2017 NW Fly Tying & Fly Fishing Expo

I’m looking forward to the 2017 NW Fly Tying & Fly Fishing Expo at the Linn County Expo Center in Albany, OR on March 10 & 11, 2017. It’s only 2 weeks away!

The main attraction for me is the 200 demonstration tyers that rotate every 2 ½ hours on Friday and Saturday.  There are 80 tyers tying at individual tables with chairs provided to sit and watch.  All of the fly genres are covered including nymphs, dry, steelhead, classic salmon, streamers, and realistic flies.  If you are not sure who to watch, the best thing to do is to walk around the tyer tables and find an open seat.  A lot can be learned by sitting down and watching a tyer demonstrate different techniques.  Tyers will have tips on material selection, tying technique, and sometimes fishing the patterns.  They are also able to answer questions during their demonstration.  It is one of the best ways to learn and improve tying skills.

Be sure to check out the fly casting demonstrations as well. Several world-class casters will be at the Expo and a few will be at the casting pond. It’s a great place to get a tip or two for your casting stroke.

Classes are offered each day for fly tying, casting, and fly fishing.  Classes are limited in size, so it is a great opportunity to learn in a classroom environment. There are casting classes that cover both single and double handed casting.  You can still sign-up for classes on the Expo website – http://nwexpo.com.

Over 50 exhibitors attend the Expo and offer great deals on everything from fly tying materials, fly rods and reels, fly fishing art, and boats.  The Expo presents an opportunity to see a wide variety of items in one place.   Some exhibitors offer special show discounts and will also have new items available for purchase.

This year’s Expo is different for me. It’s the first time in 5 years I haven’t been on the Expo Committee.

I was the Expo Chair for the 2015 and 2016 Expo as well as Treasurer since 2012. I decided I would take a break from my Expo volunteer duties this year.

Here are a few pics from the 2016 Expo.

And here I am at the vise.

Check out my March 2016 post – Goodbye 2016 NW Expo for more information.

This year, I will be a “normal” demonstration fly tyer and observer. I’m excited to watch the talented fly tyers. I hope to pick up a couple of new techniques.

If you want to watch me tie flies, you’ll see me on Friday at table 74 from 11:45 – 2:15 and Saturday at table 5 from 9:00 – 11:30.

In addition, I’m excited to have four fly tyers from Next Cast Flyfishers demonstrate their fly tying skills for the first time at the Expo. Next Cast Flyfishers is the youth program my wife runs and is part of my fly club, the Central Oregon Flyfishers. They will be tying at table 74 from 11:45 – 2:15.

I’ve written a couple of posts about our eager youth fly fishers in the posts – Fish Camp and Next Cast Flyfishers Master Class. Be sure to check out how successful this program is helping kids in all aspects of fly fishing.

I hope to see you there!

Enjoy…go fish!