MAY 2026: DEAN'S FRY SYSTEM AND BEYOND : Speaker Dean Tweeddale

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NWAAS In-person meeting and program:
Dean's Fry System and Beyond
Speaker: Dean Tweeddale

Dean Tweeddale is a master breeder with over 60 years of experience in the aquarium hobby. He began with guppies, advanced to discus, and has since bred countless species of freshwater fish—virtually any species he could get his hands on. Always an innovator, Dean has, throughout his fishkeeping career, built three in-house fish rooms and developed an incredible fry system. Some of his proudest moments in the hobby are developing a system to raise discus artificially, breeding many rare dwarf cichlids, continuous spawning of German blue rams, and spawning several L-number plecos. He has also collected and bred wild fish from Peru. Dean is a familiar face in the online fishkeeping community, having appeared on numerous YouTube channels including Aquarium Co-Op, Tazawa Tanks, KeepingFishSimple, L.R. Bretz’s Aquatics, Steenfott Aquatics, Swhiskey, Aquarist Podcast, Bentley Pasco, Harlan Ford, Friday Fish Facts, and Dustin’s Fish Tanks. He has also shared his expertise as a featured speaker for aquarium clubs across the country. Dean is passionate about inspiring others to experiment, innovate, and become the best fishkeepers they can be.


Saturday, April 11th, 2026, 11:00 a.m.
BONUS HAPPENING AFTER THE MEETING
We will be ordering pizza, and having lunch with Dean following the meeting, at the church. All are welcome to stay and join us!
BONUS: SUNDAY COLLECTING TRIP (see reply below for details)
Come enjoy family fun collecting native fishes and aquatic critters.

Meeting Location:
Millwood Christian Church
3450 W. Pleasant Grove Rd.
Rogers, AR 72758
(Just off I-49, exit #81 west)

Free admission • Refreshments • Mini Auction

May 2026 flyer.png (4.41 MiB) Viewed 8133 times

May 2026 flyer.png (4.41 MiB) Viewed 8133 times

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fry1.jpg (1.67 MiB) Viewed 8133 times

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fry3.jpg (519.98 KiB) Viewed 8133 times

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fry2.jpg (817.17 KiB) Viewed 8133 times

[mewickham]

Kevin Mouser mentoring a young native-fish collector.

We will also be doing a native fish collecting trip with Dean on Sunday, May 10th. All are invited.

We will meet at Hobbs State Park Nature Center (20201 AR-12, Rogers, AR 72756) at 9 a.m. We will collect in the park until 11:30 a.m., then stop at a restaurant for lunch, then move to Bella Vista at 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Kevin Mouser will be our guide. He's a a biology teacher who is expert on the local fishes and aquatic critters, and one of the founders of NWAAS.

Requirements

1. Fishing license: IF 16 YEARS OLD OR OLDER, YOU MUST HAVE A VALID ARKANSAS FISHING LICENSE TO PARTICIPATE. YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO SHOW IT before starting. Those without licenses are welcome to observe, but may not touch any nets or equipment. You may buy a one-day license for $10.50. Other license lengths are available. Be sure to correctly choose either the resident or non-resident license, depending on where you live.
You can obtain a Arkansas fishing license here:
https://www.agfc.com/resources/licensing/fishing-license-descriptions-and-fees/

2. Gear: You must bring your own nets and buckets, though some members may have extras on hand to borrow. Some people use large hand nets. Some use seines. We've even seen cast-nets on past trips. The net mesh must be small enough to catch small fish! (See picture above.) Your typical small aquarium dip nets can have very limited use, due to not being large enough, or sturdy enough for strong water current. Five gallon buckets with lids are ideal for transporting any fish you decide to keep. Occasionally, someone will bring a small aquarium for photographing fish.

3. Clothing: Dress appropriately. Bring shoes that can get wet. Slippery, rough rocks can be tough on bare feet. Maybe bring some towels, in case you fall in. You might also want towels to cover your car seats on the way home.