It was 730 and I had to make the quick decision. Do I hit the International Fly Tying Symposium or not? I didn't feel like making the hours plus drive up to Somerset and was worried it would throw a monkey wrench into my continued push to get things done around the house. Mondays a big day here as we're getting a wood stove installed at the house. I had already turned down a boat trip in Raritan Bay with Mike Ferraro due to to many things on my plate. But I went anyway.
When I pulled into the parking lot there were a ton of cars. Like a lot. But I realized those lots held vehicles for two hotels, plus anyone working or attending the show. I had missed the first push waiting line to get in since I got there at 910, ten minutes after the start time.
The first thing I noticed was the lobby outside the Somerset Ballroom was empty. Last year there were some vendors outside like Brad Buzzi but this year it all fit inside. To note BuzFly was missed this year and while walking around I heard at least four guys say, "Where's Brad set-up this year". many, many people come to this show just to buy tails. I hope all is well with him.
Inside there was an early show buzz. Tiers along the perimeter and vendors on the inside. To be honest the International Fly Tying Symposium, which boasted tiers from around the globe, should really be called the Interstate Fly Tying Symposium. In the past tiers from England and Norway, Italy and Scotland, and Canada and Belgium attended but now are from states with counties like Ocean and Monmouth (NJ), Sullivan and Nassau (NY), and Monroe and Lackawanna (PA). In fact, almost all of the attendees just needed a current EZ-Pass account rather than a passport to get here.
By 930 tiers were set up and most had a visitor or two stopping by to say hello or see what was being tied up. I didn't see the vending of flies going on like I have in the past. Most flies were on display, rather than grouped into categories by price. I know the shows charge a bounty if you are vending and tying rather than just tying. But the action was inside the four walls.
J. Stockard Fly Fishing, a big catalogue company from Connecticut, made the trip down and took over the Hareline/Keogh/AHREX/Regal Vice space in the middle of the floor. They had some Keogh stuff in the middle but it wasn't the must pick through vibe like you see at The Fly
Fishing Show. At any time, especially right after the doors blow open, you'll find a guy with all kinds of capes, necks, or saddles draped over their arms.
I walked over a couple of rows and found Joe already working the bottom of one of the bins at the Classic Fly Fishing booth. He is one of the best pickers I've ever seen. He had a bag full of stuff and probably got the pick of the litter. I went for $9 grabbing two packs of flash and a bucktail at $3 each. When I showed him the one long pearl flash he said, "Where'd you find that?", leaving me feeling I snagged something he would have grabbed. These booths always
kill it at the shows with folks looking for those tough to find materials or heavily discounted stuff. It can be not only fun but good savings as well. Not all welcome booths like this because they can have a negative impact, in terms of cash flow, on the other vendor's booths. This row of booths was strategically located towards the back of the floor. If it was in the front when you first walked in people would have stopped and spent and then left. As the minutes ticked the traffic at this booth grew. Just about everyone who turned the corner stopped in. It was the place to be. But there were a few other places to browse as well.
I stopped to snap the above picture because I was drawn to the guy looking at the vices. Like I predicted the vice makers sat this one out. Last year Renzetti, HMH, Norvice, and Regal were all in attendance and trying to get their slice of the vice pie. But this year it was just Steve
Silverio holding it down with Regal. It says something when fly tying vice manufacturers decide not to attend an international fly tying show here in the United States. Again, these shows are changing, and not for the better, and it becomes risk vs gain, or investment vs return. And as I've said that doesn't fall squarely on the Furmisky's back, but on a combination of costs, buyer patterns, like the internet and catalogue, and overall interest in this sport.
But it wouldn't be fair to say I left not seeing something cool. Jersey's own Joe Nicosia was set up across from the picking booth tying away some flies. "I've been tying up a ton of Albie
Whores", he said. It's funny. I remember a few years back when the Cancel Culture was strong and hit just about every part of life as we knew it, and Richard Reagan's creation, the Albie Whore, wasn't spared, depending on what shop or retailer you were buying them from. These days you can find that fly, with its original name, in most of the big shops. But, to be fair, I can see when and maybe if, you might have to roll an alternate name.
Let's say a Dad and his daughter stop by Joe's booth for a look. She is drawn to the pink and chartreuse flies that lay on the table. "Dad, what are these?". "Well, Cindy Lou these are Albie Whore's, great for when albies are on white bait". So then Cindy Lou writes in down on her Christmas wish list to Santa, "Santa please bring me some Albie Whores". Oh, and that list, she reads it out loud to her 6th grade class. I know, I'm old and soft now. In reality Joe would just have told the pair these are Albie Candies and left it at that. The guy around the corner was offering his flies, the Anal Intruders, for sale. Good luck with that.
But Nicosia demonstrated something cool he is using for the heads of these AWs. He's using a glue gun to make the heads on the fly. In the past two-part epoxy, and then acrylics, both in hard or flex, were used. Watching him tie and apply was interesting. If you look at his table he's one of the more organized and tiers I know. Everything is neat, works, and perfect. He's a great fly tier. He had out a few squids he tied with Bob's Fleye Foils which I wish I took a picture of one of them, or slid one into my pocket. I'm kidding of course.
I noticed fly angler, guide, and tier Son Tao on my way around. I don't know him and never met him but see his name from time to time in the magazines and on social media. He's comes
from Pennsylvania, well resides there now, originally from Vietnam. He's become a big proponent for Project Healing Waters having picked up fly fishing after his service in the United States Army which he joined shortly after 9/11.
So it may have sounded like I had a long morning at the show. Truth be told, all of the above, plus a trip to the ATM machine, a stop for a bagel in the lobby, and a cleanout in stall #2 in the men's room, had me ready to leave at 1010. All that fun in 50 minutes, at .40 cents a minute, and cash only please, for the $20 entry fee.
I said good-bye to John Kavanaugh who was sitting in the lobby on my way out, "That didn't take long", he said. He was right. Unless you were there for the early pick, or to see someone, or catch a seminar or fly tying demo, then it's a quick browse and go. I did stop
and poke my head in to Tim Flagler's seminar on "What trout like to eat and how to catch them", but I didn't stay. He does a great job with his tying productions and seminars.
Well this one will be my last. I'm good. The show needs to morph into something else, which could include being swallowed up by The Fly Fishing Show and incorporating them together. I'm sure they are two independent businesses and there's the whole business side of merging them. But if it wasn't for the picking booths there wouldn't have been that much of a buzz. I feel fly fishing right now isn't doing all that well. Guys and girls still fish, still tie, but the excitement and the passion, at least for me, has subsided. Shows used to be a must attend by the who's who in the industry, but not any more. It's a one night hang at the show, and you don't know if it's the Friday or Saturday. Pick the wrong night and you'll be choking down microwaved chicken nuggets with a beer at the lobby bar, with people you normally wouldn't hang with. And the poor state of the striped bass fishery, don't get me started. The ASMFC. Slots. Bunker boats. Three-mile line violators. All boat fish. Shitty pics on social media. Blah blah blah.
I thought the above image was something. Last year this back row was lined with people. Not this year. In their place was a poster remembering Bob that was on display at the show last year. If he was in that poster looking out I wonder what he would think of how fly fishing and tying is going these days. But at least he was in eye shot of the picking booths.