National Sporting Museum and Library

[Yambag Nelson]

I took a trip out to Middleburg yesterday and visited the National Sporting Museum.  I've driven by this place probably 100 times and had no idea it existed until just recently.  Anyway, they currently have an exhibit put on by the american fly fishing museum entitled "on the fly in the salt".  It is pretty neat and has a lot of history on salt water fly fishing including flies tied by most of the greats as well as some of the rods and reels used at various times.  I don't know if it is worth a trip on its own but there is enough other stuff to do around middleburg to make it a worthwhile part of a day trip.

What i found more interested was the collection of fly fishing books in the library which is by far the most impressive I have seen.  Easily several hundred volumes (maybe more) ranging on local specific fishing (fly fishing virginia) to classic volumes that you hear references to but probably never bother to pick up.  Unfortunately you can't take them out, but I could have easily spent a day just looking at the books.  If you ever wanted to kill and afternoon and read a modern dry fly code without buying it, this is the place to do it. 

Just thought I would share.

[Owen Williams]

Thanks for the report! As a librarian-type myself who is also interested in fly fishing, I had wondered about their collection.

Best,
Owen Williams
Folger Shakespeare Library