Bill Hilts, Jr.: Lots of fish caught as New York outdoor writers convene in Lewiston – Outdoor News
The New York State Outdoor Writers Association, a group formed in 1967, held its Spring Conference in Lewiston, N.Y., May 15-18, 2025. Hosting a writer gathering such as this one is an opportunity for an area to market itself and Destination Niagara USA recognized the value of bringing the group of scribes into Western New York.
“By hosting media like this, we are getting the personal endorsement of some of the top outdoor media professionals in the country,” said Frank Campbell, Outdoor Promotions Director or DNUSA and the Sportfishing Promotion Coordinator for Niagara County.
While the base of operations for the conference was Niagara Crossing and Spa in Lewiston – with the lower Niagara River just a cast away – there were opportunities to showcase other attractions in Niagara County.
One highlight was the City of Lockport and the Erie Canal, the waterway celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. The afternoon started out with an Erie Canal Flight of Five Lock Tender Tour that took us back to the very beginning of this engineering marvel.
By dinnertime, we were sitting down to a magnificent meal at Lockport Locks and Erie Canal Cruises operated by Mike and Sharon Murphy. After our meal, we hopped on their historic paddleboat through the only double set of locks on the Erie Canal right on their doorstep.
The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed opening night to the unveiling of the Erie Canal for the 2025 season. Timing is everything.
Earlier in the day, charter skippers out of Olcott and Wilson on Lake Ontario hit the water to seek out salmon and trout. I was on board with Capt. Mike Johannes of On the Rocks Charters and his first mate Tim Ludwig of Orchard Park.
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In less than four hours of fishing, we were 8 for 12 on Coho salmon and managed a 20-pound king salmon that Jonnie Chamberlain of Fulton County manhandled into the 39-foot boat.
Clarence and Albie Chamberlain took turns reeling in Coho salmon as Capt. Mike did some recon work for the Wilson Harbor Invitational Tournament that was happening the following day out of his harbor. Johannes keeps his boat at Bootleggers Cove Marina in Wilson, a perfect spot to head east or west in the lake. On this day we stayed home and it was certainly productive.
Lunch was held at the Fin-Feather-Fur Conservation Society (Three-F Club) and we were greeted by the unofficial “mayor” of the club, local legend Ernie Calandrelli of Lewiston. He was just coming off being named to the National Wild Turkey Federation’s World Calling Championship Hall of Fame and we are fortunate to have him as one of our local outdoor attractions. He is quite the ambassador for our area.
After lunch, John Sander of Amherst gave a talk on the status of his new website “Explore Wild New York” that he will be unveiling soon. Stay tuned for a most-information site, especially if you are a trout fisherman.
Saturday was a different story in the weather department. All the boats heading out fishing started in Lewiston, and it was a bit windy out. One of the advantages of having a resource like this river in your backyard is because you always seem to have a backup plan if the weather turns a bit inclement.
Fishing with Capt. Joe Marra of Niagara Rainbow Charters, four writers grabbed seats and held on as we motored up into the famed Devil’s Hole area of the Niagara Gorge. In addition to myself there was Dan Ladd (editor of New York Outdoor News), Dave Figura of Skaneateles, and Leo Maloney of Sherill – all veteran writers and all story tellers. There was no quiet time on the boat.
Lunch was at the Brickyard in Lewiston, an area barbecue restaurant that is excellent. So were the Brickyard beverages.
By 6 p.m. we were back at Niagara Crossing for an awards banquet that was sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The highlight of the evening was the naming of the M. Paul Keesler Outdoor Citizen Award and the organization’s Pass It On Award.
George Franke of Norwich was the worthy recipient of the Keesler Award and Jerrod Vila of Amsterdam won the PIO award – both deserving individuals.
The writers and other outdoor communicators from around the state walked away with plenty of story ideas. Many of them, realizing that they had only scratched the surface of the outdoor opportunities available, vowed to return for other trips.
One of the main reasons for holding the conference from the organization’s perspective is to renew old acquaintances and friendships … and make new ones.
I’ve been a member since 1981, and I try and attend as many gatherings as possible. It’s also a perfect way to see all the outdoor resources the Empire State has to offer.
If you do any writing or broadcasting involving the outdoors, you should consider joining at www.nysowa.org. If you are involved with other areas of the outdoors, including tourism or manufacturing, you also have an opportunity to become a supporting member. It’s a great group to belong to, and a superb group of passionate individuals. We are never lacking for story material!
