Fly Tying Symposium

[niveker 0]

This was in my inbox this AM:

You are not alone in wanting to know about the vendors attending. Hate to make excuses, but there are many. The brochure had to be printed and the schedule to mail them out was ahead of the vendors sending their confirmation and contracts for the number of booths they needed. The pandemic depleted the work force and a number of vendors have only recently found workers to do the show.

But let me tell you the good news. There will be : Badger Creek with 40 ft, Tight Lines with 50 ft. Dave Whitlock with 20 ft. Marc Petitjean with 20 ft. Keough Hackle with 30 ft. Not-vis with 10 ft. The Finest Fly Tying Desks in Co., 10 ft. Angling Book Store 30 ft., Streams of Dreams 30ft., are the main vendors, plus the tyers selling the products they use and represent. Just to summarize there will be nearly everything used in tying flies on display and got sale. 

 

 

[flytire 0]

thats not enough for me to drive 3 hours

might have to wait for the marlborough show in january

[SalarMan 0]

On 11/15/2021 at 9:04 AM, flygirl said:

Does anyone know how many vendors would be there ? web site tells you nothing & with the current supply chain shortage happening everywhere  for everything , I would go just to restock my bench.   The Flyfishing Show in Jan . has been having fewer vendors in both NJ & Mass.

I am going to give you some insight into the vendor situation form the past...and some personal observations.

In the past there has always been a reasonable number of vendors offering their wares. However...it is like this. You look at "X" Fly Shop and they have Whiting necks, Dr. Slick Tools, Hareline Dubbing, etc. You then look at "Y" Fly Shop and they have Whiting necks, Dr. Slick Tools, Hareline Dubbing, etc. You get the idea. DO NOT expect bargains or great deals...period. They pay good money for  the floor space, and they'll do what is needed to make a profit on their trip to the show. They have prep time, travel, rooms, meals and this is on top being away from their place of business. Don't get me wrong, if you take your time, know exactly what you want you may find a deal or two...but don't count on it.

Hope I didn't rain on your parade, but I just wanted you to know what the reality of the situation is.

I don't attend anymore simply because so many of the folks I socialized with are no longer in attendance.

[flygirl 0]

You didn’t rain on my parade….. its been along time since I’ve seen bargains at any show…. Years ago when I attended , took me longer to drive there then it did to walk through the show.   NJ & Mass shows are having declines in vendors due to the cost of space.   Looks like JStockard will be getting more of my $$ .  Thanks for the input

[SalarMan 0]

I have the same problem with the drive time and the show time. I spend 2 hours in the car, see a few friends and 3 hours after arriving I'm on my way home.

Some folks I know quite well have had enough of the shows and the management those shows. They are great fun to attend for the ""newbies" but they wear after a while. They've become old hat to me and the lack of my fellow classic salmon fly tyers was enough for me to hang it up.

I like JStockard myself and also throw a few bucks toward Feather-Craft from time to time. If you are into classic salmon flies then you are probably already aware of John McLain and feathersmc.com.

Good luck on your material hunt!!!

[cphubert 0]

My humble opinion the symposium was usually better than the fly fishing shows for some obsolete material or hooks, used to have a few dealers with older stock or stuff taken in  from estates. At any rate it was also a social event for me to bring a ale to Dave Brandt (RIP my friend) a lot of the old timers are either gone or do not seem to go anymore, I'm 67 and  do not see a lot of young people at these shows. Harry Huff, Stream of Dreams, most always has some decent stuff but not necessarily a bargain, a lot of times you have to talk and tell him or Jon what you are looking for it may be in a container under the table, two years ago feathersmc was there John is great to talk with and has great material. Collins Hackle Farm no longer attends, a lot of vendors find it not worth the expense. The New Jersey shows where considered better for the vendors as us New Englanders are known to have fishhooks in our pockets when attending Marlboro so much so that Bears Den no longer attends or does with a smaller area without their tying material. The up side is you may not get a incredible bargain but you get to examine the hair or feathers prior to buying,  always worth my piece of mind, and you can always haggle.  Additionally you get to meet and form friendships with some new people that share your interest in fly tying. Just my 2 cents.

[mvendon 0]

Here's a blast from the past. Twenty years ago now...

 

[Poopdeck 0]

Like everything else, the internet market place and YouTube has made fishing and outdoor shows obsolete. Not many people are paying to drive a few hours, paying an entrance fee and paying full price for products when it can be purchased online at the click of a button and a small shipping fee, if any. as far as seeing a favorite tier, it seems the posting of YouTube videos by these tiers kind of kills the motivation for one to spend time and money traveling to a show to see them or see what they are doing. It makes sense that vendors are limiting their show attendance because it undoubtedly cost them more than it’s worth as well when they can hawk there wares to 100 times more people with even the smallest online presence.

[tctrout 0]

12 hours ago, mvendon said:

Here's a blast from the past. Twenty years ago now...

 

 

Really cool seeing that! I have a picture that I took of the brochure from the 1st show ever and will see if I can find it to share.

[niveker 0]

13 hours ago, mvendon said:

Twenty years ago now..

Wow, lots of tiers I would have liked to see and hear.  

 

10 hours ago, Poopdeck said:

the internet market place and YouTube has made fishing and outdoor shows obsolete

Unfortunately, for better or worse, I think you are correct for the most part, particularly among the up and coming generation, and the whole Covid debacle has exacerbated, or maybe intensified is a better word, the situation.  I was on one of the big social media fly tying sites recently where someone had posted a photo of a hairwing royal coachman, asking what fly it was, to my horror, most on there had neither seen nor heard of it.      

I watch videos, and I shop online.  But I get the most pleasure from visiting the one or two fly/bait shops I like in my area, and actually interacting with people.  I really enjoy the small fishing/fly-fishing events that small organizations nearby put on, like swaps etc.  Its a bit unfortunate, I think, the level of acceptance we have placed in substituting personal interactions with a computer screen (as I type on my laptop this crisp morn - LOL).

[Philly 0]

The first one I remember attending was in Secaucus in 1997.  I think the show moved to Somerset a year or two later.  I found some pictures of it on the FF@ website.  A group of list members from the states and Europe got together for a lunch and a "birthday party"  It was good to meet friends in person.  I picked these two because I'm in them.  The show was much smaller then, more personable with a lot of vendors and tyers.

[Moshup 0]

Now that’s a good looking crew ! 🙂

[Moshup 0]

After going to these shows for well over 20 yrs I still like to go to say hello to some old friends

as well as some vendors who have become friends.  Tim C. Is a good guy case in point and I think 

after Co-vid this particular sector needs our support along with many of ours clubs that have taken a pretty good attendance 

hit due to the pandemic.  If for nothing else it brings the thought and memories of bright waters to mind  during a cold winter’s month.

🤓

[Poopdeck 0]

Philly, I love a mystery, your the guy sighting down the rod?

[tctrout 0]

Gotta love this one!