Coming off a successful second year, The Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) is partnering with Fort Worth’s urban angling community to deliver TRWD Flyfest. The festival will be a family friendly day of fly-fishing, food, wine and craft beer in and along the rippling waters of the Clear Fork of the Trinity River with a backdrop of downtown.
To create an optimal angling experience, TRWD will release 1,200 pounds of rainbow trout and nearly 3,000 Texas native fish in the festival location — so whether you are an experienced angler or have never touched a fly rod, this fun day will have something to hook everyone in the whole family.
The festival will include presentations from top speakers including keynote speaker, Frank Smethurst from Telluride, Colorado. They will cover a diverse range of topics including an introduction to fly-fishing, fly-fishing destinations, fishing on the Trinity and more. Fly-tying lessons will be available throughout the day and will cover a wide array of types of flies from beginner friendly patterns to advance. Fly-fishing experts will host numerous demonstrations including beginning casting, a women’s casting class and how to cast big flies.
The main event is the Big Trout Contest, where anglers compete to catch the biggest trout or the most fish in the time allotted. Open fishing for fly and bait fishing will also be welcomed in designated areas.
Live music from Big Mike and Zach Nytomt will play on the Fort Worth Star Telegram Stage, and a host of children’s activities including a mini stocked tank for fishing. New this year, Chef Marcus Paslay of Piatello Italian Kitchen and Clay Pigeon restaurants will be joining Whole Foods in providing cooking demonstrations throughout the day. Local wineries will be on site this year with wine tastings and wine by the glass. Food, craft beer and shopping vendors will make it fun for everyone!
“The Trinity River in Fort Worth proves that you can have great fishing in an urban area,” said professional angler Frank Smethurst. “The Trinity has really interesting fishing with clear water and impressive species diversity. The Tarrant Regional Water District throws a great event.”
TRWD Flyfest sponsors include R4 Foundation, Whole Foods Market, Backwoods Fort Worth, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Fort Worth Fly Fishers, Texas Council IFFF, Acme Brick, Piatello Italian Kitchen and Clay Pigeon Food & Drink.
The Tarrant Regional Water District provides raw water to more than 1.8 million people in 11 North Texas counties, making it one of the largest water suppliers in Texas. It also manages a 27-mile floodway system along the Trinity River in Fort Worth, and provides numerous recreational opportunities for the many communities within its service area such as the 72-mile Trinity Trails system in Fort Worth, Eagle Mountain Park in northwest Tarrant County and 2,200 acres of wetlands at Richland-Chambers Reservoir.
For more information on TRWD Flyfest visit www.trwdflyfest.com
