More Fish [FEE]
11-11:50am: Purdy/Morgan - Custom Bamboo Rod Building101
12-12:50pm: Jerry Yates - Fishing Tennessee's South Holston River
1-1:50pm: Gary Edwards - New York's Salmon River: Salmon and Steelhead
2-2:50pm: Tom Rosenbauer - Take Your Trout Fishing to the Next Level
3-3:50pm: Ian & Charity Rutter - Trout Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains NP

Shenandoah River Lecture Area
10-10:50am: George Daniel - Trout Tactics Top to Bottom
11-11:50am: Wayne McGee - Discovering Alaska's Fabled Alagnak River
12-12:50pm: Simone Valencia - Stripers, Shad, and More on Virginia's James River
1-1:50pm: Colby Trow - Fly Fishing the Shenandoah Valley
2-2:50pm: Mike Williams - All About Peacock Bass
3-3:50pm: Matt Miles - Fly Fishing for Virginia Smallies

Paid Casting Classes [FEE; Casting Area B]
9:30-11am: Wanda Taylor - Beginner Casting Instruction
11:15-12:45pm: Mac Brown - Advanced Nymph Fishing
1-2:30pm: Wanda Taylor - Beginner Casting Instruction
2:45-4:15pm: Mac Brown - Advanced Casting Instruction

Free Casting Classes
9:30-10:30am: Kiki Galvin - Women-Only Casting Class
–meets at Casting for Recovery Booth; then moves to Casting Area A
11-3pm: Open Casting Area
3-4pm: Kiki Galvin - Co-Ed Casting Class
–meets at Casting for Recovery Booth; then moves to Casting Area A

Casting Pond 1
9:30-10:15am: Mac Brown - Casting Demo
12:30-1pm: Kent Edmonds - Casting Demo
3:30-4:15pm: Mike Williams - Casting Demo

Casting Pond 2
11:15-12pm: Wanda Taylor - Casting Demo
3-3:30pm: Kent Edmonds - Casting Demo

Featured Fly Tyers
11-12pm: Kent Edmonds - Stealth Bomber
12-1pm: Allen Rupp - Whitlock's NearNuff Sculpin
1-2pm: Tim O'Neil - Tying Carp Flies
2-3pm: Jim Bensinger - Tying with Dubbing
3-4pm: Braden Miller - Creative Tying

Date: January 14-15, 2023

Time: 9:00am to 5:00pm

Location:
Meadows Event Park,
13191 Dawn Boulevard,
Doswell, VA 23047.

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