Another Fly Fishing Show in the books for the Original Drifter and I. And this was probably the best trip we’ve had going there. We left Friday morning at 6 am and listened to Orvis podcasts along the way. We stopped at the Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Museum – which should be on any fly fisherperson’s list of places to see. You could spend hours there, reading about the Keystone state’s legendary pioneers of the craft, seeing the gear they used (some quite crude compared to today’s), and feeling their legendary presence.
I think the one aspect that struck me the most was the delicacy and sparseness of the flies they tied and used. It gives me a whole new approach to tying up bugs now, and I’m looking forward to diving into each of the legend’s histories even more.
Another must-see display is the Vince Marinaro and George Harvey setup. It is constructed like their own fly tying rooms were set up, complete with an old wooden ironing board that George built rods on. I’ll leave it at that, as you have to see it for yourself to really get the complete picture.
There is a library area at the museum too. Filled with books, one could easily spend an entire afternoon here studying up on everything fly fishing. The walls are adorned with framed photos and example flies from all the legends.
We hit two days of the Fly Fishing Show and checked out all the wares. We saw some familiar faces and watched some incredible demonstrations. Along the way we sampled some local food and culture. Made our annual stop at the Elk’s club. Even found a cool dive bar – Vic’s Wayside Inn. Very interesting place and met the owner Vic himself! If you are looking to get away from the mainstream bar scene, definitely stop in there. Very nice folks – although keep in mind, it is a smoking establishment.
Here are some pics from the weekend festivities. Enjoy! ~Drifter 07
Brushes with Brookies & Beer 