It is once again “cabin fever” time when sportsmen are kind of in between seasons. Most years you could do some ice fishing, if you don’t mind freezing a little to pacify your fishing needs. This year has really been good for that so far. You could hunt for rabbits or do some predator hunting for coyotes, red and gray fox or bobcats. This writer tried that and discovered they were way smarter than me.
One thing we can all do is dream about spring!
For the fly-fishing dreamers, the Fly Fishing Show in Marlborough is on this weekend. The show will feature all the latest gadgets and tools, together with exotic destinations, to make anyone even mildly addicted to thrashing the water with a long pole excited. This is the first Fly Fishing Show along the eastern seaboard and is held Friday through Sunday.
The Royal Plaza Trade Center, 181 Boston Post Road West, Marlborough, will play host to the annual weekend potpourri of all-things fly-fishing. Whether you are a beginner to seasoned veteran you will find seminars, casting demonstrations, fly-tying, destination films, the Fly Fishers International Learning Center, Fly Fishing Film Festival and the newest tackle and clothing in a spacious exhibition hall. There will be some 10 presentations per hour.
Fly Fishing Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $15 for one day, $25 for two days and $35 for three days. Children under age 5 are free as are Boy and Girl Scouts under 16 in uniform. Children under 12 are $5. Active military with an ID is $10. Parking is free.
The show will feature more than $40,000 in national show door prizes including multi-night fishing trips.
There will also be fly-casting demonstrations by Jeff Currier, Ed Lombardo, Sheila Hassen, John Field, Bob Clouser, George Daniel and Gary Borger, and well-known fly tiers including Gary Borger, Ed Engle, Tim Flagler, Alan Caolo, Joe Cordiero, Clouser and Scott Biron.
Fourteen classes with fly-tying and casting experts are open for advance registration. Class fees are $85 and include admission to the Fly-Fishing Show for that day. Classes are Casting for Beginners with George Daniel, Euronymphing Workshop: Success on the River with Jason Randall, Casting Strategies with Gary Borger, Fly Tying with Joe Cordiero, Practical Nymphing with Ed Engle, Fly Tying with Bob Clouser, and Situational Nymphing with George Daniel.
Others include Deadly Flies for the Striper Flats with Alan Caolo, Beginning Casting with Sheila Hassan, Advanced Nymph Fishing with Jason Randall, Essential baitfish Patterns for Northeast Saltwater with Alan Caolo, Six Easy-to-Tie Flies You Should Always Have with Tim Flagler, and Bass Top to Bottom with Bob Clouser. Class availability with schedules may be found at the Marlborough Fly Fishing Show website.
Among the Destination Theater presentations are programs on Where and When to Fish the Madison River, Labrador’s Monster Brookies, Brook Trout in Quebec’s Arctic Region, Turneffe Flats Belize, Fly Fishing the Great North Woods of New Hampshire, Florida Keys Spring Tarpon Fishing, New England’s Rare Arctic Char, and Patagonia: A Fly Fisher’s Bucket List.
Seminars include Euronymphing with Jason Randall, Fly Fishing Some of the Best Tidal Rivers in New England with Ed Lombardo, Fishing the Rangeley Lakes Region of Western Maine with Bob Romano, The Challenge and Thrill of False Albacore from Shore with Alan Caolo, Fly Fishing for Carp with Jeff Currier, and Nymphing from Top to Bottom with Gary Borger.
Seriously, put down the paper and drive to Marlborough. It is about an hour and is much better than sitting home worrying about the Pats game.
This writer is a little down after missing my annual Alabama trip. Unfortunately, my wife had some back surgery done New Year’s Eve and was a little slow in getting back home. She is on the mend and, thankfully is now free of the pain that has made her life miserable. Hopefully, she will continue to get better and be ready once spring arrives. She really needs to be healed by April because, well, that is when the flowers come out.