Introduction
The Fly Fishers Club of Pittsburgh is very much an active club. In an effort to garner additional participation we (as in, Days on the Water) are hosting a page devoted to the Fly Fishers Club of Pittsburgh here on our site. It may not live here forever, but for now this is as good a place as any. Details on club meetings, the Christmas party, the summer picnic, and planned fly fishing outings can be found on this page.
Read: “At five decades-plus, Pittsburgh fly-fishers club still going strong” by Bob Bukk.
Contact the FFC of Pittsburgh
Contact us at: pghflyfishersclub@gmail.com. You can send any club-related email to that address and you can expect to receive club-related emails from that address.
Have an idea for a presentation? We are always looking for members to present something at one of the meetings. If you would like to present something, please send email to pghflyfishersclub@gmail.com.
Want to learn more about a specific topic? Chances are, someone in the club knows something about it. If you would like to know more about a topic, please send email to pghflyfishersclub@gmail.com. We’ll see if we can track down someone to talk about your topic.
Regular Monthly Meetings
Regular monthly meetings of the Fly Fishers Club of Pittsburgh are held on the third (3rd) Monday of each month. Meetings begin at 7:00pm. The Fly Fishers Club of Pittsburgh meetings are held at the Munhall Borough Municipal Building at 1 Raymond Bodnar Way, Munhall, PA 15120. The complete schedule for 2023 can be found below.
Feb 20, 2023: Mike Ginsberg discussed caddis flies and their imitations.
Mar 20, 2023: Amanda Thompson, Project Healing Waters Project Lead — Pittsburgh, is going to speak about Project Healing Waters. Read more about Amanda here.
Apr 17, 2023: Mike Ginsberg returns to tie some of his favorite caddis patterns.
May 2023: Regular meeting on 5/15. Neil Kirschner of Rugged Outdoors will talk about their Trout Camo camouflage for anglers.
Additional “Save the Dates”: Don’t lose track of these spring events!
- Wed, Apr 19, 2023 the Fly Tier’s Reunion at 7 Springs (Highlands Sporting Clays Lodge) hosted by our own Chuck Furimsky. More details to come.
- Club outing at Lake Gosling in Seven Springs. 9:00am start time on Sat, May 13, 2023.
No meetings are held in June, July, or August. Additional details on our annual summer picnic to come.
Members enjoying our summer picnic!
Sep 18, 2023: Agenda tbd.
Oct, 2023: No regular meeting. Club outing at Lake Gosling in Seven Springs. 9:00am start time.
Nov 20, 2023: Agenda tbd.
Dec 2023 ~ Holiday Social ~ Thompson Run Athletic Club ~ Additional details to come.
About the Club
The Fly Fishers Club of Pittsburgh was founded in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s by a group of like-minded individuals with a love of fly fishing – making it the oldest active organization for the fly fishers in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. The idea of the club was introduced to the area by founding member, Mr. Bob Runk. The concept was patterned after the Fly Fishers Club of Harrisburg of which Mr. Runk was a member.
The idea of an organization with no dues, no officers and no political agenda was appealing to many. Meetings were held as a clearing house of information and education on fly fishing techniques, fly tying techniques, waterways near and far and fly tackle. Fly rods were cast, fly tying materials were shown and shared and fishing trips were re-lived. But more importantly, life-long friendships were made, secret spots were shared, and good times were had by all. Everyone was welcome – young and old, novice or veteran – all with the common bond of an interest in fly fishing. To become a member one only had to show up at a meeting. That’s it! Everyone or anyone could contribute to the meeting which would last several hours or more.
Many members of the Fly Fishers Club of Pittsburgh have left their mark on the history of Pennsylvania fly fishing. Bob Runk, Chauncy Lively, George Aiken, Mike Sajna, Bob Lancaster, and others are all represented in the Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Museum Association located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Others, like fly fishing show promoter Chuck Furimsky, have contributed to the sport of fly fishing in significant ways.