Fly Fishing Expo in Cd'A Friday, Saturday

Free fly tying demonstrations and casting lessons are just a few of the activities scheduled to take place Friday and Saturday at the Fly Fishing Expo in Coeur d’Alene.

Hosted by the Western Rocky Mountain Council of the International Federation of Fly Fishers and the North Idaho Fly Casters, the expo will be held Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Best Western Plus Coeur d’Alene Inn, 506 W. Appleway Ave. Admission is free.

Bud Frasca, past president of the North Idaho Fly Casters — a local fly fishing group — and president of the regional chapter of the international fly fishers, said the fly tying demonstrations offer a unique opportunity.

“You get the best of the best in the sport giving you lessons for free,” Frasca said.

There are 30 of the best fly-tiers in the country scheduled to participate, according to the North Idaho Fly Casters May newsletter.

Youths are encouraged to attend, said Renee Blyth, the local group’s secretary.

“We need our youth to grow up and know how to responsibly take care of our natural resources like clean water and catch and release for species we are trying to keep for generations to come, like the western cutthroat,” Blyth said. “We want them to know how fly fishermen can do that.”

The expo travels around the Northwest and was last held in Coeur d’Alene in 2003.

There will be 17 vendors selling fly fishing equipment and many nonprofit groups promoting various benefits of fly fishing. Casting for Recovery, an organization that leads fly fishing retreats for women with breast cancer, Project Healing Waters, an organization focused on veterans and Idaho Department of Fish and Game will all be there.

Several longer workshops will be offered for $30 each.

Proceeds from raffles, auctions and booth fees will go toward local conservation and education projects.

The International Fly Fishing Expo will be held in Livingston, Mont., in August.

“We live in one of the meccas of fly fishing and using that opportunity to bring these people together and promote good use of our natural resources, that’s great,” Blyth said. “We want to raise the level of awareness of what this area has to offer and the importance of being responsible for this area.”