OQUOSSOC – The animal pelts were piled high and the fly-fishing popular at the Outdoor Sporting Heritage Day sponsored by the Rangeley Region Guides and Sportsmen’s Association.
Cars were packed in like fish roe along the dirt road approaching the outdoor extravaganza at the organization’s clubhouse while overcast skies threatened, but did not spill, rain. More than 100 in a mix of tourists, locals and guides meandered from booth to booth and demo to demo getting a true and enthusiastic appreciation of what outdoor sporting is all about.
Organizations on hand included the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Maine Bow Hunters Association, Maine Trappers Association and the Rangeley Sportsmen’s Club. The Rangeley Skeet and Trap Club also participated in the Outdoor Sporting Day by raffling off a shotgun. Moose calls, canoe races, stuffed beavers and wildlife paintings also were on display, too, at the wilderness fair.
From a hardcore fly-fishing competition for kids to an archery demonstration, this show had something for every sportsman and sportswoman. A honeybee display by Nick Kelley of Kelley’s Bees and Carol Cottrill of Fox Run Farm, were selling lip balm, wax products and of course, honey. Cottrill reported that the mysterious disappearance of entire swarms of bees hadn’t affected their delicious products.
“That’s pretty much (the problem of) the big commercial companies,” she said. “We’re small producers and can afford to pay more attention to our hives.”
Around the pond folks were trying their hand at fly fishing. Young and old alike were being introduced to the sport, by two local guides, with varying degrees of success. A measuring tape running along the edge of the pond gauged the power behind each fisher’s cast. While on the other side of the pond, two cocker spaniels practiced bounding into water in search and retrieval of floating targets thrown by their owners to demonstrate the dogs’ abilities and possibilities when hunting.
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Rangeley Region Guides and Sportsmen’s Association director David Borman, at right, and Master Maine Guide Dennis Leahy, serve up the elk burgers at the Heritage Day Tuesday. |
The organization’s director, and fortunately for those attending, an ex-professional chef, David Borman donned an apron behind a grill to cook all the household favorites alongside elk burgers for the hungry to taste.
“It’s a good crowd,” he said, glancing from the pond encircled by children fishing to the long line waiting for burgers. “People seem to be having fun.”
