We just returned from the Denver Fly Fishing Show and I can honestly say that except for the Sunday snow day, it was one of the best crowds ever. Larry, Taylor and I have full houses in our destination presentations as well as our seminars. People spent money, booked trips and seemed to have a great time. It's always hard to say what bearing economic conditions have on shows like this, but from what I saw, folks are tired of being down and out and want to get outside and fish. Granted, unfortunately lots of people are still out of work, but this crowd seemed to reject that as an issue. I talked to folks who hadn't worked in over a year, but they scraped up the entry ticket and came to enjoy the seminars and talk about fly fishing. The ones who did have jobs spent money. I am not an economist and don't really know what to make of the deal, but all I know is that even the people without work were happy and that says a lot for our sport. I have used fly fishing to get through all kinds of speed bumps in my life and I think we are all doing just that. Rivers and fish are an indication that God gives us much more than money to make our lives worth living......perhaps doing without so much cash helps us understand that even more. The old year is over and spring is right around the corner. Stoneflies in the Arkansas will begin molting in 5 or 6 weeks. That should give me time to get a few nymphs tied up if I don't procrastinate too much. If I do procrastinate and drink too much single malt, I'll just depend on my Gonzo Compadre, Larry Kingrey to tie some for me. They'd be 10 times better than mine anyway. Thank God he works for food (and drink).
No comments:
Post a Comment