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OK, it is after the big fly fishing show in
Denver, so I'm supposed to be able to feed you
all the great stuff I saw. I did see a bunch
of new stuff, but almost all of it was just the
same stuff being done over again by somebody else.
There were new fly boxes and reels and fly rods,
and more, but nothing truly unique enough to claim
it was the "pick of the show."
Sage has a new lighter than light fly rod, and
in a small wind, it will be nice, but in the
common winds around my place, it will be all
over the place. Everyone else seems to have
a new rod or reel to show this year too, but
very few are truly noteworthy. Nothing seems
to grab me by the collar and tell me that I am
witnessing something really new, unless it is
something that is truly new and I missed it.
When will there be a show that offers a new
rod or reel that strikes at the heart of fishing?
There were a lot fewer dealers at this show too.
I'm not sure if it is because this is an election
year, or that many of the retailers have given up
on the big show. I can recall when you could go
to the show and get lost in the new products from
all the retailers. Now it seems that everyone is
in the same game, and playing it the same way for
the most part. The biggest show seems to be the
after show dealers dinners.
I have a big question; whatever happened to the
big dealers giving out big deals on rods and reels?
Was there ever a big dealer thing that allowed us
to visit their fly rods and reels and make serious
comments on them? Was there ever a thing that
allowed us to try out lines and reels and make
serious comments on them? Where did that go?
If I had a new fly rod, I would do everything in
my power to let people try it out and make decisions
on that rod. Is it a soft rod or a powerhouse that
will fling your clothes along with it? Will you be
looking for a better line or maybe something more
soft? There is only one way to get people to make
a decision, and that is to let them try it.
The big show in Denver this year was just that;
a big show in Denver. There were fewer people
there to try out new stuff and to show new stuff
to those who were trying it. I didn't see many
people with lines and reels to hand out or let
you try them out. And, there seemed to be little
new at the show that isn't already covered.
So, what is my pick of the show? I think I'll
pick the guys who wander around looking for free
stuff to play with. OK, maybe I'll pick something
other than that, but that wouldn't really show my
displeasure with the show. I think we have sunk
to a new level of not showing anything new. So,
I'm not going to pick anything new, although there
are a few things that might fit the bill. I'm
going to just check it as a show that had little
or nothing really new to show. And, if I have to
choose something; It will be those fly fishing boxes
that offer the new guy something that is truly unique.
So, how did I view the fly fishing show this year?
I think it is time to start something new or just
trash the whole program. We have better things
to do with our time than waste it on fly reels
and lines that are remakes of last years products.
We have way too many complex things to decide
about than to waste our time on a new reel or
fly box that really does nothing new. We could
spend more time fishing and less time wasting our
time on new fly boxes and reels that are truly a
remake of last years stuff. I think I could go
fishing on the money spent this year looking at
new stuff that was truly old stuff with new labels.
What would I do with the fly show? I would
suggest a new show or at least some new ideas.
We all have better things to do than to waste
our time on stuff that is old or a variation
of the old. I could be fishing. ~ AC
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