A Show Of Winter Northwest Game Fish Kicks Off Two Months Of Outdoor Shows

Sun., Jan. 3, 1999

Rich Landers Outdoors Editor

Winter is officially here. This is obvious because outdoor equipment retailers are working overtime getting consumers to think about spring.

In the next few months, you’ll be able to pull on a stocking cap, bundle in a heavy winter coat and head out to see the latest in spinning tackle, turkey calls, canoes and water skiing boats.

Kicking off the action in the Spokane area is the Northwest Game Fish Show, Friday through Sunday at Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds.

This show is unusual in the Northwest because it zeroes in specifically on fishing and fishing boats, with representatives from tackle companies, boating retailers and angling clubs.

The show, sponsored by the Spokane Walleye Club, will continue its 14-year tradition of pouring proceeds from the show into fisheries-related projects, said Russ Oberlander, show director.

Past club projects include building a picnic pavilion at a Kettle Falls (Wash.) campground, installing handicapped accessible docks at Bear and Fish lakes, buying fish egg incubators for use in state fisheries programs and sponsoring fisheries research.

This year the club has an ambitious slate of goals, including improvements for a Sprague Lake boat launch and several lake research and enhancement projects, Oberlander said.

Two different trends seem to be arising in the big-city commercial outdoor shows.

Sport-specific shows - California last year was the site of the first-ever major West Coast show dedicated to bass fishing.

Family appeal - The International Sportsmen’s Expositions in Portland and Seattle this winter are expanding their reach beyond hunters and anglers to attract an audience interested in sports such as canoeing and kayaking.

To make the shows more attractive to families, the ISE shows at Portland’s Oregon Convention Center and Seattle Kingdome will offer free admission to kids 12 and under. Youth activities also are planned, said ISE spokesman John Kirk.

“Scott Linden, host of Outdoor Life Radio, will focus his entire presentation on family outdoor activities, targeting newcomers in particular,” Kirk said, noting that how-to demonstrations by experts on all types of outdoor sports are a main attraction at the expos. OUTDOOR SHOWS Top outdoor shows in the Northwest include: * Northwest Game Fish Show, Friday-Sunday at Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds. Info: 535-1766. * National Boat Show, Jan. 29-Feb. 7, Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds. Info: 535-1766. * Washington Sportsmen’s Show, Jan. 27-31, Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup. Info: (503) 246-8291. * International Sportsmen’s Expositions, Jan. 7-10, in Portland and Feb. 10-14 at the Kingdome in Seattle. Info: (360) 693-3700. * Big Horn Sports and Recreation Show, March 18-21, Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds. Info: 487-8552.

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