** Please note that The Fisherman Magazine will now be located at booth #100 which is immediately to the right after entering the main showroom entrance.
The big news for New England fishing and hunting enthusiasts: the 2017 Northeast Fishing & Hunting Show, engineered by GMC will be held six weeks later than in past years – and just in time for spring’s fishing and hunting season! The 20th annual event will take place from Friday, March 31 through Sunday, April 2, 2017 at the Connecticut Convention Center at 100 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford, Conn.
The show’s 2017 Veterans Appreciation Day will be on Saturday, April 1 when the first 200 U.S. veterans or active military in line will get free admission with a valid military or veteran association-issued ID.
“Moving Connecticut’s only fishing and hunting show to the spring will be even more fun and useful for people gearing up for the start of the season’s outdoor fishing and hunting season,” explains Kristie Gonsalves, President of North East Expos which presents the Northeast Fishing & Hunting Show. “Designed as a great outing for the entire family, there will be hundreds of booths with the newest fishing, hunting and outdoor equipment for sale by some of the nation’s top manufacturers, including a variety of lines of fishing boats.”
“One of our new displays is an impressive 4,000-gallon Hog Traugh Fish Tank, the site for daily demonstrations of fishing and casting techniques,” says Gonsalves. “People of all ages can attend 50 hours of seminars with national and regional experts (free entry with general admission), speak and schedule tours with charter boat captains, watch expert fly fishing casting and fly tying shows, see live pointing dogs and birds of prey, and enjoy lots of interactive activities.”
Experts speaking or hosting booths include: Alberto Knie (a/k/a “Crazy Alberto”) – a world-class extreme trophy game fish hunter and writer/fishing product designer who specializes in the art of Trophy Fishing and Conservation; whitetail hunters Dean and Shelli Vanier, Gerry Rightmyer & Steve Schicker, hosts of TV’s “Forever Wild Outdoors Adrenaline Adventure”; international bow hunter Del DelMastro; Professional Angler and Bassmaster Mike DelVisco; Ralph Wilkins of National Geographic Channel’s “Wicked Tuna”; diving fisherman Mike Laptew; lure designer Al Gag; and Fishing Captains Brian Bacon, Greg Dubrule, TJ Karbowski, John Planeta, Mike Roy, Mel True, and Dave Brandt.
Popular attractions include hunting and pointing dog demonstrations from Dusty W German Shorthaired Pointers of Palmerton, Penn., the live eagles, owls and hawks of Talons! Birds of Prey, and the interactive Black Hawk II virtual fishing fighting chair.
Attendees can get free appraisals of their antique and collectible fishing lure and tackle by Lang’s Auction of Waterville, NY. Lang’s Auction is the world’s largest and most respected auction firm with auction price records in every category of fishing tackle, including the highest price ever paid for a single fishing lure of $101,200.
Returning favorites include the Catch & Release Trout Pond – catch a live, tagged fish and win a child’s rod and reel, an aisle with Fly-Tying experts demonstrating the intricate art of creating flies, an NRA Laser Shooting Range, a Sportsmen’s Outpost’s archery range, and a Kids’ Bass Casting Competition sponsored by the Connecticut Bass Federation. And, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs again is bringing its Mobile VetCenter Bus staffed by outreach representatives.
Fly-fishing casting demonstrators include Capt. Dave Brandt of Oneonta, NY; and Fred Wilson of Sandy Hook, CT. Among the many fly-tiers demonstrating their craft are: Capt. Dave Brandt of Oneonta, NY; Mike Stewart of North Granby, CT.; Fred Wilson of Sandy Hook, CT.
The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) will host a variety of booths, featuring mounted Connecticut fish and animals and a tank of live fish from Connecticut waters. Throughout the show, DEEP experts will provide consumer education on a range of topics, and will present the latest rules and regulations dealing with wildlife, fisheries, hunting and fishing for the coming season. The Hunter Safety Program will feature its ever popular Laser Shoot supervised by NRA Safety Instructors and statewide boating/safety access information will be available from Boating Safety Division staff. In addition, on Saturday, April 1 at 11 a.m., DEEP will hold its Annual Trophy Fish Award Ceremony at the show.
Show hours:
Friday, March 31 from 12 noon to 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 1 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission is Cash Only: $12 adults; $4 Children 5 to 12; and Free under age 5. Admission gets you into all seminars at no extra cost. Saturday, April 1 is Veterans Appreciation Day at the Show: Free admission for the first 200 U.S. veterans or active military in line with a valid military or veteran association-issued ID.
Event sponsors include: GMC, Coalition of Connecticut Sportsmen, The Fisherman Magazine, LeafFilter of Connecticut, VA Healthcare; Country 92-5 WWYZ, WFSB Channel 3, Bedard Enterprises, and North East Expos, Inc.
For more show information and to add your name to receive email updates about the show, visit www.fishinghuntingshow.com or call 860-844-8461.
