Annual Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival

The Virginia Fly Fishing Festival is the largest event of its kind in the country and attracts fly anglers from across the United States and the Mid-Atlantic in particular. Nowhere else can anglers learn about the quiet sport in such a beginner-friendly environment. Our unique event combines fine wine tasting, microbrewery beer, and everything you ever wanted to know about fly fishing but were afraid to ask.

The mission of the Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival is to introduce as many people to the sport of fly fishing as possible, and to raise the level of awareness to the many pressing conservation issues facing Virginia. We do this believing that people, who are connected to the outdoors in their recreational activities, are more inclined to protect the natural resources they enjoy.

Bring your family, relax, take a casting class, and pick up a new sport that the entire family can enjoy. Several new classes for beginners for both adults and children have been added. We've also added a bourbon tasting class for adults.

The 24th Annual Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival will be held at The Meadow Events Park, just a few miles outside of Richmond, Virginia, on Friday January 10th and Saturday 11th, 2024.

The festival - the largest event of its kind in the country, drawing fly anglers from as far away as New York and Georgia - appeals to anglers of all ages and stages.

Festival attendees listen to lectures from various experts and practice hands-on skills at the two-day, family-friendly event. Several wineries from throughout the Old Dominion provide free wine tastings for those 21 and older.

The festival will be held regardless of the weather. All vendors are under roof and contained within the Farm Bureau Building at Meadow Event Park located approximately 2 miles east of Kings Dominion.

Schedule of Events:

Beyond the Cast Women's Fly Fishing Symposium (Held at the Meadow Pavillion)

07:30 am - 08:00 am: Stephanie Vatalaro - Sign-In and Welcome
08:00 am - 08:50 am: Jen Ripple - History of Women in Fly Fishing
09:00 am - 09:50 am: Tom Rosenbauer - Prospecting for Trout: Fishing When There Is No Hatch
10:00 am - 10:50 am: Julie Mattson Rigging: The Ins and Outs
11:00 am - 11:50 am: Ashley Wilmot - Understand Bags, Packs, and Other Gear
12:00 pm - 12:50 pm: Ripple-Hoffman - Industry Leader Panel Discussion and Lunch
01:00 pm - 01:45 pm: Freeman-Mattson - Bugs 101-Basic Casting
02:00 pm - 02:45 pm: Freeman-Mattson - Bugs 101-Basic Casting
03:00 pm - 03:50 pm: Tyler Wind - Wine Tasting 101

Rapidan River Lecture Area

10:30 am - 11:50 pm: Callie Freeman - Bugs 101
12:00 pm - 12:50 pm: Scott Allen - FFI's Casting Development Program
01:00 pm - 01:50 pm: Jamie Aponte Fishing for Peacock Bass
02:00 pm - 02:50 pm: Shannon Young The History of Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains
03:00 pm - 03:50 pm: Jen Ripple - How to Become an Independent Angler
04:00 pm - 04:50 pm: Luong Tam - From Zero to Hero with Tenkara

Specialty Instruction Lecture Area

10:30 am - 11:50 am: Jake VillwockAdvance Tactics for Smallmouth Bass (FEE)
12:00 pm - 01:20 pm: Captain Gary Dubiel - Advanced Tactics for Reds and Speckled Trout (FEE)
01:30 pm - 02:55 pm: Josh Miller - Fishing Hopper Dropper Rigs Effectively (FEE)
03:00 pm - 04:30 pm: Tom RosenbauerReading the Water (FEE)
04:30 pm - 05:30 pm: Bob LindquistFishing New York's Delaware River

James River Lecture Area

10:30 am - 11:50 am: Allen Rupp - Advanced Saltwater Fly Tying Techniques (FEE)
12:00 pm - 1:20 pm: Holt-Horton - Wine and Wooly Buggers (FEE)
01:30 pm - 02:50 pm: Jackson-Rowley An Insider's Guide to Tying Deer Hair Bass Bugs (FEE)
03:00 pm - 04:30 pm: Jim Bensinger - Beginner Fly Tying (FEE)

Shenandoah River Lecture Area

10:30 am - 11:50 am: Tom RosenbauerHatch Strategies: More Than Just Choosing a Fly (FEE)
12:00 pm - 12:50 pm: Cory Routh - Chasing Golden Dorado
01:00 pm - 01:50 pm: Tom RosenbauerProspecting for Trout: Fishing When There Is No Hatch
02:00 pm - 02:50 pm: Captain Gary Dubiel - Fishing North Carolina's Neuse River
03:00 pm - 03:50 pm: Chris ThompsonFishing for Albies off the North Carolina Coast
04:00 pm - 04:50 pm: Tim Urtiaga   Landing Pike on the Fly

New River Lecture Area

10:00 am - 10:50 am: Josh Miller - Insider's Guide to Euro Nymphing
11:00 am - 11:50 am: Colby Trow - Fly Fishing the Shenandoah Valley
12:00 pm - 12:50 pm: Mike Heck - Spring Creeks-Tips and Tricks from a Pro
01:00 pm - 01:50 pm: Wayne McGee - Discovering Alaska's Fabled Alagnak River
02:00 pm - 02:50 pm: Jake VillwockStaying Ahead of Changing Conditions
03:00 pm - 03:50 pm: Cilla Johnson All About Fishing from a Kayak
04:00 pm - 04:50 pm: Austin ConradAll About Musky on the Fly

Author's Booth

11:00 am - 11:50 am: Josh Miller
12:00 pm - 12:50 pm: Mike Heck
01:00 pm - 01:50 pm: Beau Beasley
02:00 pm - 02:50 pm: Tom Rosenbauer
03:00 pm - 03:50 pm: Jake Villwock

Paid Casting Classes (Paid Casting Classes Area B)

10:30 am - 12:00 pm: Mark Signorino  Beginner Casting Instruction
01:00 pm - 02:30 pm: Mark Signorino  Beginner Casting Instruction
03:00 pm - 04:30 pm: Julie Mattson Intermediate-Advanced Casting Instruction

Free Casting Classes Area A

10:30 am - 11:30 am: FFI Instructors - Co-Ed Casting Class - meets at FFI-Chesapeake Council booth before moving to Casting Area A
12:00 pm - 01:30 pm: Casting Area A - FFI Casting Skill Development
03:00 pm - 04:00 pm: FFI Instructors - Co-Ed Casting Class - meets at FFI-Chesapeake Council booth before moving to Casting Area A

Casting Pond 1

9:30 am - 10:00 am: Jake Villwock - Casting Demo
1:30 pm - 02:00 pm: Luong Tam - Tenkara Demo
3:30 pm - 04:15 pm: Mark Signorino - Casting Demo

Casting Pond 2

10:00 am - 10:30 am: Captain Gary Dubiel - Casting Demo
01:15 pm - 01:45 pm: Mike Heck - Casting Demo
04:00 pm - 04:30 pm: Josh Miller - Euro Nymphing Demo

Featured Fly Tyers

10:30 am - 11:25 am: Joe Jackson - Deer Hair Bass Bugs
11:30 am - 12:25 am: Bob Lindquist Briny Muddler
12:30 pm - 01:25 pm: Troy Brasso - Troy's Dock Light Dancer
01:30 pm - 02:35 pm: Allen Rupp - Whitlock's Near Nuff Crayfish
02:30 pm - 03:25 pm: Steve Maldonado - Jungle Junkie Troy Basso
03:30 pm - 04:25 pm: Gary Dubiel - Lil'haden
04:30 pm - 05:25 pm: Jake VillwockFreeze Dried Sculpin XL