O'Brien Outdoors: PA Fly Fishing Heritage Day

The Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Museum Association (PFFMA) will be hosting the 8th Annual Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Heritage Day on Sat., June 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The popular event will be held at the Allenberry Resort Inn&Playhouse’s Picnic Pavilion and The Meadow located on the banks of the famed Yellow Breeches Creek in Boiling Springs, Pa. - rain or shine.

Heritage Day is a gathering of fly-fishing enthusiasts of all ages, interests and skill levels to celebrate and participate in the art and sport of fly-fishing. You are invited!

Indoor and outdoor presentations by regional and nationally known experts will cover a variety of subjects. Attendees will learn about the sport of fly-fishing from exhibitors, vendors, fly tiers (notables- Tom Baltz and Ed Shenk, among others), bamboo rod makers, and other artisans. It is even possible to have your personal fly-fishing memorabilia appraised by one of the antique tackle dealers in attendance. That old rod or reel might be worth something. There will also be some wonderful raffles! All the activities will take place in and around the Picnic Pavilion and The Meadow at the Allenberry Resort.
Anyone wishing to attend and enjoy the buffet lunch is asked to pre-register before June 16: Email: info@paflyfishing.org or www.paflyfishing.org.

The admission fee is $12.00 for adults, $6.00 for anyone 15 years old or younger with pre-registration, which includes the lunch. Registration on the day of the event is $7 for adults (without lunch); Youth (15 years old or younger): Free.

This is a great way to spend a little father and son or father and daughter time in honor of Father’s Day. A special “Free” drawing of fly-fishing prizes will be held just for the younger age group.

The PFFMA is excited to announce their fundraising event for Heritage Day, which will again be the Annual Rubber Fish Race. Previous Rubber Fish Race events have turned into real crowd pleasers. Participants get to pick a rubber fish and select a number from 1 to 500. Each fish is numbered and lined up at the “starting gate” on Yellow Breeches Creek. Contestants and well wishers line the bank of the creek to cheer their fish to the finish line. First prize is $500 CASH!

Another popular activity is the individual fly casting instruction from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Improve your casting skills with instruction from Frank Angelo, Bobby Clouser, Ed Jaworowski, and Dave Rothrock, among others. Just a few minutes with any of these competent instructors and you are guaranteed to become a better caster. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to throw a curve cast or master the double haul. Well, here’s your chance for one-on-one instruction. 

Other presentations and activities include: Aquatic Insects -- aquatic/trout stream insects field identification (complete with real bugs) with entomologist Greg Hoover; The Life and Times of an Executive Director, John Arway PA Fish&Boat Commission; The Golden Years of Fly Fishing, John Randolph; Fly Fishing in the 1770s, The Colonial Angler -- Ken Reninard; Fly Casting Competition -- a fun and friendly competition for accuracy and distance. Open, Amateur and Youth Divisions; Antique “Meadow Show”- like the Antiques Road Show, Jerry Girard and Bob Selb, experts in appraising vintage bamboo rods and tackle, will be on hand to inspect your treasures; Casting Cane -- meet cane rod builders and try casting various split bamboo rods. Enjoy fly tying -- watch notable tiers demonstrate their skills and favorite patterns.

It is always a pleasure to meet and talk with the Colonial Angler, Ken Reinard, to experience fly fishing the way it was 200 years ago. Reinard will be present in character and in costume to show you Fly Fishing in the 1770s. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will also be on hand with an exhibit where they will distribute free fishing and boating information.

Heritage Day is a wonderful opportunity to improve your casting skills, learn more about aquatic insects, and pick up a few new fly tying techniques and patterns. Maybe you know someone who would like to try fly fishing, but doesn’t have equipment. Or possibly you are in the market for something new? It’s all possible at the 8th Annual PA Fly Fishing Heritage Day sponsored by the Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Museum Association, Saturday June 19 at the Allenberry Resort Inn, Boiling Springs, Pa., 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

For more information about this event, to pre-register, or learn more about the PFFMA log onto http://www.paflyfishing.org. 

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