Wow, I really wish I lived closer. Today was the Fly Fishing Expo of Long Island. If you run The Fly Fishing Show, take a peek, this is what anglers want. Has TFFS "jumped the shark" as they say in the telesison and movie industry? Look back at my thoughts on this years TFFS, look what was offered, look at the topics of the presentations. This show is for local anglers, who fish, and who want to come to show and not be overwhelmed with mind clutter about Belize, Ireland, Patagonia, and all of those other out-of-my-league booshie entitled trips that you will never take. And don't tell me about Covid, or snowstorms, or the Super Bowl.....
If I claim New Jersey has the best striped bass fishery on the East Coast, and there is the Upper Delaware trout fishery, wouldn't that be your focus? Or focus on how to fish in the most populated portion of our country? Nope, they have missed the boat, jumped the shark. Just look at what I could have seen and listened to if I took the 2-1/2 hour drive from Titsusville, NJ to Hauppauge, Long Island.
So you are caught up in the Beast Fleye hysteria that has overtaken fly tying, well Mark Sedotti will demonstrate how to throw it 100 feet. Want to learn about and see saltwater fly fishing in Montauk, Martha's Vineyard, New York Bight, and about and how to tie flies for those fisheries- head to Long Island, and not Edison. Want to learn and see about fly fishing the Upper Delaware, Catskills, Long Island, Rangley Region of Maine, and how to fish for carp, pocket water, and the flies you'll need, head then next year to Hauppauge.
Also Squimpish will be there as will other local shops, stuff anglers and tyers want.
The Fly Fishing Show finished up with Lancaster a few weeks back and is doing their Covid re-schedule in Marlborough in April, 3 days. On the website there is no listing of who is attending and presenting. If they were smart they would take a look at what's going on in Long Island. And the Marlborough show should concentrate on what the people who are attending are interested in, striped bass, false albacore, bluefish, tuna in places like Maine, New Hampshire, Boston Harbor, Cape Cod, the Canal, Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket, plus the people from Rhode Island.......want to throw in a little about freshwater opportunities away from the salt....perfect. Don't bring the chaps from Ireland, they won't care about Saskatchewan, and only a few with lots of cash can afford the Restigouche or Patagonia, know your audience, and give them what they want.
Now remember, I've been attending TFFS for years, worked The Fly Hatch booth, had my own booth, did presentations, so I am not just a-behind-the-keyboard-touch-guy, I just wish TFFS got it, like they used to get it. Next year I'll be in Long Island for The Fly Fishing Expo.