back from Somerset FF Show
today was low 40's but beautifully sunny in SE PA, so I decided to do Somerset rather than go ffishing (that's for tomorrow). That way, I would beat the weekend crowds. I even learned of at least one bus full of ffishers who were going up on Saturday.
However, there were an awful lot of folks who felt the same way. The parking lots were as chock full as a Saturday in the old days.
Highlights for me were the new booths from places like Italy (also with some interesting cane as well as silk lines) and Germany (Schlecht another cane maker), Roman Moser (Austria, I think), Marc Pettijean (Swiss I think). Yoshida came again, this time with a buddy who had some spectacular wooden tools, nets made from antlers, wooden fly boxes - real works of art. Yoshi had a 9'3" 3wt !!! that was NOT a noodle out of cane he grows in Nagoya. An Irish outfit was again promoting their home waters. And several South American outfits were doing a good job making it easy to start saving up for a winter trip.
Most of the show of course was home grown - quite a few outfitters and lodges. Several gear dealers brought a lot of toys. A fair bit of artistic booths.
Book sellers like Angler's Art and Judith Bowman's displayed a lot of their offerings. And of course, there was the casting area - enough for 4 rods, with monitors to make sure no one hogged the pool.
Our Bill Taylor brought a full array of quads, and co-boothed with Dotman. I talked to Dr. Fish - Mustad/Partridge had a serious and informative space. A number of rod companies brought pretty complete lines of toys (Elkhorn, but also Albright, Winston, Scott, T&T, Echo).
There were so many booths, they spilled over from the convention space into the full foyer area.
This remains the biggest and best flyfishing-only show in the New World in this writer's experience. (though I hear Denver is coming on strong) I've been doing shows since the 70's, when San Mateo and Suffern were the big guns and before the Ed Rice and Furimsky/Serviente juggernauts got rolling. Made it to the 1st few Detroit based fly shows when they were called Bamboo Rod Revivals. Even went to the Dealer Shows when they got started, the 1st one being right here in Hershey, then it wandered around looking for a home till it settled into Denver, one of my favorite towns for business and pleasure (and Avalanche and Fat Tire).
tl and enjoy - those of you who go this weekend
les
[This message has been edited by lesyoung (edited 27 January 2006).]
[This message has been edited by lesyoung (edited 27 January 2006).]
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