Presenters

The Classic’s seminars, workshops, clinics, and roundtables will feature some of the region and nation’s top fly anglers, biologists, and other knowledgeable experts.  Check the Schedule and Workshop pages for dates and times of presentations and workshops.

Here is the list of speakers and instructors, with their bios (to be updated routinely): 

Speakers / Instructors List

Ben Roussel Ben is a member of the Red Stick Fly Fishers and a board member of the Gulf Coast Council. He is a longtime fly fisher and self-professed fish nerd, based in Baton Rouge, who enjoys targeting many different species on the fly, but especially, sunfish, bass, coldwater trout, and redfish. He runs the often neglected blog site, Mountains to Marsh, which documents some of his fishing and other outdoor pursuits, but also aims to provide useful information on targeting specific species of bass, trout, and sunfish.
Catch Cormier In 1983, Catch ascended from successful bass tournament angler to the Universal Enlightenment of Fly Fishing. In 1988, he had his first kayak fishing experience and was hooked for life on that too. He’s written articles on kayak fishing, was kayak fishing field reporter for Don Dubuc Outdoors Radio show, and now competes in kayak bass tournaments. In 1996, he became an FFI Certified Casting Instructor and teaches beginning classes to this day. He was fly fishing columnist for Louisiana Sportsman magazine for 20 years. He has served on the CCA Louisiana board, the Louisiana Nature Conservancy board, and is a past president of the Louisiana Photographic Society, Red Stick Fly Fishers, Kisatchie Fly Fishers, and Cenla Kayak Anglers. He served two stints on the FFI Southeastern Council board until helping to co-found the FFI Gulf Coast Council in 2006 and serving as its first president. In 2018, he returned to the GCC board serving as Conservation Director. He loves innovation - whether it's fishing techniques, creating new flies, or building and designing fly rods. His flies have been featured in several books, including Gary Borger’s “Long Flies”. When not fishing, he enjoys sports and hiking with his wife and other members of the Louisiana Hiking Club.
Chip Smith Capt. Chip is owner of “By Land & By Sea Charters” chasing fish in shallow water in Northwest Florida and beyond. Established in 2015, Chip took over from his father’s business pushing the flats. He fishes year round for a variety of species but with the main focus on May-August for tarpon. He also ties flies that attract these big fish to eat.
Danielle Davidson Danielle grew up along the Florida Gulf Coast saltwater fishing with her family and has spent most of that time on the Pensacola and Apalachicola Bay systems. Her passion lies with inshore fishing. She has spent most of the past five years with a fly rod in hand, which has allowed her to fall in love with the sport all over again. Tripletail, redfish and tarpon are some of her favorite species to chase. She is an educator by profession and enjoys sharing her passion for fishing and love of the outdoors with the next generation. She has served on the Gulf Coast Council board as Women Connect Director, where she initiated the popular “Bugs & Bikes” event. In 2022, she was recognized by the GCC as “Fly Fisher of the Year” for her contributions to helping youth learn about our sport, and her efforts for Women Connect. Currently, she guides for a variety of species around the Appalachicola area. She supports and leads local and national fly fishing organizations, is a steward of responsible angling and fly fishing education, and is one of the leading female voices in the rapidly growing community of fly anglers
Dianne Riley Dianne is from Birmingham, Alabama and is Program Coordinator for Southeast Casting for Recovery organization since 2019. She has presented to groups including the New Orleans Fly Fishing Club. Her presentation will be about Southeast CFR (LA/MS/AL), dedicated for women who have had breast cancer to attend a free weekend to learn how to fly fish, be outdoors, be with like minded women who understand their cancer journey.
Dino Frangos A native of Wyoming, Dino is a practicing urologist in Mobile, Alabama. He qualified as an Master Certified Instructor (MCI) in 2013, and in 2021, as a Level 1 Examiner in the FFI Casting Instructor Program. He has contributed articles on casting to The Loop (newsletter of the FFI Casting Program). He enjoys fishing out west as well as his home Gulf Coast for reds and other salty species. He will be available for casting coaching and casting programs during the Classic.
Ed Lash I’m 65 and grew up in the Midwest. At that time, the natural progression for a fisherman was to become a fly fisherman as the pinnacle. Homer Circle, Ted Trueblood, etc were examples. I started tying deer hair flies for myself and my teachers when I was in 7th grade… so it’s been a while. Things are really different now. Materials are greatly advanced, both fur and feathers. No more waiting 6 weeks to get a partial order from Herters. The “new” flies are gorgeous, perform well, and seem to float indefinitely. Weirdly enough, I’m not convinced they catch fish better. I’ve tied flies in a lot of different places and meetings since retiring 9 years ago. So I guess I’m qualified to tie in about any gathering that is deer hair or natural materials appropriate.
Ethan Igleheart While I'm relatively new to fly fishing, I started doing custom woodworking in the mid-90s and worked for a local Chrleston, SC company til 2006. After a relocation took me to Arkansas (13), I started fly fishing in the fall of 2014 and was immediately hooked. In 2018 I decided to put my love for fly fishing and woodworking together and start Stonefly Nets.
Flip Siragusa As a youngster in the 1960's, I fly fished in ponds along the Mississippi River. My Dad had an old Wright and McGill fiberglass rod that was about as limber as a wet noodle. We'd take wine bottle corks, chicken and quail feathers, sewing thread and model paints and make our own small popping bugs and catch 100's of small bream with the occasional keeper. I look back in amazement at the equipment I started with compared to what it is available today. During my 30 year career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I developed a renewed interest in the sport of fly fishing. I learned fairly quickly to tie my own flies and even make my own rods. I found it much more fulfilling to catch fish on something I made myself. As for me, I'm perfectly satisfied being in the marsh all day chasing redfish in skinny water, placing a well made fly in front of them and watching with exhilaration as a fish charges it.
Fred Hannie Fred is from Lake Charles, LA, and owns and operates a dental laboratory, creating dental prosthetics that mimic human anatomy. The hand to eye coordination required to create believable prosthetics has been useful when applied to his favorite passions: fly tying and artwork. Fred ties imitative flies that closely resemble their living counterparts. He has won numerous fly tying contests and many “Fly Tier of the Year” awards. Fred’s flies have also caught the eye of Hollywood, where his creations have been used as props on television and film sets. Fred is a life member of the Fly Fishers International and currently serves as Vice President of the Gulf Coast Council and Fly Tying Director. Along with writing magazine articles, Fred has just published his second book on fly tying—Uncommon Flies (2021). This book follows his first publication, Fly Tying with Monofilament (2015).
Jerry Coviello An accomplished fly tier, and a FFI Buz Buszek Fly Tying Memorial Award Recipient, Jerry is pasted Fly Fishers International Fly Tying Group Chairperson, He is a columnist for Fly Tyer Magazine and recognized by Fly Tyer Magazine as a Master Fly Tying Instructor. He serves as the President and newsletter editor for Delaware Valley Fly Fishers. He creates fly tying learning documents for the FFI Learning Center and develops Fly Tying Workshops for members to learn how to tie flies. He has a YouTube Channel “Jerry’s Fly Tying Tips” that has over 100 fly tying videos to teach how to tie flies
Mona Brewer Mona lives in the Florida Keys, but during summers guides in her adopted state of Maine. A former executive, she belongs to the Bonefish Bonne Society, named after the woman who could outcast and outfish most of the legendary saltwater men like Ted Williams. An FFI Certified Casting Instructor, she has taught at various FFI and other events in USA and Canada, as well as Casting For Recovery, and doing private lessons for all ages. She is also a member of the FFI Florida Council.
Patty Lueken Patty Lueken lives in Mountain Home, AR, and is a founding member and chair of FFI Women Connect. She also serves on the FFI Board of Directors. In 2021, she headed up the FFI's first-ever "Virtual Expo" that allowed members and other fly anglers across the globe to share in fly tying, casting, education, conservation and other shared interests. That same year, she was awarded the prestigious "Fly Fisher of the Year" award by FFI for unusual devotion and outstanding contributions to the organization. Patty loves to fish and has fly fished and tied flies for over 20 years.
Peter Jordan I am an owner of the Lost Angler Fly Shop in Daphne, AL. I have been an avid fly angler for most of my life all over the state of Alabama and the Northern Gulf Coast. I am lucky enough to have been able to share my love of fly fishing, fly tying, and fly casting here at the shop and on the Lost Angler channel on YouTube.
Richard Montgomery Richard is a Certified Casting Instructor since 2022, and a Saltwater Fly Fishing guide in the Pensacola area for 5 years. A life long fisherman/resident of Pensacola area, he's been fly fishing for more than 25 years. Richard will be assisting with casting coaching and instructing both days of the Classic.
Susan Brooks A resident of Starkville, MS, Susan is South Region Program Manager for Casting for Recovery, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to national support and fly fishing educational programs for women who have or have had breast cancer. The women are provided retreats where there is support by a medical professional, a qualified counselor, and fly fishing instructors. In addition to her work with CFR, Susan is an excellent fly tier whose flies are sold on Etsy under FishWithDamselflies.
Tom Logan Tom H. Logan is a retired certified wildlife biologist from Tallahassee, Florida who specialized for more than 47 professional years in the research, recovery and management of threatened and endangered wildlife species. He enjoys tying classic trout patterns and fishing them for southern bream and bass in his home waters, as well as for trout in the Smoky Mountains, Sierras and other streams of the western United States. He also ties Atlantic salmon flies, but has a special interest in tying historic and modern soft-hackles and other wet patterns. Tom teaches fly tying classes in Tallahassee, has taught tying workshops at events of Fly Fishers International (FFI) and demonstrates fly tying at several FFI Council events each year. He also has presented programs on the Laws Pertaining to the Possession and Transportation of Natural Fly Tying Materials. The Southeast Council of the FFI awarded him as the “2004 Tyer of the Year”, and he received the “Silver King Award” from the FFI in September 2013 and the “Conservation Award” in 2015. He was presented the “FFI Award of Distinction for Leadership & Service” by the FFI Board of Directors in 2021. Tom is a life member of the FFI and an FFI Certified Casting Instructor. He served as Chairman of the FFI Board of Directors from August 2016 to July 2020 and Chairman of the FFI Fly Tying Group Board of Governors. Tom currently serves as Board Chairman Emeritus, Senior Advisor for Conservation to the Board, Chairman of the Board Conservation Committee and Vice President of Conservation for the Florida Council of the FFI. Tom teaches fly casting and tying and writes articles on the Biology of Fly Selection.
Tony Cox Born and raised flyfishing on the Tennessee River, and a licensed USCG captain in North Alabama since 2005. High School teacher and baseball coach since 1989. I offer wading and float trips for smallmouth bass on the free flowing tributaries of the Tennessee River, as well as jonboat trips to the tailraces of Wilson and Wheeler dams, and excursions on Pickwick, Wilson, and Wheeler Lakes.