I hate to be long-winded yet again, but I wrote this essay over a week ago for another website and it is very relavent to this...most important...discussion:

At the risk of getting crucified, I'm gonna step out front with some thoughts on this one...

I sort of see both sides.

On the one hand, It is easy for such a small niche within a larger industry to get "swallowed up" within the framework of these bigger shows. And the way I've heard it was presented for Salt Lake City didn't sound good. And the tradition of the separate show is always a comfortable thing, too. From AFFTA's perspective, they stand to lose everything by giving up the stand-alone show to Outdoor Retailer or ICAST. So I can see their point.

On the other hand, ICAST already draws quite a heavy representation from the fly fishing industry and has casting ponds and so forth. They have 4 or 5 regional shows, which keeps travel costs down and allows more scheduling flexibility for small businesses and journalists. This is a much better growth model than 1 show in a very expensive city like Denver. And the potential for cross-pollentation from a partnership with ICAST would be good for the future of fly fishing in general: affinity marketing, recruitment, capital investment, etc. In short, I think it would be a real win for fly fishing.

For the past several years, AFFTA has made somewhere between roughly 3/4 of a million and a million dollars per year off of the Denver show for the ostensible purpose of growing the fly fishing industry. In that time, the industry hasn't grown. It has consolidated and contracted. In fact, the overall trend since the boom of the early 90's has been downward. AFFTA says they've got positive feedback from Sage et al, Winston, Ross, and Smith. Well they always have the support of Sage, Winston, Ross, and Smith. But what about the smaller and the newer big companies? What about the retailers whom this trade show is supposed to be for in the first place? What about the world's largest supplier to fly fishing retailers and one of the biggest mfgs in the industry, Wapsi? Where are they?

I suspect the answers to all of these questions...and the ultimate reason AFFTA decided to put on their own show in Denver...is found near the end of the statement quoted: it's not in the best interest of AFFTA. It has nothing to do with what's in the best interest of fly fishing retailers, distributors, or the vast majority of manufacturers. And it sure doesn't have anything to do with growing the sport of fly fishing so that there is a bigger pie for all of them to share.

On background, AFFTA had just announced in a press release their intention to proceed with an independent, Denver-based trade show for the Fall of 2010. You can read that statement on their website.

My point is this: with AFFTA raking in all of this $$$ year after year as a non-profit with the charter of "growing the fly fishing industry," why doesn't the industry demand that AFFTA fund these programs and run them through local parks and recreation departments, etc. with the cooperation of local fly shops, clubs, and guides? Why can't AFFTA pay the mfg's wholesale for the rods, reels, lines, backing, leaders, tubes, tying kits, and all that jazz from that pile of cash they've been siphoning off of hard-working merchants and manufacturers instead of funding their own far-flung fly fishing adventures?

This isn't rocket science. The way you grow the fly fishing industry is by creating new demand. And the way you create demand is by creating new customers. And the way you create new customers is by teaching people to use the stuff you sell.

So why are all the folks out there TEACHING fly fishing to newcomers for free these days volunteers who have little or no financial stake whatsoever in the future of fly fishing? The industry is slitting its own throat. I will not lament the passing of another fly fishing company until they turn things around.