2025 Spring Fling
When: March 22, 2025
About Spring Fling
Come and join us as we enjoy a day of fly-fishing education and the opportunity to win a prize or two.
Speakers: (Bio’s on following pages)
Jeff Wagner – CEO of Mayfly Outdoors – home to Abel and Ross Reels, Airflo Fly Line, Dyna-King and Renzetti Vises, and Airlite Rods.
And
Al Ritt – Fly Fishing author and owner of Al Ritt Flies with his wife Diana.
Date: March 22, 2025
Location: Mahoney State Park – Peter Kiewit Lodge
From 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Tickets are $40
Lunch is provided
Speaker Bio’s
"Jeff Wagner – Jeff is currently the CEO of Mayfly Outdoors based out of Montrose, Colorado. He grew up in Sidney, Nebraska, fished the lakes and streams of western Nebraska as a kid, and worked at Cabela’s for almost 15 years. Working from retail floor associate through several roles to Director of Planning and Inventory for the fishing category at the corporate offices in Sidney, covering all channels of sales and all fishing related products. He has an undergraduate degree in Biology and an MBA from Colorado State University, and he worked with the National Park Service as a Native Fisheries Restoration project manager while in Fort Collins, CO. He held numerous positions with various outdoor companies before joining Mayfly. These brands included Winston Fly rods, Smartwool, Icebreaker, and Kelty/Sierra Designs/Slumber Jack. He has served as a fly-casting field editor for Fly Fusion magazine for nearly 10 years and Flyfisher magazine for 5 years and is a Master Certified Fly-Casting Instructor with Fly Fishers International. Mayfly Outdoors is made up of many brands that avid fly fishers will recognize, such as Abel and Ross reels, Airflo fly lines, Renzetti Vises, Dyna-King vises, and Airlite rods. “Mayfly Outdoors has sought to “Honor the Water” through the thoughtful integration of legacy fly-fishing brands that continue to innovate and elevate the sport of fly fishing.” Mayfly is also B Corp Certified; be sure to ask Jeff what that means and why it’s important to the company. More importantly he has been married for 20 years to his wife Kathleen and has 2 daughters ages 14 and 16. They enjoy skiing, fishing, rafting and various outdoor activities."
Al Ritt
Al has fished as long as he can remember and has been fascinated with flies almost as long. Growing up in southern Michigan he fished primarily for warm water species but remembers feeling magic in trout and trout flies. Al recalls making “flies” including forming his own “hooks” out of pipe cleaners. He took his first formal tying class in 1983 after moving to California. Since then, he’s tied flies and flies fished for trout, grayling, bass, pike, panfish, catfish, carp, steelhead, salmon, bonefish, permit, snook, tarpon, redfish and other species.
Currently Al and his wife Diana own and operate Al Ritt Flies through which they are fly tying demonstrators and domestic/international destination travel hosts. Al is also a fly-tying instructor, a member of Trout Unlimited and a life member of Fly Fishers International (FFI) and a life member the FFI Fly Tying Group. Al currently serves on the FTG Board of Governors and has worked on committees developing the Fly Tying Video Library and Fly-Tying Skill Award Program. His current board activities include participating as a member of the committee developing the Fly Tier Instructor Program.
Al has taught fly tying classes and lessons independently and through local fly shops in Longmont, Loveland and Montrose Colorado. He has also led fly tying clubs in Longmont and Loveland and currently leads a club in conjunction with Ed’s Fly Shop in Montrose, CO. Al retired in 2021 but currently works part time for The Mayfly Group and occasionally at Montrose Anglers fly shop, both in Montrose, Colorado.
As a demonstration tier Al has appeared at numerous fly shops and expos including The Fly Fishing Show (in Denver CO, Somerset NJ, Edison NJ, Lynnwood WA and Pleasanton CA), The International Fly Tyer’s Symposium in Somerset NJ, the International Sportsman’s Expo in Denver CO, the FFI Annual Fly Fishing Fair (in Loveland CO, West Yellowstone MT, Livingston MT, Boise ID and Spokane WA), The Western Canadian Fly Fishing Expo in Calgary AB, The International Sportsman’s Expo (Denver, CO), New Mexico TU Fly Tying Expo in Albuquerque NM, East Idaho FFI Fly Tying Expo in Idaho Falls ID, Black Canyon Fly Fishing Show in Montrose CO, Western Colorado Fly Tying Expo in Grand Junction CO, West Denver TU Fly Tying Expo in Golden CO, FFI Southern Council Conclave in Mountain Home AR, the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo in Warren MI, Rocky Mountain Flycasters (Ft. Collins, CO), St Vrain Angler’s Trout Unlimited (Longmont, CO) and The Fly Tying Rendezvous (Denver, CO).
▪ Al is the 2022 FFI Buz Buszek recipient
▪ Al has received the FFI bronze, silver and gold fly Fly Tying Skills Awards
▪ Al is author of the book 25 Best Most Versatile Flies (Stonefly Press)
▪ Al has written articles for Fly Fusion, Fly Fishing and Tying Journal, Fly Tyer, Hatches, Flyfishing Journal and the FFI FTG newsletter
▪ Al was profiled in Colorado Trout Flies; Great Patterns and the Remarkable People Who Tie Them by Todd Hosman (Streamside Press), The Master’s Fly Box by David Klausmeyer (Globe Pequot) and contributed tips for Better Flies Faster by David Klausmeyer (Stackpole Books)
▪ Al has patterns featured in 100 Best Flies for Montana Trout by Thomas R Pero (Wild River Press), Modern Midges by Rick Takahashi and Jerry Hubka (Headwater Books), 100 Best Flies for Colorado
Trout by Thomas R Pero (Wild River Press), 100 Best Flies for Montana Trout by Thomas R Pero (Wild River Press), A Fly Fisher’s Guide to Rocky Mountain National Park by Steven B Schwietzer (Pixachrome Publishing), 101 Favorite Dry Flies by David Klausmeyer (Skyhorse Publishing), 101 Saltwater Flies by David Klausmeyer (Skyhorse Publishing), Flies for the Greater Yellowstone Area by Bruce Staples (Stackpole Books), Super Bass Flies by Pat Cohen (Skyhorse Publishing) and Tying Heritage Featherwing Streamers by Sharon Wright (Stackpole Books)
▪ Al is a fly designer for Montana Fly Company
▪ Al is a pro-team member for Daiichi Hooks and a brand ambassador for Dyna-King vises. Contact Information:
Al Ritt
Al Ritt Flies
www.alrittflies.com
al@alrittflies.com
