Wasatch Fly Tying & Fly Fishing Expo

The Wasatch Intermountain Fly Tying and Fly Fishing Expo is a gathering of fly fishermen and women, fly tiers, fishing guides, destination outfitters, and fly fishing equipment vendors held over a two day period on April 7 and 8, 2017 at the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy, Utah. The Expo is sponsored by Utah Chapters of Trout Unlimited and the Federation of Fly Fishers.

The Expo is open to the public and is structured to entertain and educate the novice and well as the seasoned fly fishers. The Expo has many purposes but includes a wide variety of educational, conservation, and humanitarian activities. There are educational opportunities available to learn fly fishing, fly tying and advanced casting techniques from nationally recognized experts. The Expo will have over 100 fly tiers who will demonstrate their tying skills over a two-day period showing some of their favorite patterns that catch fish. The classes and demonstrations are open to men and women fly fishers of all ages and skills. This year the Expo is offering a 2-day women’s only event in addition to the open classes.

There will be youth programs where kids have to opportunity to tie flies and learn fly rod casting techniques. There is also a Top Gun casting competition where nationally known casters compete for prize money. The expo will have a casting pond to try casting with new fly rods being exhibited by the vendors.

About 90 vendors are expected. They will showcase fishing equipment including fly rods, fly lines, fly boxes, reels, packs, outdoor clothing, boats and many other items. Some vendors will offer high quality artwork in the form of prints and fish sculptures. Some of the vendors represent destination fishing locations and fishing lodges throughout the Intermountain West as well as Alaska. The vendors offer special fly fishing vacations from Alaska to the Baja and many places in between. The Expo will introduce an Adventure Theater this year where vendors representing outfitters and lodges will showcase their offerings. Also new for 2017 will be a wide range of panel discussions on topics such as Steelhead Fishing, Fishing the Green River, Utah’s Blue Ribbon Fisheries, the Utah Cuttslam and many others. The panels will have 4 to 5 well-known experts on their topics. Panel audience members will have ample opportunities for questions.

There will be drawings for a wide variety of fishing equipment donated by the vendors. Both live and silent auctions are held to raise funds. The profits from the Expo are used to support the participating chapter’s activities through the year. These activities include youth education, conservation and several types of humanitarian activities for wounded veterans and cancer survivors.