Notes-March-20-2006

Posted by Ed Roden on 20 March 2006 | 0 Comments

Tags: Midwest Fly Show

I remember going to my first Midwest Fly Show about 8 years ago. I walked in with Aaron Rubel, and he immediately started introducing me to David McFarland, Tom Dierwa, and Clay Groomes. He knew John Vincent, and many others. I was blown away and completely overwhelmed. I was amazed at the stuff packed in at the Southfield location, and didn't think I would ever figure out all this fly fishing stuff and who all these people were.

Now, 8 years later, I walk around and know people in all of the TU booths, many of the different vendors, guides, and tiers, and some of the spectators from various other facets of the sport. I'm still amazed as I learn something new from a tier or at one of the seminars, watching Lefty Kreh effortlessly send a line across the casting pool, and learning about what new equipment and gadgets are out this year (as if I need more!).

And I'm also amazed at how much money you can drop on raffle tickets and other items (even the necessary and overpriced hotdogs!). I had fun walking around with my son on Sunday. We got him a new hat, he scammed one of the vendors for a plastic cuthroat trout, took home his annual fly from Sam Surre, and figured out exactly when we have to take a deer to get the right hair for tying bass bugs (thanks Chris Helm!).

I want to send out a huge THANK YOU to each of the members who helped out with the show this weekend. You made it a huge success! I had some great conversations with each of you (as great as they can be in between selling tickets and dragging kids over for the youth rod raffle). Got some good ideas for potential fundraisers, talked to several other members who were helping out the show in other ways, or who were just there wandering for a couple hours.

Steve Bell
Rob Bowden
Carl Crook
Howie Everson
Dennis Furman
Mike Hrabonz
Mike Jarvis
Al Johnston
Mark Johnston
Ken Koster
Carl Maldonado
Steve Priest
Frank Starbuck
Mark Tracey