Thanks to our sponsors, Admission is free.  

The entire event is focused around collaborations between fly tyers, sharing of knowledge, speakers and presentations, bucket raffles to raise money for our Trout Unlimited Chapter, food and drink and lots of fun.

Currently we have a fly tyers row that will include 40 fly tyers, making this one of the biggest fly tying symposiums in the Northeast. On top of all that, its free to attend.  

On display this year also will be our Mohawk Valley Trout Unlimited Team with live brook trout that they are raising in the schools.  

We have guest speakers like: Alvin Montana the Adirondack Trout Bum and Chris Steed talking about blue line fishing and "how to" tricks. Rob Streeter, Author; will be discussing his new book and DIY fishing adventures. Stu Miller of MVTU will talk about or new River Keepers Program. Jesse Vadala of TU Northeast will talk about the connected water campaign on the Moose River and Gary Bartell will talk about our trout in the classroom program.

Last year we had over 300 people attend and we are hoping for the same. See you there and mark your calendar.

The Central New York (CNY) Fly Tying Symposium, now named the D.S. Smith Memorial CNY Fly Tying Symposium, is a premier annual gathering for anglers and conservationists. Sponsored by JP Ross Fly Rods and Steet Toyota Group, it serves as both a community celebration and a fundraiser for local cold-water conservation.

Event Logistics

Date & Time: Sunday, March 22, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Location: Harts Hill Inn, 135 Clinton St, Whitesboro, NY.

Admission: Free and open to the public.

What to Expect

Live Tying: Over 30 expert fly tyers from across the Northeast will demonstrate their techniques and share local patterns for trout and other species.

Exhibitors & Vendors: Meet local favorites like JP Ross Fly Rods, Meandering Martins, Nash Fly Works, and conservation groups like Trout Unlimited.

Activities: The day includes speakers, a swap meet, and multiple bucket raffles featuring outdoor gear like fly rods and guided float trips.

Atmosphere: This is a kid-friendly event. Food from Harts Hill Inn is available throughout the day, and a cash bar opens at noon.

Mission & Fundraising

The symposium raises funds for two key initiatives led by the Mohawk Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited:

Trout In The Classroom (TIC): Supporting over 25 regional school programs that teach students to raise trout from eggs.

Mohawk Valley TU River Keepers (MVTURK): Funding water-sampling equipment for critical local stream monitoring.

Are you interested in reserving a tying bench for the event, or would you like to see a list of the featured speakers? Contact JP. jpross@jprossflyrods.com

Presentations

1. Mohawk Valley River Keepers Program. Presented by Mohawk Valley trout Unlimited.
2. Alvin Montana, The Adirondack Trout Bum Youtube Channel.  Presentation on Wild Brook Trout, Tight Streams. Quiet Ponds. Alvin delivers a fast, story rich look at fishing smll waters and exploring remote ponds. He also looks behind the scenes at work being done by the NYS DEC as part of the brook trout surveillance team. This is a presentaion built for anglers who chase wild fish where few people go.
3. Chris Steed: An introduction to understanding pocket water: Tips and strategies for reading this productive water with conversation around choices of gear, presentation, and technique.     Reflections on why we fish and what draws us to this adventure; and some tips for blue lining and reasons we should all be doing more of it.
4. Rob Streeter, Author. Rob will talk about his latest book and go over DIY fly fishing adventures.
5. Gary Bartel of Trout Unlimited will present on Trout in the Classroom. In addition to this, we will also have a tank on site with brook trout in it that are being raised by elementary kids. There will be kids from multiple schools availavle for questions and answers.  
6. Jesse Vadala of Trout Unlimited will present on the Moose River Connected waters project, which entails the project plans for multiple culvert removals in the remote area of the Moose River Plains in the Adirondacks.