The International Sportsmen's Exposition in Denver has been on the minds of fishermen, hunters, seminar hosts, exhibitors, and even the sporting dogs for many months. Now the anxiety is in full gear as everyone puts the final pieces together for the event set to kick off Thursday at noon at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

I can almost feel the phone shaking as I discuss the event with John Kirk, the Director of Communications for the ISE. “Are you busy at the moment?” I ask. “Well, I’m carrying a 40 foot section of the casting pool right now, but go ahead…” replies John.

I too am caught up in the preparation for the event. As a last minute idea I called John to get some details on this year’s show that I could share with you. What originally started out as a small article on a big show turned out to be a small project to take up all of today’s extra time.

I have compiled some information here to make it easier for those attending the show…items that I thought would be at the forefront of everyone’s mind. So below you’ll find some helpful links and a unique full schedule that lists all the events in every category throughout each day.

And don’t forget to check out Fish Explorer Field Editors Chad LaChance and Troy Coburn at the show, each discussing techniques applicable to Colorado fishing.

Chad will reveal his proven tricks for making game fish of all types bite his lures in his presentation titled “Provoking the Strike”. Matching presentation and retrieve to the conditions will add to your catch. From power fishing for aggressive wipers to perfect finesse for the light biting walleyes, Chad has a bag of tricks to match the mood of the fish.

Troy’s seminar will be about Bass fishing with soft plastics. According to Troy, by far the most consistent and successful bass fishing patterns of the last decade have been dominated by fishing patterns utilizing soft plastics. “In the soft plastic forum, there are literally thousands of styles and color patterns that can cover every depth and style of bass fishing. In my seminar I will cover several of the most consistent and versatile styles of soft plastic baits. I will discuss peak times and appropriate presentations to maximize any novice bass fisherman's potential” says Troy. “By attending this presentation, any bass fisherman will learn how to apply the appropriate soft plastic pattern to any conditions to help him or her become a better bass fisherman.”

Have fun at this years event and stop and chat with the speakers if you get the chance. Most are very accessible and love chatting with you. And by all means bring a notepad and pen…you will definitely find so many tidbits of information, products you’ll want, and places to go that you’ll forget them by the time you rig up your boat when the piles of snow melt.

Click here for our compiled full schedule for all events in all categories every day.
To help you get around the show, we've put all the show events we could find into one schedule that shows you everything that is going on every moment throughout each day of the show. Verify these times with schedules at the show as they may change.

Buy Tickets to the ISE online here...

General Tidbits:

• ISE Main Website for Denver
• Watch the video to see what the show will be like!
• View the Denver show Floor Plan
• Fly Casting Contest
• Alphabetical Listing of Exhibitors

How to get there and where to park:

• For more directions from the Convention Center website, click here.
• See Map to the Colorado Convention Center.
• Information on Parking at the Convention Center

Driving Directions from the ISE website:

• From the East – Aurora, Denver International Airport:
  From the airport, take Pena Blvd West to I-70; go west to I-25, South. Continue South on I-25 to Exit 212B, Speer Blvd South. Go South on Speer to Stout Street. Turn left on Stout Street. Enter building at the 14th Street Entrance unless otherwise directed.



• West – Arvada, Golden, Wheat Ridge:
  Take I-70, East to I-25, South. Continue South on I-25 to Exit 212B, Speer Blvd South. Go South on Speer to Stout Street. Turn left on Stout Street. Go to 14th Street Entrance unless otherwise directed.



• North – Boulder, Northglenn, Thornton, Westminster:
  Take I-25 south to Exit 212B, Speer Blvd. South. Go South on Speer to Stout Street. Turn left on Stout Street. Go to the 14th Street Entrance unless otherwise directed.



• South – Denver Tech Center, Englewood, Littleton, Colorado Springs:
  Take I-25 North to Colfax Avenue – East exit. Continue East on Colfax Avenue to Kalamath. Turn left on Kalamath and continue through the Intersection at Speer Blvd. Kalamath Street turns into Stout Street as it crosses Speer Blvd. Go to the 14th Street Entrance unless otherwise directed.

Links to categorical schedules on the ISE website:

• EASTMANS' HUNTING (CAMPFIRE) THEATER SCHEDULES
• FLY-TYING VIDEO THEATER SCHEDULE
• SPORTFISHING THEATER PRESENTATION SCHEDULES
• AQUARIUM DEMONSTRATION TANK SCHEDULE
• BLACK GOLD SPORTING-DOG ARENA PRESENTATION SCHEDULE
• FLY-CASTING POND DEMONSTRATION SCHEDULE

© 2009 Matt Snider

About the author:
Matt Snider is a life-long fly fisherman who has turned his attention to the "other species" of Colorado, namely the 20 or so non-trout species. Having caught multiple warmwater species in Colorado on the fly in Colorado alone, Matt built Fish Explorer as a means for fishermen to share lake conditions, an element he finds critical to catching fish and enjoying these resources. Matt is an avid muskie fisherman as well and travels far and wide to pursue the beast. Featured in the Rocky Mountain News and other media, Matt will be offering presentations at regional shops and clubs to promote and discuss warmwater fly fishing.
Contact Matt