The IFTS hit Somerset this weekend. I wrote about it Friday and thought then as I did yesterday morning that it was in Edison. To be honest I just can't get the locations right in my head. Luckily it's just a quick drive on 287 from Edison to Somerset.
If it was any longer I don't think I would have gone. I didn't know what this years show would do for me as there wasn't much hub-bub about it and even when I looked on their Facebook page the day before it only got about 15 likes, which was about the amount of
people that were waiting to get inside for the 9 am start. The first thing that irked me was the "Cash Only" sign at the gate, C'mon man, who does cash anymore? And why would you take the chance away of any of the attendees spending their cash inside with the vendors? You offer pre-registration, by card, online, with an extra fee on top but cash only at the door? Oh, "There's an ATM around the corner", thanks.
The question I always ask myself when it comes to these trade shows, or concerts, like the many Grateful Dead shows I attended would be, "Did I have a good show?". And my answer for this years IFTS would be yes. That story will come later.
The "show", and I'd use that loosely, was a compact four row set up in one on the banquet rooms. Without the partitions it would have been akin to the Long Island Fly Fishing Expo. And if I could make a suggestion I wouldn't put the partitions up, it's just too tight.
It was primarily a freshwater fly tying event but you could get your saltwater on as there were enough vendors and tyers to get that need satiated. Buzzi was there, as well as AHREX and Keogh, a big showing from the vice makers like Renzetti, HMH, Regal, and Norvise, and always the crowd favorite of the picking booth of John Shaner and Bob Shelb. What I learned from Shaner is that the goods come from collections and shops that were bought out.
There were some local tyers like Brad Bartholomew, Fritz Miller, and Joe Nicosia who was tying of some Beast Fleyes on the heels of his article in Tail magazine titled "Big Stripers On
the Fly". Next to him was Adam Hortenberry who had out a nice display of flies for display. It's funny about these shows, especially for the fly tyers. You can tie, but if you want to sell that's
another fee for the organizers. Some shows you can sell what you tie, at the show, but no unloading those flies you tied at home or elsewhere. No, no, no. Joe Jackson took me back to the Pat Cohen days with some seasonal spun deer hair creations. If this is your first go at a fly tying show then it did you good.
Since I don't really need anything for tying and had my change for the cash-only admission fee glued in my pocket I spent most of my time just walking around. It took about an hour to say hello along the way and peek into a booth or two. Then I saw Mr. Bob Clouser.
In my head the three big guns in fly fishing were Kreh, Popovics, and Clouser. Yes I grew up watching Flip Pallot and Jose Wejebe, but these three were doing stuff I could use, and were accessible at these type of trade shows. Bob was at a booth he shared with his
wife Jackie and there was always at least one person standing in front of them. One person? Well I set up shop there and talked and listened to Bob for over an hour kinda like a creeper. This is what made my $18 entrance fee into the show worth it.
This IS Bob Clouser I thought to myself as people walked past the booth I think unaware of who was in the building. I have met him before, and have spoken with him for a bit, but after last month I knew I had to stand and take in what was in front of me.
Bob was a hoot. He told me he just celebrated his 86th birthday on a date night with Jackie where he had the most delicious meal of a dozen frog legs. When I asked if it was 12 or 6 pairs he said, "That would be a lot of leg less frogs". He said they taste, "Just like frogs". He joked with some of the older guys, "Welcome to the old man's club", adding, "We did outlive our bodies". When he spoke of Bob Popovics he paused what he was doing on the vice and said, "Bob was the best in the business", adding, "His backcast was so tight he could put that loop through a screen door".
Bob tied me up a Clouser, a fly he designed but Lefty named, and this will go on display with some of my other notable flies. Bob's also known for Half and Half fame, a fly he designed using Lefty's Deceiver out back and his Clouser in front. He's a true legend for sure.
On the floor there was an empty booth or two and I was surprised Buzzi was out near the entrance and not in the big room. He's a draw and the source for so many when it comes to materials, especially bucktails. That hallway where Buzzi was also held the fly tying seminars.
I watched as Chuck Furminsky walked the show floor shaking hands, and maybe checking in on who was vending or not. It was good to see him up, and not using the cane or the motorized chair as I have seen in the past. Weather or not you have a love hate relationship with him,
mostly because of the business that goes with running or vending at a show, he deserves a lot of credit to what he has brought to the fly fishing industry and community. It is a great responsibility to run one of these shows and there are so many moving parts, and personalities.
Furminsky credits Bob Popovics for getting the International Fly Tying Show started some 33 years ago. It was Bob's idea and Furminsky put it into action. But all good things must come to an end and one year
there won't be a next. Chuck's been at this a long time and the players and the industry has changed. Will there be a 34th IFTS? That's to be seen.
