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Fly fishers converging on Whitefish

By JIM MANN/Daily Inter Lake

Published: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 12:50 AM CDT

The 43rd International Fly Fishing Show and Conclave stirred up Tuesday in Whitefish and will be in full swing by Thursday.

About 800 to 1,000 people, many of them coming from across the country, are expected to attend the Federation of Fly Fishers four-day event at Whitefish High School. A large local turnout also is expected for attractions open to non-federation members, said Kay Jackson, conclave media coordinator.

“It really gets geared up on Thursday,” Jackson said.

Dozens of exhibitors will have booths in the school gymnasium featuring some of the latest gear, outfitters, conservation information, art and books.

A fly-tying theater will be buzzing with busy hands throughout the week.

“We probably have about 140 fly tyers who will be here,” Jackson said.

There is a daily $5 public entry fee for the show, and there are free attractions available throughout the week.

Casting coaches will be on the school lawn throughout the week to offer tips for improved casting.

“They are just out there and it is totally free,” Jackson said.

Friday and Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., there will be obstacle-course casting games. And there will be casting competitions Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Starting at 1 p.m. today, there will be free presentations as part of the conclave’s “fish forum.”

Author Gordon Sullivan will discuss 100 years of fisheries conservation in Montana; Wade Fredenberg of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will give a talk on bull trout; Tim Guilfoile of the Sierra Club will talk about fly fishers as stream savers; Land Tawney of the National Wildlife Federation will discuss reform of the 1872 Hard Rock Mining Law; and there will be an award-winning short film on proposed mining in Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

Thursday night kicks off Whitefish Night Out at 5 p.m. with a free beer, wine and cheese reception at the Great Northern Brewery. Downtown art galleries will stay open for the event, which also will feature a series of fly fishing and conservation documentary films at the O’Shaughnessy Center from 7 to 9 p.m. The cost is $5.

Friday, the LakeStream Fly Shop is hosting a reception with beer and snacks from 5 to 7 p.m. to warm up for the federation’s annual auction and raffle.

A no-host bar opens at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake at 7 p.m. The auction starts at 8 p.m., featuring fishing trips, art work and fishing gear, including a custom drift boat.

For federation members, the conclave offers more than 75 workshops and clinics on casting, fly tying and fishing techniques. There will also be a series of outings to local lakes and streams.

The conclave offers special programs for youth and women anglers, but those events already are sold out, Jackson said.

On the Web:

www.federationconclave.org

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com

With waders, fins and fishing net, Jim Rainey of Pennsylvania splashes backward into a private pond during a lesson on fly fishing near Columbia Falls on Tuesday. The lesson, along with several others, kicked off the first day of the Fly Fishing Show and Conclave based at Whitefish High School. Rainey was taking the class from Steve Thompson, owner of Lakestream Fly Fishing Shop in Whitefish. Garrett Cheen/Daily Inter Lake

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