Built in support of those who help the community, GoodFly was created in June of 2020 by Stephen Weaver, Alan King and George “Rusty” Dunn to help first responders relieve work induced stress and anxiety. The group primarily focuses on providing one-day fly casting workshops, teaching a stress relieving skill to improve emotional health.
“We realized that we were at the point in our lives where we’d like to give something back,” Alan says. “We knew there were a lot of people in our society who live with prolonged stress and anxiety and we could bring the relaxing art of fly fishing to them. We’ve found the repetitive motion that it takes to cast a fly and the concentration that it takes to form a loop, is all encompassing — it takes 100% of your mental and physical capability, you don’t have time to think about other things and that in itself is calming and relaxing. Plus, of course, fly fishing will take you to beautiful places.”
When groups are invited to partake in workshop days, they are met by professional fly fishing instructors who educate on the background and strategies of fly fishing and provide hands-on casting experience all the while enjoying a day in nature.
“When groups come in, they get a half day of instruction interspersed with classes about the history behind fly fishing, equipment and entomology. We teach them three different casts out on the lawn before we head to the lake for the afternoon,” Alan says. “Millican Reserve Conservancy has been a great partner locally and we’ve had great luck with people catching fish — many of them for the first time — on Lake Prescott.”
While the groups are primarily focused on first responders to include police, firefighters and military, Alan says the group also has workshops for grief groups, hospice teams, hospital personnel, and pastors and counselors.
“GoodFly is here to support anybody in our society who lives with prolonged stress and anxiety, either from an occupation or from life experience,” Alan says. “The participants are encouraged to bring a plus one, someone in their lives who supports them, to share this bonding experience.”
With each workshop being one day, the crew saw a need to create a new organization that focused on the community of fly fishing and Aggieland Fly Fishers was born. The group meets on the third Thursday of the month at the Southwood Community Center and is open to all. Aggieland Fly Fishers invites those interested in fly fishing, tying and conservation to be a part of their community.
“After seeing the positive effects of the one-day workshops, we decided we needed to have an organization that people could flow into if they decided to pick up the hobby,” Alan says. “We started Aggieland Fly Fishers locally and we work with local fly clubs as we expand into other areas around Texas and beyond.”
In support of the non-profit, Aggieland Fly Fishers will host the Second Annual Fly-Fishing Round Up featuring a fishing tournament for all ages, Saturday, September 30 on Lake Prescott in Millican Reserve. The event will also feature a silent auction, free casting and tying instruction and expert presentations on a variety of topics from Jeff Ferguson, Bruce Sublet, Chris Johnson, Capt. Stacy Lynn, Dani Rose and a keynote from Robert McConnell.
“The cost that day is limited to $10 per car so it is an inexpensive day where families can come out and look around and enjoy the outdoors with the option to enter the tournament,” Rusty says. “There will be a number of notable speakers in town and we’ve recruited some well-known people around the state.”
The event is family-friendly and will have a kids zone, which will include a bounce house and face painting. Food trucks and local vendors will be on site, available for purchases. The event will also feature a ticketed VIP Afterparty from 4 to 9 p.m. featuring live music by Trey Gonzales, Napa Flats Wood Fired Pizza, drinks, games and a live auction.
“It’s going to be a fun atmosphere full of celebration and enjoying each other’s company,” Alan says. “We will have an exclusive live auction with high value items and also enjoy a concert from up-and-coming country music artist and Texas A&M student Trey Gonzales.”
The Second Annual Fly-Fishing Round Up will be held at Millican Reserve on Saturday, September 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is open to the public and costs $10 per car for entry. Those interested in participating in the fishing tournament can register online or on-site for $35. All kids 12 and under are free with an adult and prizes will be awarded in various categories. Afterparty tickets are available for $50 per person. For more information or to register, visit goodfly.org or aggielandff.org.
