BETHEL — In conjunction with Bethel’s annual Harvest Fest, the Northeast Drift Boat Championship and the Upper Andro Two Fly Contest will be held Sept. 16 and 17.
The events are annual fundraisers for the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance, a nonprofit group dedicated to the conservation, protection, restoration and promotion of the natural fishing resource of the upper Androscoggin River, its tributaries, watershed and environs.
The Third Annual Northeast Drift Boat Championship will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16. The competition will test the skills of oarsmen at navigating a course and rowing speed.
Each drift boat must carry at least one angler, who must remain standing throughout the timed race.
Bethel Outdoor Adventures on Route 2 is the launch site on the Androscoggin. The finish line is a quarter mile away at Bethel’s Davis Park.
The fishing is from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17. Teams can launch from public launch sites from the New Hampshire border at Shelburne to Rumford Center.
Contestants can only use two flies during the event. A fly is defined as made from natural or synthetic materials tied to a single pointed hook. No tandems or treble hooks are allowed.
The Two Fly contest will test the skills of anglers to fly fish for the most and largest of the three trout species: brown, rainbow and brook. They are found in the upper Androscoggin River from the New Hampshire border to Rumford Center.
Teams of three, including two anglers and a referee/oarsman, must fish from a drift boat. All fish must be released live. The contest is limited to 18 teams.
Prizes including rods and fishing gear supplied by Kittery Trading Post, L.L. Bean, Patagonia, Sun Valley Sports, House of Hardy and the Orvis Co. will be awarded Saturday afternoon immediately following a parade of the drift boats up Main Street and around the Town Common.
The Upper Andro Anglers Alliance will be offering fly-tying and fly-casting instruction on Saturday from its Harvest Fest booth on the town common.
A tally of trout caught during the contest will be updated and posted at the booth during the day.
Official contest rules and a registration form are available online at www.upperandro.com or by calling 824-3694.
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