Fish fry a highlight at Holmes County fishing show
Professional angler Jim Vitaro will teach visitors how to catch fish at the second annual Holmes County Fishing & Camping Show while the Friday, Jan. 31 fish fry will provide a golden opportunity to dine on some fresh Canadian yellow perch.
Come for the fishing; stay for the fish.
The second annual Holmes County Fishing & Camping Show will bring plenty of outdoor fun to Holmes County. The event is open to the public and will take place at Harvest Ridge Holmes County Fairgrounds on Jan. 31 from 3-8 p.m. and Feb. 1 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Once people find their way into the expo center, they will find anything and everything connected to fishing, whether it is for sport or relaxation, as well as all kinds of water sports and travel fun.
While that will be the focus, patrons won’t want to miss the Friday night fish fry. The all-you-can-eat fry will feature Canadian yellow perch, coleslaw, green beans, French fires, chicken tenders, pulled pork, roast beef, baked potatoes, salad pies, cookies and more.
“It’s a fantastic dinner and a great value, so we encourage people to come hungry because we are going to have a lot of fish and a lot of good food,” said Charlie Bauer, Harvest Ridge caterer. “People have raved about this Canadian perch.”
With a focus on fishing, camping and biking, the event is a perfect time for families to make fishing or camping trip plans, find some of the newest and neatest gadgets in the fishing and outdoor world through the many vendors on hand, and learn about some of the intricacies of fishing with experts who will dispense their knowledge in several different fields.
Those experts will feature a Friday evening line-up of Steve Fender of Fender’s Fish Hatchery, the host of Buckeye Sportsman Dan Armitage with the kids’ show and Jim Vitaro with Hawg Trough bass fishing. Saturday’s line-up includes Jamie Darr, a kayaking seminar, ice fishing with Doug Stewart, Vitaro’s Hawg Trough demonstration, and Armitage and Stewart presenting saugeye fishing.
The two-day event will feature a popular draw in Vitaro’s Hawg Trough, a mobile 500-gallon fish tank that is transported to locations around the country as an attraction at boat shows, sportsman expos, fairs and festivals. Once on location the tanks are filled with water and stocked with fish, where patrons can actually get a realistic idea of what happens under the water, rather than just on top of it.
“People love the tank because it is unique and they get a real sense of what can take place under the water when they are using proper fishing techniques,” Vitaro said.
Admission to this family-friendly event is just $5 per person per day. Harvest Ridge is located at 8880 state Route 39, just west of Millersburg.