Fly Fishing: A Big Draw to Anglers

Something fishy’s going on at the corner of Manchester Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard in Westchester this weekend, which explains why you’ll see a lot of people going in and out of the Amfac Hotel with fishing flies stuck on their hats.

Those with no other fish to fry can wander in (a $15 ticket admits the whole family today and Sunday) and hear a lot of fish stories told by famous fly fishermen from all over the country.

Tales about the big one that got away, for instance, and films of the even bigger ones that didn’t. How to tie a tasty-looking fly, and how to cast so the line snakes out over the river and sets the fly right down on the surface of the deepest pool.

Subject of Conclave

All of this piscine lore is the subject of the Federation of Fly Fishers’ eighth annual conclave, “Fly Fishing Days.” The show--at the Amfac Hotel, 8601 Lincoln Blvd., just north of Los Angeles International Airport--is the largest in the United States.

Visitors will have a chance to hear nationally known fisher-figures such as John Randolph, editor of Fly Fisherman magazine, who will tell what he thinks about “Montana Fishing” and “Fabled English Waters.”

Gary Borger, the keynote speaker, will reveal some of his fly-fishing secrets and follow up with casting demonstrations at the hotel pool. Borger is the author of a 3M series of instructional videos, available for sale at the show.

Organized by Southwest Council volunteers and guided by the motto “Don’t catch your limit, limit your catch,” the conclave will emphasize the plight of rainbow trout living in California’s mountain streams and why most fly fishermen have of necessity become conservationists.

Jay Engel, chairman of the show, said “We’ve learned that wild trout are a non-renewable natural resource.”

In the good old days fishermen fished for quantity, measuring success by the length of their string. But, Engel said, depleted streams and days without a nibble taught them a hard lesson: Without some protection, there would be no fish left to catch.

“The spirit of this show is to teach conservation as part of the sport of fly fishing,” he said. “Nowadays fly fishing means learning casting techniques and mastering subtle ways to lure the fish to the hook.

“Barbless hooks, which can be removed from the fish’s mouth without tearing the skin, are the latest thing. After you’ve caught a couple to eat, you release the rest. In some streams, you can’t keep any.”

Scheduled events include lectures, slide programs, equipment and casting technique demonstrations, continuous fly-tying lessons, exhibitions by award-winning fly-tyers, a raffle and several micro-auctions during the day. From 5 to 7:30 p.m. today is the auction of top-of-the-line rods, other fishing gear and artwork.

Conservation Projects

All proceeds, including entrance fees, support the Southwest Council’s local stream conservation projects.

In addition, 52 commercial vendors’ booths, reeled in from as far as Montana, will exhibit and sell a variety of items for anglers, including apparel and fishing vacations.

Show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Two-day tickets are $15 per family, $12 for single tickets. Information: Jay Engel at (818) 799-5066.