Idaho BHA Co-Chair Bruce Smithhammer shares his experience at the Eastern Idaho Fly Tying Expo, April 19-20 in Idaho Falls.

Honestly, we weren't really sure what kind of reaction we would receive, since this was our first time at this event. The response was surprisingly positive! Steve Walker (ID BHA Board) Ken Theis (Utah BHA State Coordinator), Jared Grover (ID BHA Contractor) and myself had a great time meeting new people and discussing the fantastic backcountry opportunities that the region has to offer.

While it is certainly troubling to keep hearing this message so frequently these days, it also confirms that we have our work cut out for us. Overwhelmingly, people we talked to were excited to hear that we are a sportsman's group, focusing specifically on maintaining/improving backcountry integrity and protecting opportunities for future generations. We are already looking forward to participating in the ID Fly Tying Expo next year, and we have a number of other activities planned in the coming year to meet and talk with as many people as we can about the importance of BHA's mission.