Attending the Fly Fishing Show in Denver, Colorado reminded me of how powerful sport shows are for connecting outdoors enthusiasts to the people, places, and gear they care about. Many traditional outdoor shows across the country have experienced declines in the digital age as hunters and anglers seek to buy products and book trips online. While these conveniences are nice, nothing beats a person-to-person conversation about where you might go or what gear might need. Sport shows deliver such meetings to the masses.
The Fly Fishing Show is a circuit of shows that take place in Marlborough, Massachusetts; Edison, New Jersey; Atlanta, Georgia; Bellevue, Washington; Denver, Colorado; Pleasanton, California; and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Many manufactures and outfitters attend all the shows on the circuit, while each show does offer localized exhibitors. I think this is what makes these shows so appealing.
At The Fly Fishing Show in Denver, I sat in on two seminars I found very informative and useful. One was hosted by an outfitter from the Bahamas. The gentleman is a lifelong Bahamas resident and has been fishing nearly as long. He laid out a dream trip for me as he went over the fishing, food, and culture of the islands. He was persuasive about the beauty of the Bahamas, so I expect you’ll be reading a column about bone fishing in crystal clear water on those beautiful sand flats sometime soon.
The second seminar was even more valuable. I sat in on Pat Dorsey’s seminar on his favorite Colorado trout waters. Pat Dorsey is encroaching on the living legend status in the world of fly fishing. He is the head guide and a co-owner of the Blue Quill Angler fly shop in Evergreen, Colorado. The professionalism of his guide operation, along with his shop, and his work as an author and speaker elevates Dorsey to the status I suggest.
Dorsey laid out the many reason why Colorado must be in the discussion of the best trout state in the country. He began with covering his neck of the woods. The South Platte is one of the most trout rich waters coursing in this country. It breaks down into numerous sections, like Cheesman Canyon, Deckers, Spinney Mountain Ranch, and Eleven Mile Canyon. He hit on the Frying Pan, the Blue and numerous more of the regulars. When he discussed the Yampa, I really tuned in, because that’s my favorite river in the state, simply because of where it runs.
When I was a boy, my grandpa took me to the Chicago Sports Show each year. My parents would allow me to take a day off school, because grandpa refused to fight the weekend crowds. It was special then, but even more special now as I reminisce about those days and recognize the investment of his time he made in me. The most precious gift one can give.
We browsed the aisles dreaming about far away waters and what it would be like to fish them. We gathered bags of brochures. I still do this. To this day, I’ll spread out all the brochure I collect like kids do with candy on Halloween. I marvel at the amount of adventure available to us and the revel in knowing I’ve at least attempted to make some of those dreams come true. He’d buy me some lures, and maybe a rod and reel combo if we could find the right deal. Bags of beef jerky were always enjoyed.
The older I have become, the more valuable these memories of trips to the sport shows with my grandpa are. Today, I’m able to recognize how special it was that he did something so simple as make an annual tradition for us, and to make it as enjoyable for me as he could. He’s been gone 20 years now, but I can still see him walking those aisles and sharing in the excitement. He taught me a lifelong lesson about the importance and value of shared time. Maybe a sport show or two with those you care about will do the same.
See you down the trail…
Brandon Butler
bbutler@driftwoodoutdoors.com
Pic: Sport shows introduce a world of possibility, like golden dorado fishing in Argentina.
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