Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) presented the sixth annual TRWD Flyfest Saturday, March 13th in and along the Clear Fork of the Trinity River near the Acme Brick Headquarters. From beginners to people with expert fly-fishing skills, TRWD Flyfest delivered a day full of family-friendly fun for everyone. It was a great way to kick off springtime on the river!
To create the best angling experience, TRWD released 1,800 lbs. of Rainbow Trout in the festival location in addition to the nearly 3,000 native fish that are released annually. The festival provided an area for the Orvis Big Trout Contest as well as designated areas for open fly fishing and open bait fishing. The public is encouraged to go out and fish the Trinity after the stockings and any time of the year to take advantage of this wonderful recreational asset.
Forty teams competed in the Orvis Big Trout Contest for a cash prize and gear donated by Orvis and Fatties on the Fly. The Grand Prize for Most Fish Caught went to Bill and Nate Payeur who pulled in a record-breaking 19 fish. This is the most a team has caught in a singular heat in the 6-year TRWD Flyfest history. Tanner Ingram caught the Biggest Fish at 19.5 inches. In total, contestants netted 106 trout throughout the day.
To complement the river activities, presentations from experts were given in the Acme Brick Building throughout the day. For those that wanted a hands-on experience, casting classes and fly tying lessons were available. Nearly 400 people attended these activities throughout the day.
James Gaines, Executive Chef with Reata Restaurant provided cooking demonstrations throughout the day. His team showed the crowd how to make Red Fish Ceviche with Cilantro and Avocado and how to grill Redfish on the Half Shell with Herb and Garlic Butter.
Besides enjoying the great weather, the festival also included food, wine tastings from local wineries Bull Lion Ranch and Vineyard, Lost Oak Winery and Pemberton Cellars, craft beer, and live music from Deric Merrill. In line with the seafood theme, Arcadia Parish Crawfish was on site serving up mudbugs. Gepetto’s Pizza Truck and Red’s Bar B Que also served the hungry Flyfest crowd. Kids enjoyed the various free outdoor activities.
TRWD Flyfest is made possible thanks to the support of Champion Sponsor Orvis and Supporting Sponsor Backwoods. Special thanks to in-kind sponsors 95.9 The Ranch, 92.1 Hank FM, KDFW Fox 4, 360West, Reata Restaurant, Fort Worth Fly Fishers, Texas Council of Fly Fishers International, The Tradition Clearfork, and Acme Brick. TRWD appreciates the support of the community for recreation on the Trinity River!
Be sure to check out the event recap, contest results and gallery at trwdflyfest.com
TRWD Flyfest is a product of the Tarrant Regional Water District’s Fish-the-Fort program, which is an urban fishing initiative aimed to restore our natural environments, re-establish native species, promote stewardship and conservation, educate the community on environmental quality and enhance fishing opportunities.
