Salmon River International Sport Fishing Museum

The Gladding International Sport Fishing Museum, believed to be the nations first sport fishing museum, was dedicated, opened and on view to the public at the historic “Octagon House” in the Village of Otselic New York, September 16th 1972. South Otselic was designated by Governor Rockefeller as the “Fishing Line Capital of The World”.
Gladding was founded in 1816 and made fishing line and cordage (flax), apparently Gladding first made tapered fly line in 1876 (originally made of silk) and subsequently became nylon.

With the closing of the Gladding Company, the collection was in limbo for a number of years, also sent to Massachusetts auction house to be auctioned when, the board of directors of the Gladding International Sport Fishing Museum decided to donate the collection to the people of Oswego County. Some members and friends of the Oswego Chamber of Commerce went to Massachusetts and retrieved the collection and brought it back to Oswego.

The Oswego International Sport Fishing Collection Inc. was incorporated and eventually received an IRS 501 C 3, exemption and became an accredited museum. For many years they sought financial support and a permanent location in which to display this magnificent collection, however to no avail, after approximately 16 years, the board worked with the Pulaski Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce to take the collection. They had purchased a building from Niagra Mohawk, for an information center and chamber offices and agreed to build an addition for the collection. With the completion of the addition for the collection, the Oswego International Sport Fishing Collection Inc. felt that it was in the best interest of teh community for the collection to be on permanent loan to the Pulaski Chamber.

At this time, to officially transfer the collection, a legal application is being made by the Pulaski Chamber, this is exactly how the Oswego International Sport Fishing Collection Inc. and Oswego Chamber obtained title to the collection from the Gladding International Sport Fishing Museum Inc.

MUSEUM BOARD MEMBERS

President: Vernon E. Chamberlain
Vice President: Jessica Burt
Curator: Fred Betts
Secretary: Shawn Doyle
Treasurer: Margaret Clerkin
Assistant Treasurer: Shelly Joss
Board Members: Brian Leary, Sue Saucier, Eric Hibbert, Helen Stevens, Joseph Sabadish
Web Director: Chad Lapa | BlueEye Design Co.

Our mission is to get this museum off the ground. We want to draw in people to see our collection. We also live off of donations and want to obtain more funds, so that we can keep the museum going and the collection together. Membership to the Salmon River International Sport Fishing Museum is available. Click here to DOWNLOAD MEMBERSHIP FORM.