Finger Lakes Boating Museum in Hammondsport will usher in spring with Trout Day on Saturday, March 29. This new event celebrates the link between the rich fishing and boating history of the region and the craft, important themes, and enthusiasm that define the sport today.
The event will feature keynote presentations by Brad Hammers, Aquatic Biologist from New York State DEC Bureau of Fisheries Region 8, and by Alex Koeberle, PhD candidate in Cornell University’s Natural Resources & the Environment program. Both will talk about the health of fishing in the Finger Lakes region, including the reintroduction of cisco to Keuka Lake.
Nationally and internationally recognized fly tier, fly fisher, and author Mike Valla will also be on hand to share his experiences and sign his latest book. Mr. Valla has written numerous feature-length magazine articles for fly fishing magazines and journals and was the fourth recipient of the prestigious Poul Jorgensen Golden Hook Award for his contributions to the art of fly tying. His books include Fly Fishing Guide to New York State, Favorite Flies for the Catskills, and The Founding Flies.
Celebrated sporting artist Adriano Manocchia will display some of his favorite stream fishing works and talk with guests about his journey from being an acclaimed photojournalist to fly fisher whose paintings won the prestigious OWAA/DuPont Art Award in 1989 through 1991. His work has appeared in Gray’s Sporting Journal, Flyfishing, Fly Rod & Reel, Collector Editions, Outdoor Life, Premiere (Monte Carlo), Wildlife Art, Conservationist, Pescare (Italy), Flyfishing Quarterly, Bugle, U.S. Art, Sporting Classics, and Flyfisher (Japan).
Finger Lakes Boating Museum’s own Ed Wightman will give a talk on the history of Finger Lakes row boats and how the builders who crafted them shaped the boating and fishing culture in the region. The Museum displays over two dozen historic row boats – often referred to as trout boats due to the bounty of fish in the lakes in the last century – and has identified over 25 boatbuilders across the region that produced rowboats by the hundreds in the first half of the 20th century. Builders and local livery operators sold and rented them at reasonable rates, making fishing on the lakes accessible for people of nearly all income levels.
Other activities will include:
•A talk by FLBM Board President Dave Bornholdt on the fishing rig developed in the mid-19th century by Rochesterian Seth Green, the naturalist, conservationist, and fishing enthusiast that founded the first fish hatchery in Caledonia, NY.
•A flyrod building demonstration by long-time Trout Unlimited Seth Green Chapter member Frank Payne
•A display from Sutton Spoons in Naples, NY.
Trout Day is sponsored by Cook Painting of Elmira. Tickets are $18 for FLBM Members and $20 for non-members. Seating for the keynote presentations is limited and pre-registration is recommended. Check in starts at 9 a.m. with the first presentation starting at 9:30 a.m. The event wraps up at 4 p.m. and includes a swap meet opportunity for all attendees who preregister. Coffee and light snacks at check-in are included with registration and JR’s Backalley BBQ will be on site offering lunch for sale.
Visit www.flbm.org/trout-day, call 607-569-2222, or email info@flbm.org to register.
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