Join us for fun, fishing, music, and camaraderie as we celebrate and raise funds to protect and enhance the Battenkill and provide the Arlington area with a hub for wellness, art, and community.

Schedule of Events:

May 2, 2024:

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Opening Cocktail Party - Watkins House, Arlington Common Campus

A fun kick-off to the weekend with a cocktail party to raise money to care for the historic Battenkill. There will be a silent auction with fantastic trips and items. Attendees will get a sneak peek of the Sporting Traditions: Fields and Streams Art Exhibit and be able to chat with the artists.

$75 per person. The cocktail party includes appetizers, and a cash bar is available. This ticket does not include admission to festival events from Friday, May 3, to Sunday, May 5. A separate General Admission ticket must be purchased. All attendees must be over 21.

May 3, 2024:

9am - 8pm: Sporting Traditions; Fields and Streams, Art Exhibit - Watkins House, Arlington Common Campus

An art show entitled “Sporting Traditions; Fields and Streams” featuring fly fishing, river/ocean scenes, hunting, and rural landscapes will fill the first floor galleries of the 1895 Watkins House. The art exhibit will remain on display through June 10th and will be open on weekends.

9am: “Tree Planting” - Union Street, Manchester

Tree Planting at Union Street in Manchester with TU’s Jacob Fetterman, the Battenkill Watershed Alliance’s Jim Henderson, and TU / Festival volunteers

10am: Coffee with the Artists - Watkins House, Arlington Common Campus

Come hear the artists talk about their work in the “Sporting Traditions; Fields and Streams” Art Exhibit

10am: American Fly Fishing Tours (included with festival wristband) - American Fly Fishing Museum, Manchester, VT

Guided Tour of the American Museum of Fly Fishing (located at 4070 Main Street, Manchester, VT - 8 miles north of Arlington)

AMFF is home to the world’s largest collection of angling and angling-related items, numbering in the thousands. The collections and exhibits thoroughly document the evolution of fly fishing as a sport, art form, craft, and industry in the United States and abroad, dating as far back as the sixteenth century.  Join curator Jim Schottenham and explore the following exhibits:

Tied Together: The Extraordinary Lives Of Joan And Lee Wulff
Reflections: The Angler And Nature In Art
Guiding Star: The Legacy Of Jose Wejebe
Mary Orvis Marbury: The 1893 Worlds Fair Fly Panels
In Reel Time: Fly Reels Past & Present

4pm - 9pm: Lawson’s Microbrew Tent (festival wristband is not required for tent) - Arlington Common Campus

Arguably Vermont's finest brewery, Lawson’s, will be the exclusive beer provider for the BFFF3. Come talk to the brewers, sample an array of their award-winning beers, and enjoy an incredible weekend in SW Vermont.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages are available for purchase.  We recommend purchasing dinner tickets in advance.

5pm - 6:30pm: “Covenant of the Salmon People” Screening - Performing Arts Center, Arlington Common Campus

“Covenant of the Salmon People” Screening, followed by a Discussion and Q&A afterward with Eric Crawford, TU North Idaho Field Coordinator

5pm - 9pm: BBQ Chicken Dinner with Sauced BBQ - Watkins House, Arlington Common Campus

Local grillers, Sauced BBQ, will provide delicious BBQ chicken, coleslaw, baked potato, and a roll. A vegetarian option is available. There are two seatings: 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets purchased in advance guarantee seating in the dinner tent. Take-out is available for pick-up. $17 per dinner.

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7pm: Trout Unlimited Kickoff - Performing Arts Center, Arlington Common Campus

Kickoff/Welcome Remarks from  TU National’s Jeff Yates, Senior Director Of Engagement and Volunteer Operations

7:30 pm - 9:30 pm: International Fly Fishing Film Festival - Performing Arts Center, Arlington Common Campus

IF4™ is the world’s leading fly-fishing film event, consisting of coveted fly-fishing films produced by filmmakers from all corners of the globe and showcases the passion, lifestyle, and culture of fly fishing. It is the gathering place of the fly-fishing community and a celebration of friendship, stories, and stoke.

May 4, 2024:

12:00 pm - 5 pm: Food & Beverage - Tent, Arlington Common Campus

Lawson’s Microbrew Tent

Arguably Vermont's finest brewery, Lawson’s, will be the exclusive beer provider for the BFFF3. Come talk to the brewers, sample an array of their award-winning beers, and enjoy an incredible weekend in SW Vermont.

Lunch:  Crooked Barn Charcuterie, LLC, is a chef-inspired charcuterie and sausage production company with one goal - create a wide range of charcuterie items featuring locally and sustainably farmed raw ingredients. No presold tickets.

Non-alcoholic beverages are available for purchase.  

1:00 - 5:00 pm: Fly-Tyer Discovery Center - Fitness Center Studio, Arlington Common
(Festival Wrist Band Required to enter following events)

Hour-long presentations with renowned fly-tyers. The hourly presentations and seminars will be held with projection and audio to follow along.

1:00 pm - 1:45 pm: "The Peculiar Impressionistic Fly Patterns of Illustrator John Atherton" - Performing Arts Center, Arlington Common Campus
Mike Valla - Noted Author & Battenkill Expert

2:00 pm - 2:45 pm: Atlantic Salmon Federation - State of the Wild Atlantic Salmon in North America and Aquaculture Threats - Performing Arts Center, Arlington Common Campus
John Burrows, Vice President, US Operations, Atlantic Salmon Federation

3:00 pm - 3:45 pm: John Shaner, Angling Historian and renowned  Catskill fly-tyer. - Performing Arts Center, Arlington Common Campus

4:00 pm - 4:45 pm: Argentina Presentation, Estancia Caleufu - Performing Arts Center, Arlington Common Campus

A photographic journey to one of the finest fly fishing destinations in Patagonia.
Max Knull and Javier Rivera

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Biking Tour of the Battenkill - Meet at the Yellow Barn off 313 West

Gather at the Gardens at Yellow Barn Farm on the north bank of the Battenkill.

Bring your bike for a family-friendly, 12-mile, mostly flat, guided ride along River Road adjacent to the Battenkill. Learn the merits of reaching Battenkill fishing spots on two wheels with someone who knows the river’s access points. See the sights of West Arlington at a casual pace. Experience first-hand why bike tourism featuring Arlington’s gravel roads is growing more popular by the year. Hear about this newly conserved and improved river access before heading out.

5:00 pm: Keith Curley - TU National VP Eastern Conservation - The State of Eastern TU - Performing Arts Center, Arlington Common Campus

5:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Dinner with Hound Dogs - Under the Tent, Arlington Common Campus

A local food truck company will serve dinner with a choice of three entrees.  

Choose from their signature Philly Cheesesteaks, loaded with peppers, onions & garlic. The dinner comes with a choice of French fries or onion rings. $20; Bacon cheeseburger with lettuce & tomato, also comes with a choice of French fries or onion rings $20; or Veggie burger with lettuce & tomato. Choice of French fries or onion rings.$17

There are two seatings: 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets purchased in advance guarantee seating in the dinner tent.

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7:30 pm-10 pm: Live Music with Saints and Liars Band - Performing Arts Center, Arlington Common Campus

Saints & Liars is a Vermont-based Americana band who has been blending their own variants of honky tonk, folk, bluegrass, and rock n roll since 2012.

Tickets cost $10 and are not included in the festival's general admission price.

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May 5, 2024:

9am - 1pm: Fly-Tyers under the Tent - Tent, Arlington Common Campus

The BFFF3 will feature some of the best fly-tyers in the Northeast, focusing on the classic patterns of Maine, the Catskills, and the Battenkill. During the day, they'll be set up in the main tent.

9am - 1pm: Vendor Village (Open to the public and does not require a wristband purchase to enter.) - Vendor Village, Arlington Common Campus

The Village features both bamboo and graphite rod makers, antique rod and tackle sellers, antique book sellers, fly fishing artists, destination lodges, and fly fishing organizations from all over the US.  Many other vendors, too!

10 am - 1 pm: Arlington Common Fly Tying Discovery Center - Fitness Center Studio, Arlington Common Campus

There will be hourly presentations and seminars with projection and audio to follow along.

9am - 1pm: “Sporting Traditions; Fields and Streams” Art Exhibit - Watkins House, Arlington Common Campus

Fly Fishing Festivities at the Arlington Rec Park

9:00 am:

Bugs and Fly Casting for Families with Andrew MacArthur - Wellness and Outdoor Adventure Teacher, Head Challenge Course Facilitator - Trout Unlimited Chapter of SW Vermont.

Join us for a family-friendly workshop about fly casting and bugs! Learn the basics of casting a fly rod, explore the river bank for various aquatic macroinvertebrates, and learn the basics of fly selection with a "match the hatch" activity. This short program has been specifically designed for families.

10 am:

Women teaching Women with SWVT TU Board Member Erin Lyons and other expert female casting instructors, for an interactive workshop on the basics of casting, gear, fly selection, and safe river navigation. Sixteen spots are available on a first- come, first-served basis. Donations are appreciated to support Trout Unlimited’s conservation work on the Battenkill.

Email [email protected] to reserve a spot.

11 am:

"Explore the many techniques of fishing a streamer." While seasoned anglers know there is a time and a place to best fish a streamer, sometimes it's wise to explore, test, and apply various techniques. Come join Orvis-endorsed guide Brew Moscarello as he explains some of the nuances of streamer fishing the Battenkill.

12 pm:

Swinging Flies: Techniques Using Traditional Fly gear and Spey casting, Arlington Rec Park and Battenkill River Cast (2-handed) with the newer "trout weight" specialty lines for this technique. 1/2 hour-long presentation with questions.

Host: Peter Basta, Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide

1 pm: Guide Seminar TBA

10:30 am - 11:30 am: “Covenant of the Salmon People” Screening - Arlington Common, Performing Arts Center

“Covenant of the Salmon People” Screening, followed by a Discussion and Q&A afterward with Eric Crawford, TU North Idaho Field Coordinator

11:30 am - 1:30 pm: International Fly Fishing Film Festival - Arlington Common, Performing Arts Center

IF4™ is the world’s leading fly-fishing film event. It features coveted fly-fishing films produced by filmmakers from all corners of the globe and showcases the passion, lifestyle, and culture of fly fishing. It is the gathering place of the fly-fishing community and a celebration of friendship, stories, and stoke.

Dates: May 2 - 5, 2024

Location:

The Arlington Common,
3938 Vermont Rte 7a,
Arlington, VT 05250.

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