In This Issue:
by Adam Comer, Aquatic Education Manager
I hope you and yours have found new interests or even had an adventure or two. By far the best – maybe you got to take someone fishing this year! The Angler Ed Program has continued its robust impact, continuing to grow networks and venturing into new territory with the Adult Mentored Fishing Pilot Program that launched in spring 2026 – see article below for more info. I encourage you to check out the program updates and hear from our passionate volunteers with the latest below.
Our annual Angler Education Area Chief Training Meeting was held at Mo-Ranch near Hunt, TX from January 30th to February 2nd, 2026. Twenty-six Area Chiefs attended, representing all regions.
 We’ve updated our fish ID program materials to reduce printing costs, minimize redundancies, and provide more accessible resources. We’ve replaced the fish ID booklets and rack cards with a Texas Common Freshwater Fish ID brochure and Saltwater Fish ID brochure
 Hope to see you by the water soon,
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Hey instructors, tell us your tale! Want to be featured in our Instructor Spotlight on Facebook and Instagram? We would love to tell your story! Click here to answer a few writing prompts and send in a photo to angleredu@tpwd.texas.gov. Check out all the spotlights on our Facebook and Instagram accounts.
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By Keira Quam, North Texas Aquatic Education Training Specialist
Have you found an efficient way to orient your volunteers when they arrive at an event, so they know what area they can help with and what to do? I developed a set of sheets to simplify this, and it not only saves time not needing to explain the station to each person, but it also gives my volunteers some confidence about what they can teach.
I start by passing around the station checklist of we will offer – based on how many volunteers I have. This allows volunteers to choose an area they feel comfortable with. They put their initials by what they want to do. Below is a sample.
I have divided up a TPWD Angler Ed instructor kit into huge "station" bags and in each bag is an instruction sheet with ideas. It also tells them what items they will find in their station bag and which ones don’t fit that they will need to collect. It also has a pen and a bean bag to weigh it down if there is wind. After choosing what they want to teach, they pick up their bag and equipment and go set up in their area!
    I put mine in sheet protectors, but you could laminate them. I also have additional resources they can tape to the table and talk about. If this is something you want to try, email me and I’ll send you the file. They can easily be edited to fit YOUR program! Keira.quam@tpwd.texas.gov
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by Adam Comer, Aquatic Education Manager
Texas Parks and Wildlife Angler Education launched its Adult Mentored Fishing Program pilot in March 2026 and ran through July 2026.
The program is designed to utilize a small-group setting of adult mentees paired with current Angler Education certified instructors or MENTORS, that plan and lead four sessions that include fishing education (casting, knots, fish ID, etc.) and actual fishing.
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Mentoring is nothing new, but more recently, state programs have begun to integrate a mentoring framework with the goal of developing lifelong participants in outdoor activities.
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The pilot period saw hundreds of mentee applications submitted from the public. Residents of certain counties within and adjacent to Austin, Dallas – Fort Worth, and Houston were eligible. MENTORS consisted of certified Angler Education Instructors from the urban areas mentioned. Thirteen groups, made up of 47 mentees and 24 MENTORS, participated in the first program period. The groups included different fisheries and styles: freshwater conventional, saltwater conventional, and freshwater flyfishing.
We encourage you to explore further, if you’re interested in learning how to fish or if you’re currently a certified Angler Education instructor and you’re interested in teaching a small group how to fish. Please check out the updated Mentored Fishing website for more information and how to apply - all participants need to submit an application. The next application period is scheduled to open in August 2026 and closes September 20, 2026.
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By Matt Davis, TPWD Volunteer Angler Edu Instructor
As a brand-new Angler Education instructor, there are a few things you learn from the training—and a few things you learn by jumping in and doing your first event.
When I agreed to help with a fishing event in Burleson, I saw the two-week deadline for requesting Angler Education equipment and supplies. Being new, I assumed that was a hard-and-fast deadline. I was already inside that window, so I figured I was on my own.
Time to improvise.
(All pictures by Matt Davis)
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For knot tying, I grabbed some 2x4s, hinges and built a portable knot-tying station. For casting practice, I put out a request on Facebook for old fishing rods. People donated enough to get us going, and about $6 at Walmart bought casting plugs. A few aluminum pans gave the kids something to aim at.
I also made some simple printed materials to help talk about fish, habitat and where anglers might find them.
It wasn’t fancy, but it worked.
Moreover, apparently volunteering for one thing is a good way to volunteer for several more things. I got recruited to measure fish for the event’s fishing contest as well. That ended up giving me another opportunity to interact with the kids, celebrate their catches and talk about the fish they were bringing in.
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I later learned that the two-week request window wasn’t quite the immovable line I’d thought it was. If you're new, they understand. Your regional Angler Education staff are there to help, so if you’re planning an event—even on short notice—reach out and ask what resources or advice may be available.
But, I also learned that Angler Education doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Kids can have a great time learning to cast with donated rods, a few inexpensive casting plugs and aluminum pans for targets. A couple of 2x4s can become a knot-tying station. Sometimes the simplest activities are the ones that invite kids to jump in and try.
So, ask your regional instructor for help, use the resources available to you, and don’t be afraid to improvise. It really doesn’t take much to get someone excited about fishing.
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By Keira Quam, North Texas Aquatic Education Training Specialist
Many people ask where can you fly fish in Texas and my usual answer is that you do need water. People often think fly fishing is only for trout in streams, but fly fishers in Texas catch bass, crappie, sunfish, rio grande cichlids as well as red drum, speckled trout, and others.
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One of the best ways to learn to fish and find fishing friends is to join others who love the sport. In Texas we have a huge number of fly fishing clubs across our state. Many are affiliated with the Texas Council of Fly Fishers International but you can also search online for a club near you or a fly shop that can direct you to a club. Several are highlighted below.
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Texas Fly Fishing Clubs
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Texas Hill Country Fly Fishers meet monthly the first Saturday of the month somewhere in the hill country that includes fishing. There is also a monthly Fly Tying Night in Waring. Every 3rd or 4th Thursday of each month they try to feature a different fly of local interest and a different fly tier to demonstrate. New tiers are welcome: Teachers, mentoring, and loan equipment are available. The Catch-&-Release Trout Lease Program is available to THCFF members and partnering clubs as a paid membership upgrade. Each year, spring-fed creeks and rivers are leased from private landowners and stocked with 2-4 year old trout. Memberships go on sale in September.
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Dallas Fly Fishers Club meet in Richardson the first Monday of each month. They regularly host Beginner Fly Fishing classes, casting practice, monthly fly tying classes and outings. Check out their most recent newsletter for more information and activities.
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Fort Worth Fly Fishers meet in Fort Worth the first Tuesday of each month. They are hosting their annual auction September 19th. This is a great opportunity to pick up some quality equipment and guided trips at a reduced price! They host an annual "Fly Fishing 101" day to match new with experienced fly fishers, schedule club trips across the state and have a number of conservation projects including the upcoming TRWD Trash Bash. They also have a number of groups who meet to tie flies regularly.
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Texas Fly Fishers of Houston meet the last Tuesday of each month in Houston. In addition, they host fly tying, outings and big events like the Redfish Rodeo and Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival.
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Arklatexoma Fly Tyers (ALTO) – a club that combines fly fishers from 4 corner states into one club that hosts tying and fishing events in each of the states.
You can apply to attend these events or volunteer. Many clubs also partner with Texas Parks and Wildlife and invite volunteers to accomplish conservation projects.
Texas fly fishing is all about building community while enjoying the sport!
Photo credit staff.
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Upcoming Fly Fishing and Tying Events:
Fly Fishing Redfish Rodeo – Saltwater fishing contest, September 18th – 20th in Rockport.
ALTO Flies and Pies - September 18th – 19th – Natchitoches, LA.
The Gathering – A day to sharpen your casting and instructing skills, hosted by Good Fly Sunday, October 10th - 11th in College Station.
North Toledo Bend Rendezvous – a fly tying event for fly tyers from Texas, Louisiana and other states. November 6th – 8th.
Photo credit Dana Williams
Troutfest – a huge fly fishing conservation festival that takes place in New Braunfels with Fly fishing expos, expert speakers, casting demonstrations, fly tying, and fundraising banquets. February 19th – 21st.
Trinity Fly Fest – a free don’t miss family- friendly fly fishing festival in Fort Worth along the Trinity River. Watch for the date in March!
Come out and join the fun and fellowship of fly fishing!
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 Photo credit staff
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by Kellie Farr, M.Ed., Instructor at SFA and TPWD Volunteer Angler Edu Instructor
We can all rest a little easier knowing that another generation is developing an appreciation for nature — and, with it, a conservation-minded outlook that will serve them for life.
This summer, groups of children were given the tools, skills, and knowledge to develop a love for angling as they attended Pineywoods Camp at Stephen F. Austin State University Gardens, located at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center. Nestled in Nacogdoches, known as "the oldest town in Texas", the center is a 40-acre living laboratory of native Texas plants and wildlife — the perfect backdrop for kids to fall in love with the outdoors.
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Before camp began, TPWD Aquatic Education specialists Keira Quam and Greg Akins led staff training at the center's Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building. Staff learned the fundamentals of fishing, fish ID, aquatic habitat and more, through a lively presentation. Staff then practiced their skills with "Backyard Bass," an activity that lets even the most inexperienced angler safely learn to cast and reel using brightly colored poly plastic fish. From there, staff moved to SFASU's Forestry Department Ag Pond to reel in real bass, catfish and sunfish, and every staff member left having earned an Angler Ed Instructor certification from Texas Parks and Wildlife.
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The camp ran in three sessions: Wonder Woods, for campers ages 4 to 6, and two weeks of Jack Creek Camp, for campers ages 7 to 11. Plenty of campers walked up to the water hesitant, unsure whether fishing was something they could do. With patient encouragement from camp staff, drawing on the confidence built through their own TPWD training, those same kids cast a line, felt that first tug, and reeled in a fish of their own. Shoulders straightened, faces broke into disbelieving grins, and kids who'd hung back all morning were suddenly begging for one more turn.
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You could see something click in those moments: a spark of curiosity, a first real connection to the outdoors, the start of a lifelong appreciation for nature and the environment. That's the piece that will stay with these kids long after summer ends.
And the impact doesn't stop with camp. Every staff member trained this summer is now certified to teach Angler Education themselves, passing the skill forward, logging their own hours, and helping grow a program that reaches further every year.
Photo credits Kellie Farr
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We welcome our new instructors trained between Jan 1st and June 30th 2026. We appreciate that our instructors - new and experienced, work together to learn ideas and techniques from each other as they hone their skills, while having a great time. You can look for opportunities to become certified or join other instructors at volunteer opportunities. Many thanks to all of our volunteers!
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