6th Annual Intro To Fly Fishing Weekend 

As the warm June sun welcomes in another summer so did the Pennsylvania BHA chapter celebrate the sixth installment of the Intro to Fly Fishing Weekend at Little Pine State Park in Waterville, PA.  

Attendees were welcomed by board members Jason Yaple, John Shaw and Chapter Chairman Adam Eckley to a weekend of fly casting, equipment selection, and education about what fly to use and how and where to throw it on the water. 

Yaple was especially excited as this was his first time attending the event. His responsibilities were mainly to manage the logistics of the event which included keeping all of the participants with plenty to eat.  

“It was truly a memorable and rewarding experience,” he said. “Seeing those connections being made firsthand brought a new appreciation for the sport and the ecosystems that support it.” 

Seasoned instructors like Sarah Xenophon brought many years of angling experience and participants were able to ask questions and benefit first hand from her knowledge.  

“Even after 6 years of running this event, I’m still just as excited to share my love of fly fishing with new anglers,” said Xenophon. “We always have a wide variety of participants, young and old and those who’ve never fished to those who’ve been at it a while looking to learn something new.”  

“The patience and hands-on instruction provided by the event leaders were exceptional,” added Yaple.  

No camping trip is complete without a fireside multi-course wild game feast and participants were dazzled with this year’s buffet, which included BBQ venison shank, fried deer heart, and of course, campfire trout packets. 

The wild ingredients were procured by a variety of BHA members. The trout for the packets was provided by the Eckley boys, venison sliders and deer heart by Yaple, and R3 co-chair Ethan Brininger amazed the group with tundra swan pastrami.  

As with most of these events the sum is far greater than its parts. The Pennsylvania chapter has a way of doing that. Members left the campground that weekend not only with heads full of new knowledge to take to their streams back home, they were energized by an amazing wild game meal and new connections with other chapter members. 

“The connections made during the weekend will undoubtedly lead to many future adventures on public lands and waters, whether on the stream, in the woods, or around the next campfire,” said Yaple.  

While BHA’s volunteers provide the planning and execution for this annual educational event, it is enhanced with gear purchased through an education grant from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission. The flyrods, angler’s packs and other items used by the attendees were purchased in 2021 and continue to serve new students every year.   

Keep an eye out in your email as next spring approaches for you chance to purchase your ticket to the next Introduction to Fly Fishing event that continually gets better every year.