Western Maine Fly Fishing Expo set for March 18

BETHEL — The Mollyockett Chapter of Trout Unlimited will host the sixth annual Western Maine Fly Fishing Expo from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at the Bethel Inn Conference Center.

The Expo will have more than 40 exhibitors, presentations by several well-known guest speakers, a showing of the latest Fly Fishing Film Tour feature film, raffles, and a silent auction.

This year’s exhibitors include guides and outfitters, sporting camps in Maine, New Brunswick and Labrador, fishing equipment representatives, fly fishing shops, fly tiers, rod builders, artists, authors, and organizations associated with fly fishing.

Guest speakers are award winning fly tier Selene Dumaine, who will speak about and demonstrate tying flies using Carrie Stevens’ vise less in hand method; Bill Pierce, executive director of the Rangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum, who will present the history of fly fishing in the Rangeley region; Kathy Scott, who will demonstrate building furled leaders; Larry Grant, who will provide a presentation on streamer flies; and Robin Reeve, managing partner of Labrador’s Three Rivers Lodge, who will talk about fly fishing for Labrador’s legendary brook trout.

As always, there will be a kids fly tying bench manned by experienced fly tiers throughout the day. Each child who ties a fly will be entered in a raffle to win a fly tying kit. Winners are not required to be present at the drawing to be eligible to win.

Admission will be $5 per person, and free for children younger than 16.

At 7 p.m. Carter Davidson of Gray Ghost Productions will present the 2017 Fly Fishing Film Tour’s feature film. The cost of the fly fishing film is $10.00 per person. Tickets for the film may be purchased throughout the day from staff.

This event is the primary fund raiser for the Mollyocket Chapter of TU. It provides the means to support conservation projects, as well as fly casting and fly tying lessons to youth groups, schools, veteran groups and charitable organizations. This year’s featured project is the Gilead Androscoggin River boat launch improvement project. The Mollyockett Chapter of TU is partnering with the Mahoosic Land Trust and the Androscoggin River Watershed Council to complete the project during the summer.