I haven’t visited a consumer fly fishing show in over nine years, and I’d be full of crap if I said I’d suddenly developed a burning desire to go.
That said, Older Bro has been fly fishing up a storm this year, and he wants to break test-cast a bunch of rods, and so – in the interest of conning him out of a free show hot dog keeping him off the police blotter and on the casting ponds – I may accompany him.
Problem is this: Which show do we go to?
I haven’t been to the January ISE San Mateo show in well over a decade, and I’ve never been to the Sacramento ISE show.
Ditto for the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show.
So it’s time for the Central California Undergrounders to finally pull their weight contribute; which show and why?
n
{democracy:11}
Go to the one in Pleasanton, so I can kidnap you assume your identity and take your place in Mt Shasta
Brian(Quote)
Puhleeze. A show?
Bwwwaaaahhhahahahahahaha!
The only value in the shows lately is their tendency to remove the goofs from the river.
Go to the river, my son.
Steve(Quote)
Steve,
I’m with you. Screw the shows. Let’s hit the water! When ya wanna go?
Guido(Quote)
I here great things about the Sac. show. But you might want to wait for the FFF show in Redding this year. Or drag your butt’s up to Albany in March for the Expo. Of course there is Conclave in West Yellowstone in August.
David
David Roberts(Quote)
just be sure you both wear fishing shirts or maybe even waders and vests. It’s expected at this sort of event.
Murdock(Quote)
Yeah, the Uniforms everyone wears are pretty amusing. To go to a fly fishing show, you’d think everyone wore a pastel-colored, synthetic, vented warm-weather shirt indoors in February…
Tom Chandler(Quote)
Pick the Guys, Flies & Pies show in Rochester NY! Sure, it’s a heck of a drive, but you get to tie with some great folks, and no one is going to try and sell you a $900 rod, just good old tying, pizza, and prizes! Can’t beat that!
Guys Flies and Pies(Quote)
I’d go the the Flyfishing Show in Pleasanton since the ISE shows are only partly flyfishing while the Pleasanton show is 100% flyfishing.
I haven’t been to a show in a long time either. Been at least 15 years since I went to the ISE show in San Mateo. I’ve never been to the ISE show in Sac, and it’s been about 6 years or so since I went to the flyfishing show (it was held in Marin Co then).
Brian
Heddon17(Quote)
OK, by adding up the votes I see that stumbling through 17 aisles of jerky marinade and close out tippet spools inside of a box lit with fluorescent lights whilst trying to avoid the siren call of inflatable vests and Stonefly wine is a winner.
Who woulda thunk it.
Steve(Quote)
And yet, Older Bro’s having second thoughts. In other words, my perfect attendance record in the millenium may remain perfect…
Tom Chandler(Quote)
You know that every time you attend, a caddis loses it’s wings, right?
Ah well, pick me up a bottle of the cab and some 7x.
Steve(Quote)
How many of you guys read the question? Sure we all like to walk the banks, but “Older Bro” wants to test some rods. I don’t know many folks that have access to 1000′s of rods from a variety of companies including private builders and bamboo guys that they can take out on the river to test. Don’t forget there are some folks that would rather tie flies or just cast in the yard than fish. It is all part of our sport. The Fly Fishing Show is best for fly fishing gear, The Sportsmans Show is best for sporting gear. It is in the name and it sounds like “Older Bro” wants to test fly fishing rods. I just came back from a Fly Fishing Show and got to test a new braided bamboo rod that I am sure none of you have tested unless you went to that show. :-)
Ben(Quote)