Charlotte Fly Fishing Show

[Guest]

I have to have another operation on January 4th and I will not be able to fish until May. Without being able to fish I thought I would take those couple of months and travel to a few of the shows within driving distance. Has anybody been to the Charlotte show, if so, can you give me some information? The website is horrible and has no good information. How many booths and tyers are set up and how many people usually attend?

 

I don't want to travel that far unless I know it is going to be a decent sized show, since it is a four day event I assume they have quite a bit going on.

[Robert_S 0]

I'll be tying there again this year, don't know what it will be like because they normally had it combined with the rod builders show. But this year they split off, even at a different location. Compared to other shows I've been to it will be fairly small. In the past there may have been only a dozen or so tyers, with a few vendors. Would love to meet you but I think its a show you may be disapointed in. Jersey is their biggest by far.

[Guest]

Yea, that is what I thought. That is one of the closer shows to me, NJ is a little far for me to drive. Actually the wife would have to haul me because I won't be able to drive myself my then. If she is up for a road trip we still may do it, we love that area.

[TerryLee 0]

Is it in Charlotte, NC or somewhere else? :dunno: If so, I have some friends I need to let know about it.

[Robert_S 0]

Terry its in Charlotte, best to check the sight.

[TerryLee 0]

Ok, I found it now. I was typing the wrong thing into Google. I'm with you, Will, the site leaves a bit to be desired as far as information goes.

 

 

[phg 0]

The Charlotte show was a major disappointment last year. If they keep jacking up the admission fee, while the content continues to dwindle, it ain't gonna last. Without the rodbuilding, I may not find enough there to justify the cost of admission. Still, I'm tentatively planning on being there. The new location may help things a bit, it's more accessible and may cost the promoters less. We'll see.

 

 

[troutguy 0]

I live near Charlotte. I always wondered do the tyers pay to be there? Some are selling items, others were not. How does that work?

 

The Charlotte show has changed over the years. At first there were a lot of materials for sale, now it appears that guides and destinations out numbered the booths selling fly tying materials. This past year there were mostly rod building booths.

 

I was disappointed in the show and I got in for free, I could not imagine how I would have felt if I paid. Moving to the new location should lower some costs to the show and parking should be cheaper for us. I hope that the show comes back. The main fly shop display was one of the local stores. They are overpriced and snooty normally, at the show, you all get the leftovers at the original price.

 

My friend and I felt bad this past year, when you have more tying supplies then the booths selling tying stuff, your wife words about having too much stuff starts to ring true. Nah!

 

Hey if you come to Charlotte, drive an hour south and fish the Saluda for some surprisingly great winter trout fishing.

 

I'm going to give them one more year to see if it improves.

[BuzFly 0]

Here is what I don’t get. Everyone comments on the price of the show and who disappointed they are with most of the shows. Has any one ever talked to the promoters about this, they probably would like to know.

 

If you paid $15 to get into a show and wend through the in an hour or two and left because you were disappointed with it, I think you should rethink what you just did and be disappointed in yourself. Did you stop and talk to the tiers - they love to talk and love to learn what you do as well as tell you what and why they do it. Did you go thought the manufactures booths and look at what they are pushing this year or ask them questions about you rod that you may have trouble casting or ask about a reel that you have that makes a funny sound. Did you go a talk to the outfitters - they are a wealth on info. My biggest beef is how many people don’t go to see any of the speakers. Even if you don’t fish say in Oregon, go and sit in the presentation on it you will learn a lot that you can use on your home waters.

 

 

 

I know that may of us go to the same shows year after year and see the same people and go through the show that same way. We all miss a lot of opportunities at these shows. This year their are a lot fewer of them and sooner or later we may be left with only a few and that would be a bad thing. Support the show and your shops they are all slowly disappearing.

 

 

 

Sorry for the long rant..

 

 

 

Brad

 

 

 

 

 

[Redwings1 0]

You should come over for the Kentuckiana Show Will. It is in Louisville on January 27th. Also up to Cleveland for the NCFF show, which has a lot of different things but seems to focus some on steelhead, on January 13th.

[tennesseeflies 0]

i will be there :headbang:

[Guest]

I was thinking about going but decided instead to go to PA the weekend after to tie flies with Don Bastian and some others from the FTF. I think I'll have more fun. :headbang:

[troutguy 0]

Buzfly, I did email the show website twice. Never received any acknowledgement.

 

I appreciate the shows, but they should not have downsized. Maybe Charlotte is not a large enough market to support the show.

 

The tyers are great. I love to talk to them. There are several that I have known for years.

 

I am hopeful that the new venue will change the show.