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AFFTA and CSF Potomac
Event Includes Fly-Casting
on the Capitol Lawn
You can send dozens
of briefing documents,
press releases, and
white papers about fisheries
management and habitat
conservation, but somehow
nothing quite communicates
the message like a perfectly-cast
line or that first strike
from an American shad
taken on a fly.
On Apr. 30, Interior
Secretary Gail Norton
and Members of Congress
joined the American
Fly Fishing Trade Association
(AFFTA) and the Congressional
Sportsmen’s Foundation
(CSF) for a few hours
of fly-casting instruction
and fly-fishing. The
second annual Congressional
Casting Call also included
fly-casting instruction
on the East lawn of
the U.S. Capitol, attended
by dignitaries including
Rep. Clay Shaw (R-FL)
and House Sergeant-of-Arms
Wilson Livingood.
On the banks of the
Potomac river near Fletcher’s
Boat House and the historic
C & O Canal, Secretary
Norton, accompanied
by her aides and a Secret
Service detail, received
casting instruction
from fly-fishing pro
Lefty Kreh.
Congressional guests
included: Rep. Howard
Coble (R-NC), Duke Cunningham
(R-CA), Jim Gibbons
(R-NV), Collin Peterson
(D-MN), Clay Shaw (R-FL),
Don Sherwood (R-PA),
Mike Thompson (D-CA),
Tom Udall (D-NM), David
Wu (D-OR), and Sen.
Michael Enzi (R-WY).
Also in attendance
were a large contingent
of Congressional staff,
officials from the Bush
administration, and
several federal agencies.
Guides rowed each guest
out onto the Potomac
where a few proceeded
to land American and
hickory shad on shad
darts. Rep. Wu’s 3-1/2-year-old
son caught two white
perch. “It’s great to
involve kids early in
the sport, so long as
educational programs
are set up correctly,”
he said.
Vice President Dick
Cheney was personally
invited by two friends
attending the Casting
Call: Jackson guide
John Turner, president
of the Conservation
Fund, and Jackson retailer
Jack Dennis of Jack
Dennis Outdoor Shop.
Cheney reportedly wanted
to attend, but offered
his apologies because
he was out-of-town giving
a major energy speech
in Canada. Rep. Thompson,
co-chair of the Congressional
Sportsmen’s Caucus,
told his colleagues,
“It’s important that
you’re here and you
support the Caucus to
ensure that our shared
interests are advocated
in the halls of Congress.”
Rep. Shaw later said,
“It’s a high point of
the year for us to be
with a group like this.”
Rep. Udall echoed the
sentiment, “This was
an opportunity to not
only fly-fish, but have
informal discussions
with people in the industry
to discuss the issues.”
The Congressional Casting
Call concluded that
evening with an AFFTA
and CSF reception in
the Rayburn House Office
Building, sponsored
by Simms and W.L. Gore
& Assoc. AFFTA president
Bill Klyn called the
day’s activities, “one
of the more unique events
in Washington, as unique
as fly-fishing.” Speaking
to the Congressmen in
the audience, he continued,
“With your new passion
for the sport, we hope
you’ll now have the
passion to support our
conservation initiatives.”
Representing AFFTA
were Bill Klyn, president;
Rori Coward, managing
director; Jim Range,
the association’s Washington
representative; and
AFFTA board members
Dan Clark, Jeff Fryhover,
Tony Gehman, Bruce Kirschner,
and K.C. Walsh.
The Congressional Casting
Call was supported by:
Abel, Abenaki Publications,
Bellsouth, David Communications,
Eagle Claw, ExOfficio,
Fly Fishing in Saltwaters
Magazine, Fly Rod &
Reel Magazine, G. Loomis,
Izaak Walton League,
Palsa, Patagonia, Simms,
Tilley Endurables, Trout
Unlimited, Tyger Leader,
Umpqua, U.S. Telecom,
Waterwisp Flies, W.L.
Gore & Assoc., and
others. The Congressional
Sportsmen’s Foundation
(CSF) serves as the
link between sportsmen,
wildlife organizations
and the Congressional
Sportsmen’s Caucus.
It educates Members
of Congress to better
understand and represent
their hunting and angling
constituents.
AFFTA represents nearly
400 fly-fishing manufacturers,
sales representatives,
retailers, outfitters,
and specialty media.
It exclusively endorses
the industry’s largest
fly-fishing trade show,
the FLY-FISHING RETAILER
World Trade Expo, Sept.
6-8, 2001, in Salt Lake
City.
AFFTA is based in Kelso,
Wash. at 360 636 0708;
fax 360 636 3971; info@affta.com;
www.affta.com. Rori
Coward is managing director.
# # #
5-10-01
Contact:
Jeff Blumenfeld Blumenfeld
and Assoc. PR 203 855
9400 /blumassoc@aol.com
Rori Coward AFFTA 360
636 0708 / info@affta.com
Jim Range Baker, Donelson,
Bearman 202 508 3499;
jrange@bdbc.com
Editor’s Note: Photography
from the event is available
upon request from Jeff
Blumenfeld, 203 855
9400; blumassoc@aol.com
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