The May 17th WFFC Dinner Meeting will be at the Mercer Island VFW Hall with Devin Olsen speaking to us via zoom about how to become a Tactical Fly Fisher.

Devin started fly fishing at age 9 and will never forget the first day he caught a cutthroat on an ant in the first meadow of the famed Slough Creek in Yellowstone on a hand me down fiberglass 7 weight that day started an addiction to fly fishing that he can’t seem to shake.

He knew that he had to find a way to compete in the sport he loved and fished in his  first regional Fly Fishing completion 2006. In 2015 he was incredibly fortunate to finish with the individual bronze medal and even more fortunate to have been a part of the squad that won the first team medal (a silver) for the USA at the world fly fishing championship in Bosnia. In 2016 the team followed that feat with a bronze in Vail, Colorado. 2017 marked his 9th consecutive berth as an angler for Fly Fishing Team USA in the 37th Fips Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships in Slovakia.

Fly fishing competitions have exposed him to tactics and techniques from incredible teammates and fellow fly anglers from across the globe. Away from competitive fishing, fish have sculpted his professional life as well, holding a bachelor’s degree in ecology and a master’s degree in fisheries science and spent 3 years working as a fisheries biologist before taking on Tactical Fly Fisher as a full-time business in 2017.

A President’s Dinner Choice, for $25, will be served with a Bartender serving beer and wine drinks for a $5 donation.

Location: The Mercer Island Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5760 is at 1836 72nd Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040. Please see the google map below for directions.

Parking: Options include use of 15 regular and one handicapped-designated parking space in front of the clubhouse; additional parking for events allowed on agreement with Roanoke Inn management, and; up to 40 additional public access parking spaces available at nearby Lid Park. “Reserved for Special Event Parking” signs will be placed in front of the clubhouse prior to an event to reserve parking spaces.