Capt. Pat Damico, Tampa Bay, FL
(727) 360-6466
Capt. Ray Markham, Sarasota and Tampa Bay, FL
(941) 723-2655
Capt. Pete Greenan, Boca Grande, FL and The Everglades
(941) 923-6095
Capt. Mike Homer, Tampa Bay, FL
(727) 418-5005
Capt. Russ Hampton, Clermont, FL
(352) 241-9210
Capt. Rick Grassett, Sarasota, FL
(941) 923-7799
Capt. Wayne Simmons, Tampa Bay, FL
727-204-4188
Capt. Aaron Adams, Pineland, FL
(239)283-1622
Steve Gibson, Sarasota, FL
(941)284-3406
Officers
Suncoast Fly Fishers - Officers
Due to concerns about SPAM, the e-mail addresses below are not clickable.
President: Tom Gadacz
Phone: 727-360-8030
Tom was introduced to fly fishing when his youngest daughter, Alissa, was assigned as a Park Ranger to the Tetons. In the summer of 1991 she arranged for him to get a fly fishing lesson and said the guide was supposed to be pretty good. At the time he knew nothing about fly fishing except that it seem to be a neat sport. Tom's first lesson was with Jack Dennis. He was great and only later did Tom find out how great he really was. Tom loved the sport - the skill that it required to catch fish, the great places that fly fishing took you, and the total concentration and relaxation that the sport provided. For him it was exciting and a great diversion from occupational stresses. He has fly fished Alaska for silver salmon, the Keys for bone fish and permit, as well as several of the western trout streams. Tom's major interests include fly tying, rod building and improving his casting technique.
Tom enjoys the camaraderie and talents of the Suncoast Fly Fishers. Tom says the opportunities and variety of fly fishing in this part of Florida are excellent and very enjoyable.
Vice President: Woody Miller
Phone: 727-560-6086
I was born in Safety Harbor and spent most of my time as a youngster either fishing in the nearby lakes or hunting game birds, squirrel or rabbits out my back door. An older gentleman from my church introduced me to fly fishing around the age of 12 and it has since become my passion. There were many days that I would watch the sun go down while wading Boy Scout lake just around the corner from home in search of bass and bluegill. In the mid 70’s I began to attend fly tying classes at Carl Hansen’s home and not only learned to tie flies but was also shown that fly fishing is more than tying, casting. The sport of fly fishing can become a lifestyle. Joining the Suncoast Fly Fishers has given me the vehicle to share my sport with many different folks and to enjoy the camaraderie both at the meetings and on the water.
Secretary: Ken Hofmeister
Phone: 727-521-1637
George “redfish” McCall taught me how to wade and throw a quarter ounce “limper” to catch redfish. He also showed me how to catch snook and trout on a spinning rod using the Johnson Sprite or Johnson Silver Minnow. I became pretty proficient using these lures and fishing the flats around St. Petersburg from 1965-1970. After that, I fished Tennessee and Pennsylvania until I moved back to Florida in 1985 and picked up where I left off until I retired in 1998. My son gave me a fly rod for retirement. Early efforts at fly tying (without a vise) were worthy of publication (in the comics).
Suncoast Fly Fishers came to the rescue. Alan Sewell talked about how to catch snook under the docks while Ken Doty taught me to tie killer snook flies. A fly inherited from Mike LaChance resulted in my first snook on a fly rod. The real education came as members taught me how to cast, what to cast, where to cast, how to rig, how to retrieve, and how to land fish. As I learned more, I had more fun, caught more fish, and got better at fishing both fresh and saltwater. Charlie Most taught me how to tie better flies and Paul Sequira kept me supplied with good instructions in SFF newsletters. Pat Damico helped me improve my skills in casting clinics. After winning a kayak in our club Pig Roast raffle, I learned how to fish out of a kayak and that opened up a new field of fun. An annual highlight is still fishing the Everglades from a canoe. Fishing the flats is done from my 20 ft. Scout.
Treasurer: Joe Dail
Phone: 727-725-7638
Joe Dail serves the club as Treasurer. He played a crucial role in guiding us through the application process for the Federation of Fly Fishers. Because of his attention to detail, Suncoast Fly Fishers is a tax exempt, non-profit organization affiliated with the Federation of Fly Fishers. We have current by-laws and a club charter. Joe steered us through the process of securing insurance for everything except terrorism (fish can’t sue us).
Joe took on additional responsibilities in maintaining an up-to-date membership list, and serves on the membership committee. When he’s not pouring over club paperwork, he catches lots of fish from kayak and boat. He is a survivor of the infamous Withlacoochee River outing. That’s why we have insurance.
.
