Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show kick-starts season Feb. 24-26

PLEASANTON – In what has turned into an annual beginning-of-the-year ritual for Northern California fly-fishers, the Fly Fishing Show kicks off the season at the Alameda County Fairgrounds Feb. 24-26.

Fly-casters, fly-tiers, tackle manufacturers, authors, artists and representatives from angling destinations around the world will converge on the city with a sure cure for mid-winter blues.

The 2012 edition of the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show will feature a sneak preview of straight-out-of-the-box new products from the worldwide fly-fishing industry. The show will be open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The Alameda County Fairgrounds is located at 4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton.

Admission for adults is $15 for one day, $25 for two-day pass, $35 for three-day pass. Children under 5 free and those under 12 are $2. Scouts under age 16 in uniform free. Active military with ID are $10.

The Fly Fishing Show features every form of the sport – fresh to sal****er, river to farm pond. Fishing lodges and destination waters range from Labrador to Ascension Bay in Mexico’s Yucatan, Argentine Patagonia, Alaska, and Yellowstone National Park to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, with seminars, Destination and Adventure Theater presentations.

Destination Theatre programs are “Roosterfish on the Fly,” James Shaughnessy; “Fly Fishing off the Grid,” Jim Klug; “Trophy Trout of Nevada,” Doug Ouellette; “25 Years on the Alaska Peninsula,’ Jon Kent; “Fly Fishing the Baja and Beyond,” Mike Rieser; “ “Fall River: California’s Big Sky Country,” Andrew Harris; “The Henry’s Fork and Surrounding Waters,” Rich Paini; and “Fly Fishing Pyramid Lake,” Rob Anderson.

Seventeen scheduled seminars include “San Luis Stripers on the Fly,” Dan Blanton; “Baja Fly Fishing Adventures,” Jay Murakoshi; “Success in the Eastern Sierra,” Joe Contaldi; “Dynamic Nymphing,” George Daniel; “Long Flies,” Gary Borger; “Offbeat Tactics that Catch Trout,” Ed Engle; and “Ten Habits for Stillwater Success,” Philip Rowley.

A complete schedule of Destination and Adventure Theatre shows, Film Festival presentations, casting demonstrations, featured fly-tiers and seminars is available at http://www.flyfishingshow.com/  

Classes with experts will be held both Saturday and Sunday. Pre-registration is required for Fly Casting with Borger, Tying Deer Hair Patterns with Murakoshi, Practical Nymphing with Engle, Bamboo Rod Making with C.T. Robertson and Stillwater Flies with Rowley. A Women-Only Class With Daniel will be conducted Sun. afternoon. Registration is $75 per class and may be purchased at the Fly Fishing Show website or 800-481-2393.

There are two casting ponds for demonstrations. Featured fly casters are Jeff Currier, Simon Gawesworth, Nick Curcione, Daniel, Borger and Neilson.

Featured fly tiers include Blanton, Borger, Rowley, Ben Furimsky, Brumley, Rowley and Engle.

John Shaner of Hardy will offer free evaluation, maintenance and a complimentary lube kit to everyone bringing a Hardy reel to the show.

The Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) will teach fly casting, knot tying and other skills to youngsters.