Welcome to the
Houghton Fly Fishing Club

The Origins of the Houghton Fly Fishing Club

In 1873 Dr. T. C. Wickham leased 3 miles of the River Test, an English Chalk Stream, near the village of Houghton. In 1875 he formed the Houghton Fly Fishing Club consisting of 20 members with 4 in waiting when it disbanded December 31, 1892 after their lease expired.

In those 18 years of operation the HFFC became the inventors of Scientific Angling or Dry Fly Fishing, they studied the life cycles of insects for the purpose of angling for trout. Frederic M. Halford a member of the club published the first book on dry fly fishing in 1886 titled ‘Floating Flies and How to Fish Them’, followed by his second book in 1889 titled ‘Dry Fly Fishing – Theory and Practice’.

The HFFC was also responsible for inventing the forged steel eyed hook that replaced the looped gut leader snelled hook! They also were responsible for the floating fly line, use of long leaders and the development of the fly tying vise.

The new Houghton Fly Fishing Club came about in 2021 with the opening on the River Dog Fly Shop in Houghton NY. While sitting around tying flies in the shop Luke Radloff, Larry Ebert and Indrek Kongats formed the HFFC.

Join the HFFC as we go to Montana 2027

TRIP DATE: SUNDAY, JULY 11 – SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2027

UPPER MADISON JULY 11 -14, BIG HORN JULY 14 - 17

ACCOMMODATIONS: OLD KIRBY PLACE ON THE MADISON VRBO, HARDIN, MONTANA ON THE BIG HORN TARGET SPECIES: BROWN AND RAINBOW TROUT

INCLUDED: 6 NIGHTS ACCOMMODATIONS - 7 DAYS OF DIY FLY FISHING OR 4 DAYS OF GUIDED FISHING - WADING AND DRIFT

NOT INCLUDED: FLIGHTS INTO BILLINGS, MONTANA - CAR RENTAL - BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER DAILY SELF-CATERED - MEALS & BEVERAGES - MONTANA FISHING LICENSES

HFFC/MEMBER RATE - $2,150.00 USD

Sign up at the River Dog Fly Shop today!