Troutnut Forum

>

Photography

> Midwest Fly Fishing Expo 2017

Oldredbarn	March 13th, 2017, 11:13 am
Novi, MI Posts: 2608	Just wanted to share a bit of my weekend past. As VP of the Michigan Fly Fishing Club I get to introduce our headline speakers for our show. Our club is 400+ members and we have been around since 1970. Our Fly Fishing expo since 1978...This was our 40th. As they say it takes a village and all our volunteers made this another great weekend. We set it up and we take it down! This was an odd week since our show was bracketed by a freakish wind storm here in Detroit that left 800,000, including me, without power, followed by 5" of snow the day after the show ended?! Our headliners helped bring the folks in this weekend and we all had a great time...Craig Mathews, Rick Kustich, Landon Mayer, and George Daniels were our presenters and everyone seems extremely happy at the results of our show. Thanks all! Spence
	"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively "Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Jmd123	March 13th, 2017, 12:25 pm
Oscoda, MI Posts: 2611	Hey Spence, looks like fun!! Good for you guys! Yeah, the recent weather does not make one think much about fly fishing, so that looks like a great way to perk up during the "almost-over-winter blues". And, perhaps drop a bunch of cash-ola...just noticed the vendors' tables and displays behind Craig Matthews and yourself in that picture...perhaps on an obscure color of neck or those specialty hooks you just can't find anywhere else? BTW where was this? Jonathon
	No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Oldredbarn	March 14th, 2017, 7:59 pm
Novi, MI Posts: 2608	We hold it at Macomb Community College. 12 Mile Rd and Hayes. Years ago we were at the Southfield Civic Center.
	"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively "Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Wiflyfisher	March 18th, 2017, 6:35 am
Wisconsin Posts: 663	Spence, looks like a great FF Show. Were there many young people attending your FF Expo? I asked that because it seems the few FF Shows I have attended over the past few years there are hardly any young people. The average age seems to be around 50 or higher!
	John S. https://WiFlyFisher.com
Oldredbarn	March 18th, 2017, 8:57 am
Novi, MI Posts: 2608	Were there many young people attending your FF Expo? Well...Yes...The majority were older. We do have a "Kids Corner" for the youngsters where they tie a fly, dye a t-shirt, and cast. That was packed this year. We had some help with the younger group of featured speakers with attracting maybe a somewhat younger crowd. We are working on our line up for next year with the younger crowd in mind. We had a very well attended show, especially considering that somewhere around 800,000, including myself, had been without power since the Wednesday before. There are guys out there that the younger generation are attracted to. That's normal. Every generation seems to want to reinvent the wheel and have something they consider special for themselves. George Daniels has tapped into that with a younger following for his nymph book and now the streamer one. We have a shop out in Ypsilanti that is run by Mike Schultz and he has a younger following. He attends our Expo. Big streamers are all the rage...;) Rick Kustich is doing some cool stuff chasing Musky. I escorted him around the last time he was here and it was the first time I watched someone tie reverse buck tail on those pins...You tie on one and it attaches to another etc, and before you know it you have a monster fly. He showed me the pic of the Musky he caught with it and it was a monster. Along the same note John...Our average age of our club is 62!? I think it is important that we attempt to interest the younger crowd...Our streams need to be protected and they won't be if the next generation has little interest in them. Last year when I was in the Catskills with Tony and Eric I stopped in and visited the old Dettes Fly Shop in Roscoe. The grandson of Mary Dettes is running the shop now and he's a very thoughtful young man. We were having the same conversation and he told me not to worry, that the younger crowd is out there, and they are watching us online. He told me to keep our web page up to snuff etc. He also told me about a group of 20-somethings that come up to the Catskills from Manhattan and quietly only fish the old Catskill ties...Its their thing. They keep it to themselves and are having a great deal of fun with it. Spence PS...I looked closer at the pic I posted of the crowd attending Landon's tying session and nearly 85%+ looks older...There's even one fella that looks like he's taking a nap in the front row there.
	"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively "Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Wbranch	March 18th, 2017, 4:17 pm
York & Starlight PA Posts: 2733	Where did the guys in the front row park their walkers?
	Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Oldredbarn	March 22nd, 2017, 11:56 am
Novi, MI Posts: 2608	Where did the guys in the front row park their walkers? Not sure Matt...:) I did blow up the pic and there's at least a half-a-dozen looking at their cellphones?! Spence
	"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively "Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood

Quick Reply

Related Discussions

Title	Replies	Last Reply
Re: Fly Tying Symposium In Fly Tying by Shawnny3	1	Nov 16, 2010 by PaulRoberts
Anyone Attending? In Fly Tying by Softhackle	0
For all you Central New Yorkers.... In General Discussion by Al514	0
Re: too-effective streamer In General Discussion by CaseyP	9	Mar 21, 2008 by JAD
Re: Grand River Fly Fishing In General Discussion by Rob613	2	Jul 21, 2009 by Rob613
Re: Lost my Brodin net - Ugh! In General Discussion by Wbranch	5	Apr 22, 2017 by Wbranch
Re: The unusual weather In General Discussion by Softhackle	4	Mar 12, 2012 by GldstrmSam
Re: Info on Chris Helm In the Photography Board by Oldredbarn	2	Nov 29, 2014 by Martinlf
Re: First season with the Fly rod! (14 more) In Fishing Reports by Youngfish	5	Apr 26, 2012 by Oldredbarn
Re: Rod Holder In General Discussion by Jaclinto	3	Mar 24, 2007 by Salvelinus

Troutnut.com is copyright © 2004-2024 Jason Neuswanger (email Jason). See my FAQ for information about use of my images. privacy policy