Alrighty, here we go. So first, if you asked how my show was, I would say great. There's a line that is said to people going to a Grateful Dead show, or even The Fly Fishing Show, and that is, "Have a great show". And what that means is one hopes that you get from the show what you want or need, and everyone has a different need. Now there is no doubt that the season opening Edison show was under a watchful eye. Hey, after Marlborough was rescheduled everyone wondered what would this weekend would bring and would it be a good kickoff to the season. Well, about the show in general. I got there at 945 and could have been done by 1030, but that was me and my show. First thing, about the admission, $18 at the door, ok. I thought I would save some time and effort at the door by ordering my ticket online, well if you do that you then pay a service fee and tax, which brings you up over $22. In years past there was a long line at the door, today, I walked in, paid my $18 and was the floor.
Let talk about the crowds just get it out of the way. I was surprised how many people were actually there when I was. Probably more people working there in some capacity than attendees. With the said a lot of the people that were there came for a reason or reasons, and like me, hit the few vendors hard and often and spent some good money. While, in my opinion, the destination booths, the artwork,
the pickles, the tattoo booth (very cool) and car and truck accessory displays related to fly fishing are nice to browse through, I was on a mission and needed acquire materials to tie flys for striped bass.
This year is the "Year of the River" for me, that is where you will find me, and early on, the river herring are what its all about. I needed to get materials to tie herring flies. I needed saddles in a few colors, body material, and some eyes. When I got in, the first booth I saw to my left was Keogh. There was some guys pulling saddles from the bins with a purpose, and the 3 for $80 or 5 for $125 show special was something a lot of people couldn't pass up, including me. Ok, check that off. Below is a Ben Whalley tied fly that I am using to tie something that will match the hatch of alewives or bluebacks making their way up the various rivers in about 6 weeks.
For some body material I went over to talk with David Nelson about his Squimpish Flies, like I do every year. Last year I picked up some of his boutique blends, which are still on my fly tying desk, but this year went with his squimpish hair. A quick look and $20 later I had two packs and I was gone. Then I saw my bud Brad
Buzzi. He had a crowd around his booth every time I passed or looked over. He was the bucktail-go-to- guy at the show. He was pimping tails and other fly tying materials, tools and equipment. I scored three really nice tails, one in a pale purple that reminded me of the color that Joe Phiefer dyes and ties with.
There's nothing like shopping in person for materials, especially saddles and tails. Brad had a few hundred or so to pick through and he ended your purchase by brushing the tails out, and usually commenting on how and why that tail that you picked was a good one.
The next booth that had a steady stream most of the morning was Andrew Moy's Tightlines Fly Fishing, from his shop here in New Jersey, probably the last solid full service shop in the Garden State. From them I was able to get some deer belly hair, some imitation jungle cock, and some eyes.
Joe Calcevechia's Saltwater Custom Flies booth was a great place to stop and pick up some flys to fish or for inspiration and he was another that had materials to pick up and check off your list.
It was good to see George Daniel there, who was rumored to have cancelled, and he put on a casting clinic for those that wanted to improve their game, or who stopped by to watch while browsing the booths on the floor. That dude is serious, and from what I hear seriously good.
Next I saw author Tim Camissa demonstrate his fly tying skills as one of the featured tyers.
Now what kept me around was the 12 o'clock presentation in Room B of the Destination Room. New England Guide Abbie Shuster was scheduled to present "Fly Fishing Martha's Vineyard". I killed almost 90 minutes circling the floor several times only to find an empty room when I got there at 1155. I was disappointed because for nearly the last 10 years I have been going to MV each June in my quest to sight fish for striped bass on the flats.
So, yes, it was a smaller show. Most of the big name manufacturers and guides and personalities weren't there. But, like I said I came and got what I needed, and was happy when I left around 1230. Three hours, which could have been cut in half since there was a no-show show, was plenty and I find no need for a multi-day pass. But the best part of my day, was seeing fly fisherman and author Rich Murphy. I just love this guy. In years past, and in blog posts past, I have shared on how
important his book "Fly Fishing for Striped Bass" is for both the veteran or new striped bass fly angler. While Rich's voice is low, and he is fighting his body at times, he is a wealth of knowledge and is always willing to talk and share what he knows. I have stood both at his booth and bellied up to the bar with him in years past, always trying to follow along and keep up. He is another one of my favorite nutty professors, kind of like Jim Matson was, just in a different way and from a different dimension. So as I talked with Rich and he went through his various flies and how he came too build them, such as the below "Quarter Moon Special", which uses an everyday swivel, long before the articulated shanks came around, I felt like a kid talking to that baseball player before the game started.
I stepped back from Rich when someone new would come up to his table. I would listen to the question and then his answer, which at times was to soft in volume and way too deep.
In Chapter 4 of his book you can see a picture of Rich, beaming with his love of the game and most likely in the process of working on this book, again, which is timeless and a must have.
So before I left I had to thank him again and tell him how much I loved his book. He was gracious and humble. Then I noticed he had the same book that I had purchased on his table left, but on the right side was another book, same title but a little more fancy and came with a hard insert type cover. He said that was from "a special run" of 250
copies, and that was his personal copy, never numbered and never signed. I said good-bye and turned away and then thought how much I wanted it while I walked around. But I went back, and he told he would sell it to me, and that was it, done deal. I don't know how many more years Rich will be doing the shows, but I am so glad to have
met and spent time with him over the years. A true gentlemen and another man I greatly admire in this sport. Before I left I grabbed a selfie of the two of us, and realized that I missed the moment when he signed the book, but that was okay. He struggled to look up the the camera, and I appreciate his effort in doing so.
So that's it in a nutshell. Above is the stuff I scored from the show, I don't know if I have ever spent over $200 at TFFS, but today I did and left happy doing so. So, it is what it is. Yes, these past few years
have been tough with Covid and this weekend we are readying ourselves for a potential serious winter storm. But, with that, what will become of TFFS? Are the usual players, some bigger than others, now used to not doing the shows for the last two years, or having the expenditures of the shows, and ready to slowly just bow out? Maybe, the show can be better, even if it is smaller. Maybe going more local for each venue in each region might be better? More local tyers, more local personalities and talent, presentations that are more locally focused with more usable information for "the average angler". People would pay $25 a day if it was like that, in my opinion. I'm not going to Kamchatka, but I may go to Montauk, or Staten Island, or, um, Keansburg. Remember there are no more shops, the show is a
great place to be able to see and feel and buy and then go and do locally what you learned and bought.
There also has to be a desire from the "management" to grow the sport, and that can be done by getting kids and first timers involved, targeting the transitional angler, from salt to fresh or fresh to salt, and loading the floor with resources that local anglers can and will support. It can't all be, mostly okay, all about the money, and that goes out to the fly fishing clubs as well, it can't be just about the raffles. Maybe the brunt of the monies need to come from the attendees, and not the vendors that bring them in, or the talent that does the presentations and demonstrations. They need to be given X and be willing to pay for Y to get in. Just because you killed it profit-wise in the past doesn't mean it will work in the future. Different times, different people- and yes a lot of our legends and role models are getting older and moving along to better pastures so you better be ready to include the new generations of talent, different venue- and yes please go back to Somerset at all costs, that it might be time to re-evaluate it all.
I hate to see TFFS do badly and I hope it continues on for years. During tough times is a great time to pause and think about how it should go forward. After these past two years, the big guns are, the attendees are, and after this weekend in Edison and after the shows in Atlanta, Denver, Pleasanton, Lancaster and Marlborough, the fly fishing industry will as well.