Magic Falls Rafting Co. of West Forks, Maine will provide rafts and garbage scows. Immediately following the clean-up, lunch will be provided by the staff of Pleasant River Campground at Davis Park.

Rivers and watersheds have been used as dumps for old appliances, shopping carts and other refuse. Litter, such as foam cups, plastic bottles and food wrappers float into waterways, build up along the shoreline and stay there for years. With landfill space at a premium, recycling efforts stymied by a lack of plant capacity and toxic waste expensive to control, a grassroots effort can help maintain a constituency for preserving and protecting waterways. In 2011, 2 million pounds of trash and debris were collected and 6,000 miles of rivers and streams cleaned across the nation. In years’ past the Upper Andro yielded over a ton of debris including bed springs, tires and tire rims, a boat motor and a 1950’s record player.

The Upper Andro Anglers Alliance sponsors the local clean up. Says Clean-up Co-ordinator and UAAA director Bruce Pierce, “There’s been a long-standing effort to improve the Androscoggin’s water quality and fishery-now we need to improve the shore land zone along this wonderful river.”

National River Cleanup was founded in 1992 by America Outdoors, the largest association of America’s outfitters and guides, to assist local groups in keeping waterways clean. In 2007 American Rivers assumed administration of the river clean up. American Rivers, founded in 1973, is the nation’s leading river advocacy organization. NRC Information is published on line at www.nationalrivercleanup.org.

Local Maine guides and members of the Mollyockett Chapter of Trout Unlimited will teach the workshops. Instruction will include both spin casting and fly casting for older youth and parents. Maine’s Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program will supply complimentary rods and reels for use at the festival.

Families can practice newly learned casting skills in the one acre pond and are welcome to take home their catch. The pond will be stocked with trout courtesy of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Each young angler will receive a mini-tackle box complete with bobber, sinkers and hook courtesy of the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance.

Kids can learn how to tie flies with materials provided by local outfitters and fly shops. Children will be able to take home their hand-tied flies.

Families participating in the event will be eligible for door prizes from local outfitters and businesses as well as L.L. Bean and Kittery Trading Post. The Bethel Fire Dept. will host a barbecue of hotdogs and hamburgers, chips, and drinks and families are welcome to bring a pack lunch.

The weekend of June 2 & 3 is a free fishing weekend in Maine. Resident and Non-resident freshwater fishing licenses are waived each day.

The Family Fishing Festival is one many nationwide events that provide families with an opportunity to have fun on the water. The events are promoted by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (www.rbff.org). For those families wishing to stay overnight and fish or canoe the Androscoggin River on Sunday, special family packages are available for the weekend at local lodging establishments.

For information on the Family Fishing Festival, contact the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance at 207-824-3694, fish at upperandro dot com or www.upperandro.com.

For photos and comments by Kevin Mckay about the show, please visit the MaineFlyFish website.

Authors include Robert Romano, author of several novels about the Rangeley Lakes region including “North of Easie”; Topher Browne, Patagonia Fishing Ambassador and author of an upcoming book on the Atlantic salmon; Kathy Scott, author of “Brook Trout Forest” and David Tibbetts, watercolorist and author of “Tight Lines”. Artist John Swan of Portland will exhibit his fine art watercolors and Gene Bahr his 3-D and wall-mounted fish carvings and bronzes. Terry Walsh, a jeweler from Maine’s Midcoast will have his fine pendants on display. Selene Dumaine, Ed Muzeroll, Sharon Wright and Charles Mann will be demonstrating the fine craft of fly tying. David van Burgel and Jim Becker will be building Bamboo Rods. Film maker Carter Davidson of Gray Ghost Productions will be showing excerpts from his fishing films “The One” “East by Northeast” and “The Good Life”.

Information on the expo is available on line at www.westernmaineflyfishingexpo.com or by phoning the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance at 207-824-3694.

Along with the contest , the expo will feature 40 exhibitors, rod building and fly tying instruction, entomology seminars and fly casting techniques and strategies. Door prizes donated by the exhibitors will be awarded every hour. The Expo hours are 9:30 am to 4 pm. Admission is $5 for adults and free for juniors 15 and under.

For information contact the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance at 207-824-3694. On line information is available at www.westernmaineflyfishingexpo.com.

For a copy of contest rules (pdf) click this link.

Exhibitors include Maine and New Hampshire outfitters and guide services, sporting camps, wildlife artists and authors, The Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the University of Maine 4H Camp, and boat and gear manufacturers. Attendees can learn the art of fly tying, rod building and wildlife photography. There will be educational seminars on ecology and entomology as well as instruction in strategies and techniques in fishing for trout, salmon and bass. HMH Vises is sponsoring a fly tying contest. Sponsors and exhibiting vendors are giving away dozens of door prizes every hour. Proceeds from an auction of items including guided trips, sporting camp vacations and fly fishing gear will go toward fishing habitat restoration projects and river access in the Western Maine region.

Says Scott Stone, President of the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance and TU member, “We’re really blessed to be able to fish in this area of Western Maine which provides the perfect environment for catching trout. We hope that anglers of all ages and abilities will attend and leave with a greater understanding of the sport and lots of fishing goodies too.”

Information on the event is available on line at www.westernmaineflyfishingexpo.com or by phoning the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance at 207-824-3694 or email questions to fish@upperandro.com.

For the first time in the 2-Fly contest history there was a tie at the top for the biggest fish caught during the 7 hour fly-fishing competition held on the Upper Androscoggin River on Saturday, September 17. Both Rex Cummings of Bethel, Maine and Jim Bernstein of Cape Neddick, Maine caught a 15 ½ inch rainbow trout. The fishermen drew straws to see who would have first choice of the many prizes donated by LL Bean, Orvis, Patagonia, the Kittery Trading Post, Sun Valley Sports and Carter’s Farm and Outdoor Center. Cummings won the draw and chose an Orvis Helios fly rod. Bernstein chose an insulated gear bag from Patagonia. Second place went to Emily Cote of Monmouth, Maine, who caught a 14 inch rainbow. Emily received a fishing kayak from LL Bean. Third place with a 13 ½ inch rainbow went to Dan Harrison of Kennebunk, Me . The First Place trophy for the largest catch of the day went to Peter Smith of Wilton, Me with 11 trout, 2nd place to Todd Richard of Farmington, Me. with 10 trout and 3rd place to Kevin McKay of Winterport, Me. with 8 trout. The Rocky Freda Turtle Water Trophy for the Team who caught the most fish was presented to Scott Stone, the oarsman for the team of Northern Lights/Schiavi Homes, who brought 21 trout to net . A wooden, hand-carved trophy donated by Maineflyfish.com was presented to the angler who caught the smallest chub. This year’s chub trophy went to Chandler Woodcock of Farmington, Maine.

A total of 90 brown, rainbow and brook trout were caught by the twelve teams fishing from drift boats and rafts along the Androscoggin River between Shelburne, NH and Bethel, Maine. Anglers were allowed to use only two flies during the catch and release tournament. Said, angler Hope Eagleson from Hillsborough, NH, a member of the Fish-n-Chicks team, “ I lost both my flies within one hour. I’m glad it was a sunny day to just sit and watch the wildlife and see the other contestants casting their rods. I’m hoping for better luck next year.”

A drift boat competition was held Friday afternoon to test the skills of the oarsmen in the 2-fly competition. The ¼ mile course features a series of buoys to maneuver and a downriver sprint from Bethel Outdoor Adventures launch to the take-out at Davis Park in Bethel. First place went to Team Patagonia and oarsman Brett Trefethen of Mt. Vernon, Maine with a time of 7 minutes 15 seconds. Second place just 4 seconds behind went to the Fish-n-Chicks team and oarswoman Kate Farnham of Bath, Maine and third place to Scott Stone of Norway, Maine with a time of 7 minutes and 28 seconds. Fourth place went to Chandler Simpkins of Chandler Boatworks in Newry, Maine who rowed his custom built drift boat. Simpkins missed the first buoy and lost over 4 minutes maneuvering back up stream in a fierce current.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin McKay

Photo Courtesy of Kevin McKay

Photo Courtesy of Kevin McKay

Co-Winners of 2011 Upper Andro Two-Fly – Rex Cummings (left), Jim Bernstein (right)
Photo Courtesy of Kevin McKay

Photo Courtesy of Mike Mayo

Photo Courtesy of Mike Mayo

Photo Courtesy of Mike Mayo

Chandler Woodcock receives trophy for smallest chub caught from Kevin McKay founder of the trophy.
Photo Courtesy of Mike Mayo

The Teams

Fish-n-Chicks
Anglers Hope Eagleson, Mary McCauley Oarswoman Kate Farnham

Northern Lights/Schiavi Homes
Anglers Peter Smith, Todd Richard oarsman Scott Stone

Café DiCocoa
Anglers Ed Cellupica, Tom Roberti oarsman Laurin Parker

Skinny Moose Media/Western Maine Drifters
Anglers Dan Harrison, Larry Fiori oarsman Brian Reader

Patagonia
Anglers Amy Grant-Trefethen, Emily Cote oarsman Brett Trefethen

The Bethel Inn Resort
Anglers Brad Jerome, Stoo Mason oarsman Will Gilson

Young Guns/Eldredge Fly Shop
Angler Jax McKay, oarsman and angler Jim Bernstein

Grant’s Kennebago Camps
Anglers Mike Arsenault, John Blunt oarsman Bob Blunt

Trout Safari
Anglers Marc DesRuisseaux, Steve Marsters oarsman Rick Estes

Maine Tourism Association
Anglers Don Kleiner, Chandler Woodcock oarsman Mike Gawtry

All Points Insurance
Anglers Kevin McKay, Mike Fitzpatrick oarsman Tom Gagnon

Four Seasons Realty/Roosters Roadhouse
Anglers Luke Gray, Rex Cummings oarsman Eric Melanson

121 Mayville Road

Bethel, ME 04217

800-533-3607, 207-824-4224

info@betheloutdooradventure.com

www.betheloutdooradventure.com

Located on the banks of the Androscoggin River in Bethel, we offer canoe and kayak rentals, shuttle service, camping, mineralogy expeditions, and guided fishing. We are experts in family outdoor activities.

The Upper Andro Two Fly Contest and Northeast Drift Boat Championship are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, September 16 and 17, 2011, in conjunction with Bethel’s Annual Harvest Fest. The competitions are the annual fund-raisers for the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance, a non-profit group dedicated to the conservation, protection, restoration and promotion of the natural fishing resource of the Upper Androscoggin River, its tributaries, watershed and environs.

Contestants may use only two flies during the event, which starts at 6:00 am on Saturday. Teams may launch from public launch sites from the New Hampshire border at Shelburne to Rumford Center. The contest concludes at 1:00 pm.

The Two Fly contest will test the skills of anglers to fly fish for the most and the largest of the three trout species, brown, rainbow and brook found in the Upper Androscoggin River from the New Hampshire border to Rumford Center. A fly is defined as made from natural or synthetic materials tied to a single pointed hook. No tandems or treble hooks are allowed. Teams of three including two anglers and a referee/oarsman must fish from a drift boat. All fish must be released live. The contest is limited to 18 teams.

Prizes including rods and fishing gear supplied by Kittery Trading Post, L.L. Bean, Patagonia, Sun Valley Sports, House of Hardy and the Orvis Company will be awarded Saturday afternoon immediately following a parade of the drift boats up Main Street and around the Town Common.

The Upper Andro Anglers Alliance will be offering fly tying and fly casting instruction on Saturday from its Harvest Fest booth on the town common. A tally of trout caught during the contest will be updated and posted at the booth during the day.

The Third Annual Northeast Drift Boat Championship will be held Friday, September 16 at 3 pm. Designed as a spectator event, the competition will test oarsmen’s skills at navigating a course and rowing speed. Each drift boat must carry at least one angler, who must remain standing throughout the timed race. The launch will be from Bethel Outdoor Adventures on Route 2 and the finish line is at Davis Park in Bethel-a distance of a quarter mile.

Official contest rules and a registration form are available on line at www.upperandro.com or by phoning 207-824-3694..

Please follow this link for a PDF copy of contest rules and a printable registration form.