Free Family Fishing Festival

(PRWeb) April 15, 2007 -- The Upper Andro Anglers Alliance in co-operation with Trout Unlimited will host a free family fishing festival on Saturday, June 2 in Bethel, Maine. The festival will be held along the banks of the Androscoggin River at the big Adventure Center from 9 am to 4 pm, rain or shine.


              
Free casting workshops are set for the morning. Members of the Mollyockett Chapter of Trout Unlimited will teach the workshops. Instruction will follow the curriculum developed by Trout Unlimited's "First Cast" program for Kids. Instruction will include both spin casting and fly casting. Maine's Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program will supply complimentary rods and reels for use at the festival.
              
A "Kids Catch" to practice newly learned casting skills is scheduled from 11 am to 2 pm at the Big Adventure Covered Bridge Pond. The Kids All American Fishing Program and its sponsors Wal-Mart and Zebco will provide each young angler with a goodie bag containing a bobber, Eagle Claw fishing hook, Cutter insect repellent, Coppertone sunscreen, comic book and Fuji Film photo contest information.
         
In the afternoon, kids will learn how to tie flies. Materials will be provided by TU and will include alpaca fibers. The breeders from Sunday River Alpacas will show their yearling alpacas at the event. Every child will be able to take home a hand-tied fly.
         
Exhibitors include the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife with a mobile unit information booth, the Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program; Mainefishingtoday.com; and The Maine Conservation School of Bryant Pond, a camp facility for juniors and adults offering programs in Maine's traditional outdoor activities.
   
From 10 am to 4 pm the Bethel Historical Society will be open to preview its summer Exhibit, "Great Water Road: The Androscoggin Story". The exhibit of images and artifacts presents a picture of the 170 mile waterway as a transportation route for logs, source of nutrients for agriculture, waterpower for industry, subject for artists and photographers and destination for fishermen, canoeists and nature enthusiasts.
         
Families are welcome to bring a pack lunch. An outdoor barbecue and cold drinks will be available at the festival. All parents and kids registering for the event will be eligible for prizes including outdoor and fishing equipment from sponsors, local outfitters and businesses.
         
The weekend of June 2 and 3 is a free fishing weekend in Maine. Resident and Non-resident freshwater fishing licenses are waived each day. June 2 is the first day of National Fishing & Boating Week, a program of the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. RBFF is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating and thereby increase public awareness and appreciation of the need for protecting, conserving and restoring the nation's aquatic and natural resources.

The Bethel Family Fishing Festival is one many nationwide events that provide families with an opportunity to have fun on the water. For those families wishing to stay overnight and fish or canoe the Androscoggin River on Sunday, special family packages are available for the weekend at local lodging establishments. Reservations may be made through the Bethel Chamber of Commerce's reservation service at 1-800-442-5826 or on line at www.bethelmaine.com .
   
For accomplished anglers, a Two-Fly Contest is set for Saturday and Sunday. Each angler may use only two flies to catch the three trout species in the Upper Androscoggin River. Prizes for the categories of total catches and largest fish include Orvis gear and a box of flies. Entry fees for this contest are $50 for adults and $25 for juniors 12 and under. A disposable camera will be provided to document catches.
For information on the Festival and Two-Fly Contest, contact the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance at 1-877-275-3363 or on line at www.upperandro.com.

Bethel Family Fishing Festival Schedule of Events

Saturday, June 2 - BIG Adventure Center, Route 2
8-9 am Registration for Two Fly Contest    
9-10 am Registration for Family Fishing Festival
9-11 am Casting Instruction
11 am - 2 pm Kid's Catch
Noon-2 pm Outdoor Barbecue
2 pm-4 pm Fly Tying Instruction

10 am-4 pm Bethel Historical Society, Robinson House, Broad Street,
Exhibit; "A River's Journey: The Story of the Androscoggin"

Sunday, June 3
Dawn to noon-Two Fly fishing contest
Noon-Two Fly Contest Awards Ceremony-BIG Adventure Center
Noon-4 pm-Open Farm Day at Sunday River Alpacas & Rainbow Trout Pond     (Feeding Only- No Fishing)
Flat Road, West Bethel

All day-Practice newly learned fishing skills on the Upper Andro No license required courtesy Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

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