JC,
I liked your Article! It brought up some good points.
Was I the only one that went to the Portland Flyfishing Show? If so, I find that sort of strange!
Sure I didn’t want to pay for parking and the admission and sure there was the Model Railroad Show and the Roadster Show at the Expo Center, that I could have gone to instead.
Because the Flyfishing Show was SUPPOSED to be a Meeting Place with MM, that is where I went.
The first 1.5 hrs I was intent on finding my friend.
The second 1.5 hrs was spent talking to people.
I have to admit that 3 hrs was not enough time to learn anything from the Tyers or the Guest Casters.
I felt very distracted! should I spend more time talking to friends, fly tyers, vendors, sitting and resting?
I wish my brain could handle a lot of info at the same time. That’s why I wasn’t cut out to be a Secretary.
Because I was looking for MM, I looked at quite a few men in the 50-70 yr old range.
That is scary! Where were the younger guys?
The best times of my life were taking my precious Son fishing. I thought about taking him to the Show, but thought better of it, because Joe works very hard 6 days a week and I knew he was tired. Besides, the Show was something I needed to do for myself.
It hurts to say this, but this isn’t the same world I grew up in! The amount of RELAX time has to be less for (hard working) young people now. My Son works very hard and he is consisitent. Does Joe and other young people have to sacrifice vacations and fishing to get anywhere in the world?
I did see some Dads and Grandpas with their kids at the Show, but is the world putting the squeeze on flyfishing?
There can’t be too many thing more wonderful than the time that is spent fishing.
That’s what I want my Dreams to be about!
Doug 
Hear! Hear! :tieone:
I’ve fly fished all my life.
When I was a kid I went to the shows (and they were great) with my parents.
When I was a teen and in my early 20s I didn’t see the attraction of shows or club meetings
After all, all it was was a bunch of old guys talking about fishing
Why would you want to do that when you could actually go fishing…
or hang with your friends… or chase skirts… or (in my case) hit a bar.
Now that I am one of the old guys, club meetings and to a lesser extent, shows are more fun.
I’ve never been much of a consumer or a gearhead. So shows don’t really do it for me.
I have no desire to check out new rods or other gear.
And I’ve seen lots of presentations over the years
When I do go, it’s to replenish tying supplies, lines and such. The Bargains
Shows are good for that.
We don’t ever get one of those shows anywhere near where I live. It is at best a 6 hour drive to one of them. About every five years or so My wife and I go the the Vancouver BC boat show. I enjoy the heck out of it. So much so that I couldn’t tell you how much it cost to get in the door if my life depended on it.
I am planning to go to a flyfishing show sometime in the future if the budget can stand it. It will be a days travel to get there and a days travel back. So I will have to bunk down at a hotel for at least one night. So its going to cost me $14.00 to get in huh? I spend that much all the time for catalogue stuff to be shipped to me. Buying stuff at the show will save me tons of shipping and for once I will be able to look it over,perhaps even try it out before I buy.
For my $14.00 I will have all that stuff assembled in one place to look over plus all the free seminars and the famous and semi famous people you get to meet. Good grief what a bargain for you folks that live nearby. You big city folks are spoiled rotten and don’t even know it.
Good article JC
[There can’t be too many thing more wonderful than the time that is spent fishing.
That’s what I want my Dreams to be about!
Doug :D[/quote]
OK!
Again if I may…Hear! Hear! :mrgreen:
Thanks for taking the time to respond guys. I think we all may want somewhat differing things from a show and yet, pretty much the same things. I do believe that you get out of a show what you are willing to look for and become engaged with. Perhaps realistic expectations may sum it up for me anyway. Knowing what to expect, I find it and am amply rewarded. What would I change about any of them? Nothing that I know of. :tieone: