The Great Waters Expo in Minneapolis this weekend was awesome!
There was a really wide variety of booths, presentations, and exhibits, and the intertwining of fly fishing with conservation and eductaion, I think, sets a standard for fly fishing shows everywhere. Tom Helgeson and Lew Beconne provide the heart and organization and are fantastic hosts. The live music is a nice touch, too.
I saw less of the offerings this year since I was tethered to my furling table most of the time (lots of interest, and some others furlers came by to share ideas, too), but I did meet (or re-meet) several FAOLers (Trout geek, Fly Angler, Chad, Jeremy, others I’m too dazed yet to think of to write down - sorry).
The layout of the Expo allowed a lot of people to fit well, I thought, and have one-on-one time. I had a chance to thank Dave and Emily Whitlock for allowing schools to use their clip art (we do), and to talk to some bamboo rod makers (Ron Barch, Don Schroeder, Jery Kustich) I see far less than I’d like. Mike Lawson and Kelly Galloup were circulating and accessible. The introductory session for women was very well attended - nice to see the interest! I did make it to both the session with authors’ reading about fly fishing / outdoors session and the panel discussion on sink-tip lines, and to hear about the DARE Intitiative (plan for restoring the Driftless Area streams). The Bell Museum was there…
Its hard to recap without leaving things out… there was something for every taste, I thought.
BTW - On the flight home, a small jet with only 11 rows of seats, I looked down to see my house on the family farm in Michigan, the streams and lakes I grew up fishing with Lake Michigan and Lake Huron both in sight at the same time.
Thanks for the nice words about the Great Waters Expo. While it’s a lot of work, Tom and I wouldn’t do it if it weren’t enjoyable and it’s folks like you that help make it so. It was good to see you again and to reconnect with many others as well - good people all. That’s part of the compensation. It was also fun to meet new folks like Jerry (Dotman) and his son Taylor and quite a number of others. Administrative & operational activities all weekend limited my ability to connect - saw no seminars myself - but it’s good to hear that the show worked well for others.
Took this a.m. off, but Tom sez that’s enough “decompression” so plans and activities for the 2006 GWE are under way.
Thanks again to you Kat and to all other FAOLers that helped to make the weekend what it was.
Lew
“Take what you can use and let the rest go by.” Ken Kesey
Finally got my daughter to go Sunday afternoon, saw Scott and Jerry, Kathy you had just left (sorry about that). Was planning an earlier start Sunday, but with Daylight Savings, and a daughter who stayed out too late the night before, miracle we got there before the Great Water Expo was closing.
From the little time I had to spend at the Expo, it was larger and better than the 1st year. Everyone who had a part in doing all the footwork in planning and seting it up, and to those who came to do the fly casting demonstrations, fly tying demonstrations, and manning the non-commercial booths, a greatful thank you!
I was there from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm Saturday at which point my wife dragged me out so we wouldn’t be late for dinner with our son. I regret that I couldn’t spend more time. Next year I am coming early and spending at least two days at the expo. So many great venues and not enough time to get to them all. The seminars were excellent and I could have spent a whole day at the tying demos.
A few of us from FAOL managed to meet up at the registration booth on Saturday morning. It was great to put names and faces together.
I also ran into an old friend from grad school who I had not seen since 1983. We are going to try to pull off a musky trip this summer.
Everyone at the Expo was incredibly friendly and very willing to share information. It was an outstanding time and for someone who lives in Bismarck, ND, it was like going to the fly fishing Mecca.
Hi Kathy,
Yep, it was good to run into you again. It was my pleasure.
It seems there were some FAOLer’s there that I missed too. Wish I’d have known, it would’ve been fun to shake some hands.
Very nice report! Did you see me out in the road waving as your plane passed over??!! I was waving my new 9’ 5 wgt!
Looking forward to you and your husbands visit this summer.
P.S. Mickey and I got your sister a 7 1/2’ 5 wgt. for her birthday. (Don’t tell her!!) She’s becomming quite the flyfisher! Conned us into tying flies for her!!
Kat, I’m really enjoying your book. I’m growing rather envious of your homestead. Very nice meeting you, and all the other FAOL people at the show. Missed Jeremy and Parnelli, though. Still wish I’d picked up that 3 wt. blank, though. Ah, but a fella must have a dream; now I have a new one. JGW
High ecological drama at the moment here - winter and spring are wrestling it out, there’s flooding, ice jams. Our beaver dams have breeched. Snowshoe hares still white but woodcock are back. Love this time of year!
I took a look at where you are from when you got to talking about ice jams, beaver dams and such. You are not too far from where I spent a lot of vacation time when I was married. My ex’s late father had a cabin on Hutchinson’s Pond near Waterford. In addition to fishing in the pond I have fished the Androscroggin and the Wild River. I love that area and would like to one day have a summer place up there.
Jerry
Dream the Life, Live the Dream
I can’t pretend to know what I don’t, so I won’t.
Board of Directors, Valley Forge Trout Unlimited
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