Cabin Fever 2024

Sunday, February 25th from 9am – 4pm 

Hilton DoubleTree Cranberry 910 Sheraton Dr, Mars, PA 16046

Tickets for Cabin Fever can be purchased at the door! $15 for Adults, $10 for Students, Kids under 10 get in free.

A Cabin Fever PDF with Full Agenda Schedule Can be Found Here.

We are excited to offer Southwest PA an amazing Fly Fishing Experience! This is the 23rd Annual Cabin Fever Expo, sponsored and run by the Penn’s Woods West Chapter of Trout Unlimited. We have built out an amazing agenda and added top vendors to give you access to materials, equipment and gear. This year we will have a focus on Fly Tying with tying demonstrations, top tyers showing you their tricks and you can visit tyers row to up your own game. Come meet top conservation partners who can teach you how you can make a difference to our rivers by making small changes right in your own backyard.

George Daniel will share with us winning techniques for trout
Pittsburgh’s own Josh Miller will offer you strategies and techniques to improve your fly fishing experience.
Dusty Wissmuth is a certified Wulff school casting instructor and guide service will talk to us about how to fish Montana
Morgan Bitikofer – Presentation Title “4 Seasons on the Great Lakes”
Come try out new fly rods in our Casting area
Meet Conservation partners who can help you make a difference to the environment in your immediate vicinity
Watch craftspeople of all skill levels tying up flies
Sample limited edition Cabin Fever beer brewed by Stick City Brewing Company
We have expanded our space so come and meet more Vendors and Guides this year than in years past

Casting and Speaker Schedule:

Casting Area: (Located in the Lobby of the Hotel)
Casting Instruction – Open casting open all day in half the casting area

10:00 – 10:45 AM
Scott Loughner – Casting Instruction

11:00 – 11:45 AM
Jack Barr – Certified Casting Instructor

12:00 – 12:45 AM
Dusty Wissmath – Wulff School Certified Casting Instructor

1:00 – 1:45 PM
Mark Signorino with Fly Fishers International – Casting Instruction

2:00 – 2:45 PM
Josh Miller – Euro Nymph Casting Instruction

2:45 – 3:30 PM
Scott Loughner – Casting Instruction

Speaker Schedule: (Located in Presentation Room)

10:00 AM
Morgan Bitikofer – Four Seasons on the Great Lakes

12:00 PM
George Daniels – Fly Fishing Techniques for Trout

1:00 PM
Josh Miller – Dry Dropper Tactics

2:30 PM
Dusty Wissmath – How to Fish Montana

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Attention Sellers! Flea Market Registrations!

Persons wanting to sell items at the 2024 Cabin Fever Flea Market should PRE-REGISTER before February 20th.

(Deadline for pre-registration has been extended from February 16th to February 20th)

CLICK HERE to go to the pre-registration form. Submission of this form will trigger printing of barcode tags that will be mailed to you. This way you can attach the tags ahead of the event and minimize confusion on Sunday, February 25.

Thank you, in advance, for your help making Cabin Fever 2024 a success. See you all there!

2024 Speakers

George Daniel – Presentation Title “Tactics and Techniques for Trout”

George Daniel began fly fishing at age six in Potter County, Pennsylvania. Growing up along a native brook trout fishery designated as a “kids only section” and, being the only kid in the village who fished, George was able to fly fish and practice a lot, so he developed a true passion for it. Through his early teens, much of his fly fishing knowledge was self-taught. However, when George was 14, his family relocated to central Pennsylvania, where, at a local fly shop, he found himself talking to his fly fishing idol, Joe Humphreys. Joe kindly took George under his wing and began providing him with his first, formalized fly fishing instruction. When George was just 16-years-old, Joe began to provide instruction on all levels, e.g. the basic cast to advanced nymphing casts. George credits Joe for the bulk of his knowledge, but also graciously acknowledges many national and international fly fishing professionals who have worked with him during the past.

Later, George had an opportunity to try out for Fly Fishing Team USA in Bend, Oregon. After qualifying for the team, George had the opportunity to compete in five World Fly Fishing Championships, coach both the US Youth Team and Fly Fishing Team USA in four World Championships. During this time, George has had an opportunity to travel the globe and learn from many of the best anglers in the world. George is a two-time US National Fly Fishing Champion and was ranked as high as 5th in the world. George has won and earned respectable finishes in other fly fishing competitions.

George’s true passion is in fly fishing education. He appears at clubs and fly fishing shows around the country, where he conducts lectures and seminars. He also logs more than 280 days a year on waters near and far. George is currently the director/lead instructor for the Pennsylvania State University Fly Fishing Program.

George has authored three best selling books, has published articles in Fly Fisherman, American Angler and Fly Tyer magazines.

You definitely don’t want to miss Josh Miller’s “Dry Dropper Tactics” presentation!

Josh Miller recently released his first book called Euro Nymphing Tips, Tactics and Techniques through Stackpole. He was a member of the Fly Fishing Team USA from 2016 through 2020, and recently led the US youth team to a gold medal in the 2023 World Championship in Bosnia. He has competed in the regional and national competition circuits and has assisted in coaching four world youth fly fishing championships. Miller is a full-time guide and traveling instructor and is a signature tier for Orvis, Fulling Mill, and others. Miller endorses Thomas and Thomas rods and Scientific Anglers. He lives with his wife, Sarah, and son, Jonah, in western Pennsylvania. Josh is owner of Trout Yeah Guide Service www.troutyeah.com.

Dusty Wissmath
Presentation Title “How to Fish Montana”

Dusty grew up in Missouri, started fly fishing when he was eight years old, and spent his formative years highly distracted by the sport. He began guiding and teaching fly fishing in the early seventies while working on a degree in Wildlife Biology at the University of Wyoming. Living in Jackson after dropping out of law school, he tied commercially for High Country Flies and guided the Snake, Green and New Fork Rivers and in Yellowstone National Park.

In 1996 he founded the Dusty Wissmath Fly Fishing School & Guide Service in the hills near Mercersburg, PA where it quickly earned a reputation as a professional, yet easygoing fly fishing school. As well as directing his own school, he heads the Orvis Fly Fishing School in Boiling Springs, PA, is an instructor at the Wulff School of Fly Fishing and served as the lead instructor at L.L. Bean’s Fly Fishing School in Virginia. He guides in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Montana and hosts trips to fly fishing destinations worldwide and is an F.F.I. certified casting instructor. Dusty is a Costa Guide Ambassador and a Pro Staff member of Scott Fly Rods, Hatch Reels, Patagonia, Hyde Drift Boats, and ARC Fishing. His writing and photography can been found in several fly fishing publications. When not on or near the water, Dusty can be found chasing grouse and woodcock with Jim the Wonder Dog.

Morgan Bitikofer
Presentation Title “4 Seasons on the Great Lakes”

Morgan Bitikofer grew up flyfishing for steelhead in the streams of Ohio and Pennsylvania. She spent countless hours alongside her dad and is now using her experience and skills as a full time steelhead guide. Morgan loves the outdoors and her goal is to encourage other women and girls to be out on the water. She runs stealhead guiding through her own guide service Silverfly