Matt hayes, Wild Fisherman Trysil, Norway highlights from Espen Eilertsen on Vimeo.

3^rd Annual South Holston Fly Fishing and Arts Fest

For the third straight year the South Holston Fly Fishing and Arts Fest will again be providing the opportunity for anglers and artists alike to come together in celebrating the beautiful and timeless tradition of fly fishing. The Festival has changed locations and will be at Sugar Hollow Park in Bristol, VA, on Saturday, August 13, from 9 AM-6 PM. This event is intended for anyone who has an interest in fly fishing or the arts, whether it’s as a novice or someone who has been in the sport for decades. The Festival will have over 50 exhibitors (fly shops, artists, sales reps, guide services and lodges), as well as continuous presentations from the very best in the industry, with Kelly Galloup and Beau Beasley as headliners alongside local legends Tim Landis, Bruce Wankel, and Mike Adams. The South Holston Fly Fishing and Arts Fest has a focus on the artistic side of fly fishing, with dozens of artists showcasing their work ranging from fly tying to boat building, bamboo rod construction to photography, painting to wood carving. This is truly a unique experience for those who are looking for more than just a typical trade show. If you tie flies, bring your vise. There will be plenty of opportunities to tie with the very best the industry has to offer!

The Festival has drawn anglers and artists from all over the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, gaining a reputation as a unique opportunity for fly anglers of all ages and skill levels. An 80’ casting pond is available for demonstrations and casting practice, as well as a youth casting clinic. Several fly fishing-based non-profits will be exhibiting, too: Project Healing Waters (therapeutic organization working with wounded veterans), Casting for Recovery (raising awareness and healing women who have battled breast cancer), and Trout Unlimited (one of the nation’s most impactful conservation organizations). Eatz on Moore Street will be dishing out plates of tasty BBQ and vegetarian cuisine throughout the event, so bring your appetite. A huge pool of raffle prizes will be available, as well, providing a few lucky souls the opportunity to go home with a trunk-load of gear and art!

Tickets are $10/person, with youth 16 and under and US military personnel gaining free admission. All proceeds go towards supporting River’s Way, a local non-profit organization serving youth with disabilities and local students through socially-focused adventure and team building initiatives. For more info please visit the Festivals’ website at www.southholstonflyfishingfest.com, or email Knox Campbell at knox@riversway.org. You can also visit us on Facebook. Hope to see you there!

A sexy diver lady and a hammerhead shark? I’m not sure you could ask for more.

Sporting groups nationwide applaud EPA plans to study Bristol Bay’s fish and wildlife resources
Sioux Falls, SD – Hunting and angling interests around the country have mobilized in recent years to protect the waters and lands of southwest Alaska’s famed Bristol Bay region. These groups are applauding today’s announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the agency is planning an assessment of the Bristol Bay watershed to better understand how future large-scale development projects may affect water quality and Bristol Bay’s salmon fishery. EPA initiated this assessment in response to concerns from federally-recognized tribes and others who petitioned the agency in 2010 to assess any potential risks to the watershed.
“The potential development in the region is scary for sportsmen,” said Scott Hed, Director of the Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska. “Each year anglers and hunters make the trip to Alaska just for an opportunity to fish and hunt in the famous Bristol Bay watershed. Sportsmen and women from across the country have joined forces to stop plans by foreign mining interests that could turn the entire Bristol Bay region into a massive mining district. Today’s announcement by the EPA shows that the agency recognizes the threats posed by the proposed Pebble Mine project, and that it is better to address these very serious concerns up front rather than wait until it may be too late.”
Over 325 sporting groups and businesses oppose the mining plans in Bristol Bay. Sporting conservation groups and trade associations include Dallas Safari Club, Trout Unlimited, Federation of Fly Fishers, European Fishing Tackle Trade Association, Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association, American Fly Fishing Trade Association, American Sportfishing Association, Izaak Walton League of America, Wildlife Forever, Delta Waterfowl Foundation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Bull Moose Sportsman’s Alliance, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, North American Fishing Club, North American Hunting Club, and the Campfire Club of America. Some of the most recognizable brands in hunting and fishing products have expressed their wishes to protect Bristol Bay as well, including Sturm, Ruger & Co., Savage Arms, Buck Knives, Hornady, Sitka, Filson, Orvis, Sage, Simms, ExOfficio, Patagonia, Scott, Hardy, and more than 150 others.
“This is an issue that unites the complete spectrum of the sporting community,” continued Hed. “When you have got catch and release anglers and makers of fly rods and reels working in concert with big game
hunters and firearm manufacturers, that’s a powerful set of interests – all in agreement that large-scale mining in the Bristol Bay watershed is simply the wrong idea in the wrong place. We look forward to working with the EPA and other decision makers as this public process to determine the fate of Bristol Bay moves forward.”

For more information on the Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska visit:
www.SportsmansAlliance4AK.org
For more information on today’s EPA announcement see the official news release