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All the other stuff — 1 Comment
25
Feb 18

Always love the fly fishing show

Camille and my daughter at the Fly Fishing Show

I guess they are bigger out in NJ and the one in Atlanta? Maybe others too? We have one out here in Pleasanton, not too far away from where I call home. I have been to that show more often than not over the past decade. I have worked that show a few times… once for BTT, twice for Friends of the River, maybe once for Clearwater, back when it was Clearwater House.

I love the show. I see old friends and seem to have interesting conversations every year. I don’t really go to buy anything and I didn’t eve cast a rod this year (fewer and fewer ron makers seem to be showing up). But there are still lots of people I like at the show, people I generally only see there.

This year I brought my 11 year old daughter and she didn’t want to leave. I heard her on the phone with a friend later say “I spent the day at a fly fishing show… it was actually pretty fun.”

I’m going to put that in the parenting win column.

I got to introduce my daughter to Camille Egdorf, of Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures and from the movie Providence. It was funny because my daughter kind of fan-girled her, although I’m not sure she knew who she was. I made her watch Providence when we got home. Now she knows.

 

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25
Feb 17

The show goes on

I always like going to one of the Fly Fishing Shows. Today I managed to steal a couple hours to hit the show in Pleasanton, which I think is the last of the US shows. It is a chance to see some old friends and have some good conversations. I also managed to cast a few new rods.

Not Lefty.

Yellow Dog was there and it’s nice to see those guys out there at these shows. Had some good conversations about the Bahamas with East End Lodge and saw lots of grip-and-grin shots all over the floor from Cuba and Belize and Christmas Island.

Gear makers were there including Redington, Sage, Rio, Galvan, Thomas & Thomas, Hardy, TFO and Patagonia. I grabbed a few new stickers for the car.

I stopped by the Cal Trout booth and renewed my lapsed membership. They do good work.

I got to cast the re-cast Predator rod from Redington, and I have to say… it was pretty sweet. I also cast the X from Sage in a 10 weight and it made me wish I was on a panga with rolling tarpon to cast at. I also cast the new T&T and was surprised to see they were the only rod maker (it seemed) who weren’t cheating a bit by up-lining their demo rods. You over-line and you make novice casters feel like they are 10 feet better than they likely are. Sneaky.

A couple hours of talking fly fishing and drooling over gear… what’s not to love?

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All the other stuff / Gear — 2 Comments
24
Feb 13

The show – Pleasanton 2013

Had a good time at the Fly Fishing Show yesterday. The attendance was a bit lighter than in years past, but there were still some good things to see.

One of the highlights was running into Prescott Smith from Stafford Creek Lodge. I managed to sit down with him and get an interview (which will take me a couple weeks to actually transcribe).I also met one of the owners of Swains Cay Lodge from the Middle Bight of Andros.

I also got to meet George Revel and Burk White from Leland Fly Fishing. Turns out George used to come to the Shasta Fly Casters (a fly fishing Club) when I was on the board of that fine institution… except he was something like 12 at the time and was entering and winning casting competitions, as I recall it. Burk has a couple girls he takes out to catch bat rays and leopard sharks in the North Bay, which sounds very familiar and very awesome.

I got to see John from Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures. John was in Cuba with me, so it was good to see him again and hear what he’s been up to.

I got to meet Dylan Rose, who I just did an interview with. I got to meet Capt. Martin Carranza from Nervous Waters, who happens to be a subscriber to BOTB. I got to talk to the Galvan folks, the Rio folks, the Beulah folks and Abel. I got to cast a TFO BVK, a Diesel from Leland (a mid-price point rod) and a Sage One in a 10 weight, as well as a couple rods from Beulah (which are at a real value price point coming in at about $295, I was impressed with these rods for the price).

I got to shoot the breeze with Loren Elliot, another very young guy who has an over-sized imprint on the industry and a guy who we will likely hear more about in the years to come.

I stopped by Abel to check out their beautiful reels. I love the art. They are beautiful. At $900 I will never own one, even if I have the funds available to do so. I’m just not a guy who buys $900 reels. They do make beautiful pieces of machinery and I do value that they make them here in the States (and in California no less).

I continue to be impressed with the Galvan folks for the quality of their reels and the price point they bring to the table. The T-8 comes in at $400 and the Rush-8 (same drag, just a little heavier) is only $320.

I also got to talk to Mikey Wier, who is now fighting the good fight with Cal Trout. He was just down in SoCal filming some spawning steelhead, CA’s most threatened fish.

I ran into Bill Klyn who you might have seen on Buccaneers and Bones. He works for Patagonia, but he also is on the board of the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (I just renewed my membership, FYI).

It was a good time. Best of all… a little something I got from the Bahamas booth…

Bahamian Gold.

Bahamian Gold.

 

 

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Gear — 3 Comments
23
Feb 13

Fly Fishing Show West

I’ll be at the Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton today. I’ll be casting rods and spinning reels (that’s what you do when you are looking at new reels) and shooting the breeze with all sorts of people, friends old and new.

I don’t really pay attention to the seminars, I’m really there for the people. These are my people. Half will be dressed as if they are going to hit the water. The uniform will be in full effect. Of course, the crowd will be a bit old, as is normal for these sorts of things.

Basically, I’m going to enjoy myself.

I’ll be sporting my new “Tarponist” shirt from SWC, if you are looking for me there.

Love me some SWC

Love me some SWC

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26
Feb 12

At the Fly Fishing Show

I went to the Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton yesterday.  It was a good time. Brought the girlfriend along (it was a test and she passed with flying colors) and the little sidekick.  Saw old friends, saw some new gear, had some good conversations and generally enjoyed myself.  The show even kicked down a “Media” pass for me, which made me feel a tiny bit legit.

The main highlight, however, was my little girl tying a fly.  They had volunteers ready and willing and able and my little girl was FOCUSED.

Thanks for that good people at the Fly Fishing Show.

Awesome.

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27
Feb 11

Heading to the Fly Fishing Show – Pleasanton, CA

Tomorrow (today, as you read this), I’m headed to the Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton.  I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and seeing some new gear.  The Pleasanton show is the only show in town, for the whole Bay Area.  I once heard that San Francisco has more fly anglers per capita than any other major city in the US.  I don’t know if that is true, but if it is, it seems odd that the only show catering to that particular group would be a bridge and tunnel away.  So it is.

There used to the the International Sportmen’s Expo in San Mateo, but after years of decline they didn’t even do that show this year.  I worked the ISE a couple years and I worked the Fly Fishing Show a couple of years, but this year I’m going just as a regular ole’ consumer.

I generally don’t buy much at these shows… I once bought an Elkhorn 3/4 weight and a T&T 5 wt.  The T&T broke and when I sent it in for repair I learned it was a used rod and that they would repair it this time, but never again. Sadly, it is my favorite 5 wt… on the fast end of medium… good for my short line nymphing but still soft enough to throw some #20 tricos… ya know, back when I was actually fishing #20 tricos.

Really, I go to see the folks.  This year, I also hope to talk to a few folks about doing interviews for the blog.

Should be a good time.

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Conservation — No Comments
27
Feb 10

Pleasanton Fly Show, Day 1

These shows can be a lot of fun, minus the last hour, which drags on like a 6 hour bit of political theater about health care.

I got up early this morning (this post will show up on Saturday, but I’m writing it on Friday, cause that’s how I roll) at 0-dark-thirty and drove down to Pleasanton for the Fly Fishing Show.  Upon opening the crate that housed the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust display, it occurred to me I should have tried it out at home first.  Luckily, I got some help from a ladies fly fishing club I was next to.  Twenty minutes later and I was sorted.

As the throngs of mostly older men passed by (it was a Friday, a perfect time for men of a certain age to browse the show) I heard lots of interesting bonefish stories.

The one place that was mentioned time and time again was Christmas Island.  Tomorrow I have a buddy coming in who will be fresh off the plane from Xmas… can’t wait to hear about it.

Had some good conversations about bonefish, conservation, catch & release fishing and other assorted bits of goodness.

Support Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.

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Conservation — No Comments
25
Feb 10

The Fly Fishing Show, BTT and Me

I’ll be volunteering for the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust for the duration of the Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton, February 26-28.

If you are a Bar Area-ite and are heading to the show, stop by and say “hi” and give me a chance to try and shake some money out of you for chat about Bonefish, Tarpon and Permit research and conservation.

yeah... what he said.

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18
Feb 10

Tag Ends – 2/18/10

Some bits and pieces floating around.

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