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KELSO, WA (May 6, 2002)
- On a cool, gray April
morning the Potomac
River, the sounds of
line ripping from fly
reels and the good natured
ribbing of some of DC's
most influential natural
resource policy makers
mingled with the calls
of Northern orioles
and Canada Geese. To
get members of Congress
and their staff up at
6:00 am on a Monday
isn't easy, but this
dedicated group came
with the promise of
learning the art of
fly fishing from some
of the nation's best
instructors and the
incentive of catching
a hickory shad or striped
bass.
April 29th was the
third annual Congressional
Casting Call, an event
hosted by the Congressional
Sportsmen's Foundation
(CSF) and the American
Fly Fishing Trade Association
(AFFTA). The Casting
Call was designed to
give DC decision makers
the opportunity to learn
first hand how their
actions impact the resources
that sportsmen and women
depend on for recreation.
"It's hard to
underestimate the power
of a morning on the
river with a rod in
hand. We had an outstanding
turn-out of individuals
who will play a key
role in fisheries conservation
issues," said Jim
Range, DC lobbyist with
AFFTA. "The participants
in the Congressional
Casting Call now understand
more clearly how their
actions on issues such
as the reauthorization
of the Wallop-Breaux
Act will impact our
natural resources."
This year's Casting
Call featured notable
fly fishing instructors
Mel Krieger, Rhea Topping
and Jack Dennis, who
had the opportunity
to teach the finer points
of casting to the nation's
highest elected officials
and representatives.
Senator Mike Enzi, Congressmen
Mike Thompson and Collin
Peterson and Department
of Interior Assistant
Secretary Rebecca Watson
and Deputy Assistant
Secretary Paul Hoffman
joined numerous congressional
and agency staff in
learning the techniques
of fly casting before
having a guide row them
on the Potomac to try
their hand at catching
hickory shad and striped
bass.
Showing his genuine
love for the sport of
fly fishing, Senator
Enzi from Wyoming was
one of the first to
arrive at the early
morning event and last
to come off the river.
This becomes even more
impressive when AFFTA
representatives learned
Senator Enzi had just
flown into DC at 1:00
am that same morning.
"There are a number
of Congressional staffers
here today, which is
very good. It's very
important not just to
expose the Senators
and Congressmen to what
you do but also these
staffers who have a
great deal of influence
on the policy decisions
that we make,"
stated Senator Enzi
in his comments to the
participants.
The event culminated
with a casting instruction
in the shadow of the
Capitol for Senate Majority
Leader Tom Daschle and
his wife Linda. The
Daschles spent twenty
minutes with Mel Krieger
perfecting their fly
casting.
The Congressional Sportsmen's
Foundation (CSF) serves
as a link between sportsmen,
wildlife organizations
and Congress to better
understand and represent
their hunting and angling
constituents. The American
Fly Fishing Trade Association
(AFFTA) is based in
Kelso, Washington and
represents over 400
fly-fishing manufacturers,
sales representatives,
retailers, outfitters
and specialty media.
AFFTA exclusively endorses
the industry's largest
fly-fishing trade show,
the FLY-FISHING RETAILER
World Trade Expo, September
12 - 14 in Denver, Colorado.
For additional information
regarding the Congressional
Casting Call or AFFTA,
media should contact
Lori Crabtree at Stanwood
& Partners Public
Relations, 307-733-1514
or email: lcrabtree@wyoming.com.
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Lori Crabtree (formerly
Lori Ostrom)
Stanwood & Partners
Public Relations
PHONE: 307-733-1514
FAX: 307-739-8664
Email: lcrabtree@wyoming.com
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