New rods, reels, waders and personal watercraft – along with everything else in a fly-fisher’s arsenal – will get thorough testing this weekend during the annual Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.
The facility, 4501 Pleasanton Ave., will be a cornucopia of everything for the fly-fishing angler from new products, seminars, classes, fly tying and fly casting demonstrations, and theater presentations to fishing art, lodges and vacation destinations.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23; 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24; and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25. Fly Fishing Show admission is $20 for one day, $35 for two days and $45 for three days. Children under age 5 are free as are Boy and Girl Scouts under age 16 in uniform. Children ages six to 12 are $5. Active military with an ID are $10.
The 17 standard half-day classes scheduled include Women’s 101 Fly Casting with Whitney Gould, Increase Your Distance with Mac Brown, Conquering Chironomids Master Class with Phil Rowley, Trophy Trout Tactics for all Seasons and Waters with Landon Mayer, and The Perfect Cast with Dr. Borger. Class registration is $97.25; all class enrollments include admission to the show for that day.
The approximately 100 free Destination Theater presentations include A Guide to Fishing in California, Fly Fishing the Central Valley’s Best Waters, The Truckee River, Fishing the Lower Sac, Trinity River Steelhead, Fly Fishing Lake Almanor, and Tightlining on the Truckee along with family vacation opportunities from Alaska to Argentina.
Free seminars include sessions by Mayer, Tim Flagler, John Sherman, Borger, Rowley, Rob Anderson, Frank Burr and Ken Moorish.
Featured fly tiers include Borger, Brown, Rowley, Morrish, Flagler, and Mayer.
Casting demonstrations are scheduled in both the indoor and outdoor ponds by Gould, Borger, George Revel, Brown, Matt Heron, Morrish, and Luong Tam.
Attendees will have the opportunity of voting on the Consumer Choice Awards of best new fly fishing products. Awards in 39 product categories are presented jointly by The Fly Fishing Show, Angling Trade media, Fly Fusion Magazine and Fly Fishing Journeys.
The Northern California show has more than $60,000 in national door prizes including a week at Eleven Angling’s Martin Pescador Lodge in Patagonian Chile, value $18,000; SET Fly Fishing’s golden dorado fishing at three lodges in Brazil, $7,500; Alaska Trophy Adventures week out of King Salmon, $6,975; three days guided fishing at Belize River Lodge, $5,950; a week in Patagonian Chile courtesy ChileTrout, $5,590; three days at Highland Lodge in Iceland courtesy of Fish Partner, $5,260; a 7-foot 9-inch 4-piece rod for a 5 weight line by C. Gualdoni Bamboo Rods, $1,900; and Water Master Kodiak Raft, $1,795.
The NorCal premiere of the two-hour 2024 International Fly Fishing Film Festival is Friday, Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.
Fly Fishers International (FFI) offers free fly fishing instruction at the Learning Center located on the main show floor. Basic fly-tying and knots will be taught throughout the day.
For more information on all films, classes, seminars, door prizes, and demonstrations visit https://flyfishingshow.com/pleasanton-ca/ or call (814) 443-3638.
