Rendezvous, North Toledo Bend, Texas/Louisiana Border, On The Lake

[josephcsylvia 0]

I agree about the fishing road trip we will see as the time gets closer

[Harold Ray 0]

I can't make any plans until I know the schedule.

 

 

 

Mike,

 

Can you influence your schedule?

[mikechell 0]

No, my company is filling a contract. I go where they send me when they want to send me. During the Spring and Summer, I have much more control when we're doing the Government training. But Fall and Winter, it's all Dealership personnel and I am more at their beck and call.

[Harold Ray 0]

Adam sent me an e-mail and asked me for a little more information as to what the Rendezvous is like. I thought I would post my answer so y'all would have a little more information, too. He asked about a friend of mine in one of the pictures he had seen:

 

 

That is Ron Forman in the tan T-shirt and pants leaning against the rail. The fellow in the chair facing us is Kyle Moppert; he is from Baton Rouge or Shreveport, can't remember which right now (Shreveport I believe). I can't place the other man.

Ron, Kyle, and all the Louisiana men and I met several years ago at either the Southern Conclave or the Sowbug in Mountain Home, Arkansas, and we've been friends now for around 8 to 10 years, while tying at those 2 events nearly every year for a decade (Ron and I).

Ron is from Lake Charles. There are several from that club, Ron, Warren Landry, Fred Hannie, and several others whose names escape me now who come every year. People come from East Texas, Dallas, western Louisiana. This year we had around 55 to 60, not all at one time, but Saturday was a busy day with a packed hall.

All I can tell you is I've gone for several years and loved it every time. You can tie, talk, eat good food, fish if you want, relax, read, whatever you want to do. I've been up at 2:30 am tying with a friend on Friday night before. Warren Landry stayed up all night this year just talking with Walter McLendon. They got started talking Friday night and next thing they knew, Warren said, it was Saturday morning and I was cooking breakfast.

We help out in the kitchen if possible and help clean before we leave. I can't think of a single negative. Bring your tying gear, a sleeping bag or sheets and a blanket, plus what you need for cleaning up in the morning; that's about it. Everyone brings some type of food, bacon, eggs, a cooked dish, cakes or pies. This year I brought 4 pounds of bacon and 3 dozen eggs and cooked them Saturday morning for around 40 hungry men and women. We had other things, too, fresh biscuits, jelly, and I can't remember what else, but everyone was full, happy, talking, and tying. There is a grocery market about 12 miles away where people pick up things as they're coming in.

Some people bring their kayaks or boats. The lake is just down the hill. You have to have a Louisiana license to be legal for fishing.

Just a little more information about what goes on and how we do things.

[bowfin47 0]

We've been throwing this fly tying "party" every year for 28 years...

 

Over the years, many of the faces have changed, but every year, we have a great group of tyers and their families, plenty of great food and marvelous times...

 

Hoping a few of you will be able to join us!

[Harold Ray 0]

Bowfin is the fellow sitting in the rocker smiling.

[add147 0]

Ron is a wonderful fellow. The first time I met him was at the Fly Tying Fishing Expo in New Braunfels, Texas summer of 2013 and then I met again him this spring at the Caddo Lake Conclave in East Texas. Come to find out he and my uncle both are from Lake Charles. I also saw Ron this fall at the Mountain Home Fly Tying Expo. He has killer fly tying bench. I met Fred Hannie at New Braunfels and he ties some amazing realistic looking flies. They look like the real deal bug wise. I am marking my calendar to go to this next fall it definitely sounds like a fun deal to attend!

[bowfin47 0]

The third person in the photo is Don Lawler, an excellent tyer out of Shreveport, LA.. and a good guy...

 

The North Toledo Bend Rendezvous or just "Rendezvous" is one of the oldest "pure tying events" the country... It is chance to sit and tie with great tyers, We've been throwing this party for tyers and their families for almost 30 years! Everyone is welcome, and we all eat very, very well..

 

You may arrive a stranger, but you will leave with a number of tying friends, and a good deal more knowledge...

[add147 0]

Hard to believe this year is almost over in 2 and half months! Where has the time gone? I most definitely will be going this year to this event . Hopefully I will get to visit with my friend Ron Foreman and I hope to see Harold Ray and his beautiful top water lures!