Rebranded, Restructured & Revived

TheTexas Hill Country Fly Fishers Membership Development Plan

Lastyear, the Fredericksburg Fly Fishers determined that the time for change had arrived. In 2020, working with a declining membership, the newly-elected officers of the club embarked on a mission of rebranding and restructuring.

First impressions

Desiring a club name that encompassed more than just the small town of Fredericksburg, Texas, (pop 11,000), the club voted to change its name to the Texas Hill Country Fly Fishers. With that change came the need for a new logo. Developed by club member and graphic artist Milburn Taylor, the new insignia is readily-recognized and helps give our website and club apparel a unique visual identity.

Software for hard jobs

The real work then began with club treasurer/webmaster Tim Gikas completely rebuilding a new website and web presence, tasks made possible with new software which handles nearly all of our administrative tasks: it collects membership dues and renewals, processes event registration, customizes membership levels, and importantly, provides database updates in real time for new membership processing and communication. Tim also began a campaign to get members to submit fishing photos for our monthly newsletters. At the beginning of the year, our email list was less than 150 people. We now have more than 1,000 subscribers and have embraced social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

Grassroots Marketing

During the website construction process, a grassroots marketing plan was employed to provide the club much-needed visibility within the surrounding communities. Several meetings took place between Tim Lafferty, club president, and John Schrock of Best Version Media, a publishing company specializing in brand development. THCFF’s new look was featured in tandem with our new vice president, Lindsey Hollin, whose leadership role provided proof of concept that we were indeed a club for men and women. Following our annual Oktoberfisch fundraising event, the Fredericksburg Standard included coverage of the event as a front page news item, featuring a member of the Texas Women Fly Fishers and subsequently reinforcing our diversity message.

A supportive relationship

In 2021, THCFF took larger strides in connecting with the community, and other nonprofit fly fishing organizations, by providing handson help and financial assistance for support groups such as Reel Recovery, Casting for Recovery and Good Fly. In 2021, using funds generated from a very successful Oktoberfisch 2020 event, THCFF donated $7,500 to nonprofit and charitable groups. We have worked together with the Good Fly organization to network with first responders in our area and participated in the Annual Stroke Awareness Fair at Sid Peterson Regional Medical Center. Fly fishing was wellreceived by those patients we engaged with, folks who didn’t imagine they could participate in outdoor activities again. The physical therapists involved also embraced fly fishing, and our club, as a support source for their patients’ ongoing recovery.

Finally, THCFF has engaged young and potential new members through our Carpe Diem Tournaments, held at a local private golf club. Targeting grass carp that live in the water hazards on the course, anglers get the chance to feel a real good tug on the end of their fly line. This helps sell newbies on the sport. Educational Chairperson Chase Smith gave an introductory talk about technique and fly selection prior to the tournament and because the required casts aren’t challenging, the location is close to their homes and the atmosphere is fun and welcoming, the event proved to be an excellent entrypoint for THCFF’s new recruits.

Diversifying the Membership

At the beginning of 2021, the need for developing and engaging all members of the community was painfully apparent; the club’s 50 members were primarily white male seniors. To remedy this, a Ladies Program was developed, led by newly-elected vice president and past member of the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team, Lindsey Hollin. Hollin began networking with other women within the fly fishing community and developed social hours after casting classes and instructional courses. Lindsey became the spokesperson for these efforts at monthly membership meetings. The Board also reached out to the Texas Women Fly Fishers, who will be represented at this year’s Oktoberfisch. The results have been encouraging as more than a quarter of the new members and nearly half of the pre-registering participants for the upcoming Oktoberfisch event are female.

Through the efforts of professional fly tyer, and our new Educational Chairperson, Chase Smith, our membership has expanded to include anglers from ages 11 to 87-years-old. New fly tyers for Oktoberfisch 2021 include an 11-year-old female, two high school students and a seasoned fishing guide. Returning fly tyers from last year are Odom Wu, a professional fly tyer and photographer (with cover photos for Flyfisher); Jack Gillis, a fly tying medal winner and certified instructor; FFI Director Dutch Baughman, who has won nearly every award possible for fly tying; and our 87-year-old, extremely active club co-founder, Martin Pursch.

Milestone in growth

In 2021, the Texas Hill Country Fly Fishers, a Charter Club of FFI, has grown to 154 dues-paying members. Our goal for 2021 is to have 200 members by the end of the year. The membership will be younger, more diverse and more active with more club-sponsored events and outings than ever before. By joining THCFF, new members enjoy:

An in-person fly fishing educational program from top professionals in the sport.

Opportunities to learn about conservation and participate in regional efforts.

Actively participating and engaging others within the community with recreational events, group outings and programs to support other nonprofit organizations

And, importantly, as members, they will have far more opportunities to go fly fishing.

The Board is appreciative of the support that FFI has provided to help our club achieve this milestone in our growth. Rick Haness, the Texas Council President of FFI (and member of our club) has been stalwart in his support. Year after year, the FFI Texas