Sportsmen’s Expo Gansett

    The Sportsmen’s Expo that is coming to the Amagansett Firehouse on April 20 will pretty much cover the waterfront when it comes to outdoor pursuits.

    Terry O’Riordan, one of the organizers, said during a conversation this week that “we’ve got 30 to 40 exhibitors, about 10 more than we had at our first expo last year.”

    Among them are a “larger than life” turkey-caller, Dale Whitley; “a famous licensed fly fishing instructor and fly-tier,” Glen Mikkelson; a muzzle-loading gun expert, Mitchell Yates; antique-decoy carvers Bob Greene and David Bennett, and waterfowl retriever demonstrators Tim Payne and Paul Anderson.

    Uihlein’s Marina is expected to have some boats on hand, and, as of earlier this week, O’Riordan was looking for a kayak exhibitor as well.

    “Last year, the most popular exhibits as far as the kids went were those put on by the town’s shellfish hatchery,” said O’Riordan, who added that admission will be free. “We hope to make some money from our raffle, whose top prize will be a lifetime New York State Department of Environmental Conservation hunting and fishing license, which is worth from $700 to $800. The Amagansett hardware store has donated two shotguns. It’s been very satisfying to have their support. We’re trying to keep this as local as humanly possible.”

    Most of the East Hampton Sportsmen’s Alliance’s members, he said, in reply to a question, were also members of the Maidstone Gun Club and of the Amagansett Fire Department.

    The expo will begin at 10 a.m. and will end at 3 — rain or shine.