So, I am bit negligent on posting on my blog…I have gotten pretty bad about posting fishing reports on my blog but I am pretty good at sending out fishing reports via my email list… So if fishing reports interest you I encourage you to join my email list…I am way better at sending out routine email reports then I am at posting to the blog.

Currently I have been thinking I really need to post on the blog more and I think I am going to start making the blog more about just random thoughts, realizations, and things I am writing…Not fishing reports…maybe every ounce in a while I’ll post some pictures and such of fish, but I am going to save the reports for the email….Don’t get worried though No poetry or word slam stuff …. Don’t turn down the lights and turn the pink Floyd albums on, it is all still going to be based in fly fishing and fly tying maybe sports and music as well though…so hold on tight and enjoy

…and of course, I am not that proficient with the English language so excuse the grammar, run on sentences, typos, and just plain butchering of the written word, I try my best with the time I have.

Currently I am sitting on a United Flight back from the IFTD (International Fly Tackle Dealer) Show in Denver Colorado. Now this post won’t go live until most likely tomorrow or the next day AM as it is 8:30pm Mountain time on this flight and I am going to hit the ground drive home and sleep like a baby in my own bed.

I flew out VERY early Monday morning and had AFFTA Board Meetings all day. I had this wild idea to run for the AFFTA (www.affta.org) Board last fall and low and behold was elected! This is the fly fishing industries trade board and I serve on the board with 15 other truly amazing individuals from all walks of the industry, parts of the country, and stages of life. I am one of two guides on the board and to start, I felt, was in totally over my head, but as I have spent the last year serving on various committees, attending board meetings, and getting my hands dirty I have found that I do have something to contribute. The rest of board through what I can only call just plain good old genuine kindness have welcomed me in and brought me up to speed, making me feel like I am part of the team…enough back ground for now…

So, we had some strategic planning meetings and a board meeting Monday that went pretty late so Monday I went back to my hotel and opted for two large slices of New York style pizza in bed and Monday football with a few comic books to round out the whole dude fest.

Tuesday I really didn’t have many commitments though I needed to help set up the new product show case at the convention center and just help out where I could. I serve on the Trade Show Committee so I needed to help BUT the self-proclaimed largest comic store in the country is in Denver and per my google mapping skills I found was only 15minutes from my hotel and a very reasonable 9$ Uber ride. No Brainer. My buddy Brett who plays in Royal Oaks with me went to this place, Mile High Comics, over the summer with his boys and told me about it.  Brett is as big a comic nerd as me and if he was impressed I figured I would be as well.

I spend a silly amount of money monthly on comic books with my boys. It is of our thing we do every Wednesday together (new comics come out every Wednesday) and we are incredibly lucky to have one of the best comic book stores I have ever been into locally in Chico, Collectors Ink. I justify it as something we do together every week. We talk comics throughout the week, share comics, look at what is coming out and just overall immerse ourselves in comic culture…

Mile high comics did NOT disappoint. The place is literally a warehouse with rows and rows and rows of comics, trade paper backs, vintage toys, pop funkos, AND two whole sections that are run by employees where any comic can be searched and found in their stacks of old comics or trade paper backs. You literally walk up to a counter where a guy looks up what you want at a computer and shows you all the version and quality ratings they have, you pick one, then they disappear in rows and rows of comic boxes literally miles high from what I could tell and bring it back to you to purchase.

I could have spent most of the money I have in my bank account and then transferred my children’s college funds to my checking account very easily, but I held back. I walked out spending about $40 and $20 on uber rides. My goal was to stay under a $100 and I did so, mission accomplished.

After that I headed back to the convention center and helped set up the new product showcase. At IFTD manufactures of all sizes and types come together to share new product with retailers, guides, and the media. In the new product show case there is the option to submit products in various categories (like New salt fly rod, new freshwater fly, etc.) and the entire show, manufacturers excluded, vote on what is the best in each category and then one item as best of show. Seeing all the new stuff is really fun.

That night I had dinner with the Scott Fly Rods crew at a great Mexican restaurant down town and got the pleasure of sitting next to Jim Bartchi and catching up as well as getting to know Way Yinn, spey rod guru and designer, as well as Scotts Legendary rep staff from around the country. That night I headed back for a solid Mexican food coma and some comic book reading…I tapped out at just the right time from the looks of the Scott crew the next morning.

I have been to the trade show for many years and as I have gotten older I have found it to be much more enjoyable on a full night sleep and not hung over…so I am really proud to say I skipped the after dinner bar crawl.

Wednesday was the first day of the show and AFFTA hosted the “Industry kick off breakfast” with Steve Rinella, best known as the Meat Eater, as the keynote speaker. I am not a devotee of Steve, not because I don’t agree with him or like him, I just never listen to his pod cast, watched his show, or read any of his books. His speech was good – not great – as a guy use to the open ended free flowing speaking of a podcast I think may have had a hard time staying focused on a 45-minute beginning middle end style speech. That said he was funny and had a good message!

His message was that as sportsmen we need to focus not on what divides us…bait, gear, fly, catch and release, private land hunt, public land hunt etc.…but what we have in common and that is a love for the outdoors and the places in it BECAUSE WE ALL NEED TO PROTECT IT!!!!! Great message I think in a time where we need to unify and stand up for our wild places weather we catch and release fish on them or kill elk on them.

 Overall the show was fun. Great to see old friends and meet some new people. I saw people I haven’t seen in a while and saw people I see all the time. I was really happy to get the Barbless Podcast crew out (Chad Alderson, Nick Hanna, and intern/Cast Hope kid Hunter Derrick) to present at the show on “Podcasting 101”. They also brought their podcast set up and did a bunch of recording in the Scott Fly Rods booth and the Damsel Fly Fishing Booth ( a company owned by Kara Trip and her sister – two bad ass women bosses http://damselflyfishing.com/). I got to step in and guest host on an interview with world record chaser, promoter of women’s fly fishing, and general just down right cool lady Meredith McCord (https://meredithmccord.com/). Meredith holds nearly 180 world tippet class records on a fly rod and is always chasing more. She is an incredibly passionate angler and just a general great interview. When the boys get the episodes, all hammered out make sure to check all of them out.

On to new product… 

The amount of new product coming out in 2020 from many of the big and small manufacturers is REALLY cool. Simms has upped the ante with the new G4 product line – boots, waders, and jacket – as well as some stuff I can’t even talk about for fall 2020 that will be amazing additions to an already stellar line of gear.

As always there was a ton of new rods from TFO, Sage, Reddington, G Loomis, Orvis, Thomas and Thomas, and a few others. I am incredibly proud as a Scott Fly Rods Pro Staff member for over 15 years to say the New Scott Sector WON best new Salt fly Rod AND best overall new product for the show aka BEST OF SHOW. This rod is truly amazing and I have had proto types in my boat sense May and I can truly say it is the best striper rod I have ever cast and fought fish with. Jim Bartchi president and rod designer has truly upped the ante with this rod.

Hareline fly tying company has some really cool new products out and their Bling rabbit strips won best new fly-tying product.

Simms won 15!!! Best of show awards in various product and soft goods categories…as I said fall 2020 is going to be pretty damn cool!

 ALL New Product Showcase Awards - Go check this stuff out at your Local Fly Shop

Accessories – Under $100
Simms Fishing Products, Pro Nipper

Accessories – Over $100
RISING, Travel Net

Gift Items – Under $100
Danforth Art, Danforth Art

Youth Product – Gear/Apparel
Fishpond, Tenderfoot Youth Vest

Entertainment/Education
Anglers Book Supply, STEELHEAD FLY TYING

Fly Box/Storage System – Gear
Fishpond, Fly Dock

Fly Hooks – Gear
Umpqua Feather Merchants, XT050 Stubby T (#10-18)

Fly Tying Vices and Tying Tools – Gear
Renzetti, Streamer Pedestal Base

Fly Tying Materials
Hareline Dubbin, Bling Rabbit Strips™

Eco Friendly – Gear
Patagonia, Black Hole Gear Tote

Luggage (Bags, Backpacks) – Gear
Simms Fishing Products, GTS Roller Duffel - 110L

Chest-Pack/Vest – Gear
Fishpond, Flathead Sling

Boat/Personal WaterCraft – Gear
Outcast Sporting Gear, IK Angler 11'

Fly Line – Freshwater
Scientific Anglers, Amplitude Infinity

Fly Line – Saltwater
Scientific Anglers, Amp Smooth Infinity Salt

Leader/Tippet – Gear
Scientific Anglers, Absolute Trout Tippet

Fly Pattern – Freshwater
Flymen Fishing Company, Micro Changer

Fly Pattern – Saltwater
Umpqua Feather Merchants, Skok Strong-Arm Crab

Fly Rod – Freshwater
Sage Fly Fishing, TROUT LL

Fly Rod – Saltwater
Scott Fly Rods, Sector Series

Fly Rod – 2 Handed/Spey
Sage Fly Fishing, TROUT SPEY HD

Reel – Freshwater
Ross Reels, San Miguel

Reel – Saltwater
Abel Reels, VAYA

Men’s – Waders
Simms Fishing Products, G4Z® Stockingfoot Wader

Men’s – Outerwear
Simms Fishing Products, G4 Pro® Jacket

Men’s –General Apparel
Simms Fishing Products, SolarFlex UltraCool Armor

Men’s – Wading Boots
Simms Fishing Products, G4 Pro® Boot

Women’s – Waders
Simms Fishing Products, Women's G3 Guide™ Z Wader

Women’s – Outerwear
Simms Fishing Products, Women's G3 Guide™ Jacket

Women’s – General Apparel
Patagonia, Women's Bugstopper Leggings

Best of Show
Scott Fly Rods, Sector Series

The show over all was great. I got to meet some new people, catch up with many many old friends, and see some people I only know via email or social media. The fly-fishing industry is small and many times at the show it is humbling to look around and see literally everyone and every company from our little niche industry in one building. Definitely keeps it real in my mind.

I am sure there are some very wealthy and smart business men in the fly-fishing industry…I do know a few…but the bulk of the people are pretty middle-class hard-working people that made a conscious choice somewhere along the line in their life to do what they love not necessarily what is the best finical decision. That concept I think is a pretty unifying ideal in the industry as much as companies compete, shops compete for sales, reps compete for shelf space, and guides compete every day on the water we all love (most of the time) what we do and everyday are making a choice to do it. If money or fame was important most of us would have looked to another line of work. The new Simms marketing campaign really speaks to this…”You have one life, fish it well”….In the end it really speaks to a much larger idea in that we only live ounce do what you love.

Until next time.