Tag Archives: Florida

AFFTA Goes It Alone On Trade Show: Hires Industry Veteran to Lead Effort

December 21, 2009

Though our previous post heaped truckloads of snark had bit of fun at the fly fishing industry trade group’s expense (AFFTA), it’s clear AFFTA’s serious about going it alone with a new, independent trade show for retailers, manufacturers and other fly fishing industry insiders (pretty much everyone except for the folks who actually buy the stuff).

From their press release:

(Louisville, CO. December 18, 2009) After evaluating every available option and in response to input received from fly fishing industry retailers, manufacturers, sales reps and media, the AFFTA board of directors unanimously voted Tuesday December 15, 2009 to endorse the formation of a new independent fly fishing trade show. The International Fly Tackle Dealer (IFTD) show will debut at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado during the 3rd quarter of 2010.

AFFTA Chairman Alan Gnann stated, “Throughout our careful and deliberate evaluation it became abundantly clear that a general fishing tackle show (ICAST) or a general outdoor show (Outdoor Retailer) would not serve the best interests of the of the fly fishing trade. It was also very apparent that the new found interest in fly fishing by these organizations was not aligned with AFFTA’s mission, making the decision very clear.” Gnann continues, “The entire AFFTA board is incredibly energized and motivated to make this the best show the industry has ever seen. The support of key exhibitors and retailers for AFFTA to sponsor an independent fly fishing industry trade show has been nothing short of overwhelming. We look forward to hosting the most dynamic and exciting trade show in years; and importantly – the only show focused exclusively on the sport of fly fishing.”

You can power your way through the entire release here (a cup of coffee might help).

AFFTA’s claiming the support of the fly fishing industry insiders and heavy hitters on this one (Scott Fly Rods, Sage, Redington, Rio, Orvis, Umpqua, Ross Reels USA/Ross Worldwide, Scientific Anglers, R.L. Winston, Solitude Flies, Cloudveil, Lamson/Waterworks, REC, Nautilus Reels, Smith Optics, Yellow Dog Fly Fishing, Frontiers International, Fly Fishing in Saltwaters magazine, The Drake magazine, and Fly Fisherman), though the Underground’s Crack Investigative Reporting Team (whose advanced techniques include calling and asking) knows at least two of the names mentioned are supporting the show more from a sense of duty than any real hope of a return on investment.

Regardless, unenthusiastic support is still support, and on the surface, it appears AFFTA has stolen a march on Outdoor Retailer, Furimsky’s planned Florida show, ICAST and a everyone else with a spare room.

To make sure it happens, AFFTA’s hired fly fishing industry insider (as if they’d hire anyone else) Randi Swisher, who was involved in running ISE’s trade shows.

Kirk Deeter at Angling Trade magazine suggests AFFTA’s wagering the future of the organization on getting this one right, and there’s a grain of truth to that, though given the tiny budget and occasional need for capital infusion to keep the operation running, the risks aren’t exactly titanic in nature.

Sadly, AFFTA’s prior attempts to turn their own fly fishing show crashed and burned, and to a certain extent, we wonder why AFFTA – who is clearly hungry for a revenue stream – doesn’t combine a two-day dealer show with a three-day consumer show. That gets them in the consumer show industry, yet keeps them out of everyone else’s hair.

It makes a certain sense, yet one industry veteran simply made clucking noises (that phone thing again) and suggested the industry’s insiders would never endanger their “exclusive little three-day industry party” by allowing the public entry.

Ouch.

What’s true about the fly fishing industry is that it’s tiny compared to most others, and while AFFTA’s releases suggest a duck serenely gliding over the water, we remind you that the real action takes place under the water, where our outwardly serene duck is paddling like mad.

(This kind of stuff is why the industry loves the Underground.)

See you anywhere but at a trade show, Tom Chandler.

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Fly Fishing’s Trade Show Death Match Continues – Only Now It’s AFFTA’s Own Partner Sniffing Blood

December 2, 2009

While the fly fishing industry typically generates all the corporate bloodletting of your average kitten fight, in recent years we’ve been treated to the spectacle of a meltdown in AFFTA’s trade show decision-making process.

With chainsaw death matches so rare in this industry, frankly, it’s been huge fun.

First AFFTA fired a shot across “The Fly Fishing Show” owner Chuck Furimsky’s bow when they went head-to-head with his Denver consumer show.

That worked about as well expected (#fail), and I thought the matter was settled (#fail X2).

For example, the remnants of AFFTA’s failed consumer show combined with the ISE show, and this year, they’re again going to compete directly (on the same weekend) with Furimky’s Denver show.

AFFTA, apparently, are slow learners.

Now it’s become clear AFFTA’s Fly Fishing Retailer (dealer) show is staggering.

Despite sizable amounts of industry cheerleading (and you know who you are), staying awake through the Fly Fishing Retailer show the last three years has generally required large doses of powerful, illegal stimulants.

In fact, for months now, speculation was rife the ailing FFR show would be combined with the sizable Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, and when the AFFTA Board of Directors voted that idea down, most of us wondered exactly what the hell they had in mind.

Turns out, nothing (at least if we read our press releases correctly).

Adding to the general hilarity, Furimsky clearly hasn’t forgotten the direct assault on his Denver show, and he’s proposing a Florida-based dealer trade show, touting the location’s lower cost.

Now it appears that Nielsen Media – the company that owned and operated the FFR show in the past – may be moving in for the kill.

Simply put, there’s blood in the water, Undergrounders (and we know what that means).

First, AFFTA issued a painfully long-winded press release explaining why they rejected the Outdoor Retailer show option (Warning: powerful stimulants may also be needed to read the following, which sadly includes the phrase “thinking outside the box”):

LOUISVILLE, COLORADO. Since April, 2009, AFFTA has been in discussions with Nielsen Business Media, owner of the FlyFishing Retailer Expo (FFR) to determine how to improve upon future FFR shows. Nielsen shared AFFTA’s desire to improve upon the design and production of future FFR shows.

Thinking outside the box, as the owner of the Outdoor Retailer Show (OR), Nielsen offered to create a “show within a show” by combining FFR with the 2010 Summer OR Show in Salt Lake City. David Loechner, Nielsen Sr. V.P., delivered the “show within a show” proposal to the AFFTA Board at their meeting in September.

According to AFFTA Chairman, Alan Gnann, “When the Outdoor Retailer proposal was first brought to the AFFTA Board’s attention, the Board was interested in the opportunities this combination offered. The thought of having our show within a show the size and caliber of OR was initially felt to be a reasonably good fit.”

Unfortunately, when the AFFTA Board received the final floor space proposal from Nielsen, the total space allocated to the fly fishing industry was grossly insufficient; the separate space to create the “show within a show” concept was not offered nor was space allocated for indoor casting ponds. In addition, many AFFTA members stated that the timing of the OR Show was not a good fit for the fly fishing industry. Therefore, citing these deficiencies, the AFFTA Board of Directors rejected Nielsen’s proposal.

Immediately after the AFFTA Board voted to reject Nielsen’s Outdoor Retailer proposal, AFFTA and Nielsen engaged in good-faith negotiations to allow AFFTA the opportunity to acquire the rights and licenses to the FFR show. Unfortunately, these negotiations were unsuccessful and AFFTA asked Nielsen to either produce a 2010 FFR show or terminate the agreement.

According to Gnann, “Nielsen and their predecessors have been great partners and collaborators for many years. Prior to the downturn in the economy, trade shows nationwide were generally profitable and well attended. However, the current economic climate dictates that AFFTA and Nielsen pursue a different business model. Therefore, as of November 30, 2009, Nielsen released AFFTA from its show production contract. It is now time for AFFTA to move on and determine its next course of action.”

“Since April, the Board of Directors has been working diligently with Nielsen to consider a wide range of options and combinations for FFR,” said AFFTA President Gary Berlin. “Because of confidentiality and non-compete provisions in the Nielsen agreement, the AFFTA Board has been unable to notify the industry of the on-going discussions or issue a press release on the status of the show. Now that AFFTA and Nielsen are no longer contractually obligated, the AFFTA Board is considering multiple options for a 2010 fly fishing industry trade show, including hosting a standalone show or combining with an existing show.”

Berlin promises to keep the fly fishing industry up-to-date on AFFTA’s plans for a 2010 fly fishing industry trade show.

Sure, it’s whiny. Sure, it’s clear AFFTA is lost, and like men everywhere, they’re refusing to stop and ask for directions.

And yes, am I the only person in the whole industry amused by the thought that AFFTA will keep us “up-to-date” on their plans for next year’s trade show?

(AFFTA is to fly fishing bloggers what Dan Quayle was to comedians – a dependable source of material.)

Blood in the Water, Fins On The Surface

Meanwhile, Furimsky’s dealer show is still on the table.

And yes – based on an email received from Outdoor Retailer’s PR agency – we can now plainly see a shark’s fin (a rare Nielsen’s shark) as it knifes through the water, heading directly for AFFTA’s leaking, dangerously overloaded lifeboat.

First, SOAR Communication’s Maura Lansford opens fire with:

In the letter, Haroutunian invites members of the fly fishing industry to join Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in 2010, as the FlyFishing Retailer Show will no longer take place in its current format. The conclusion that the fly fishing industry cannot sustain a stand-alone event in the current marketplace follows months of discussions with members of the fly fishing industry.

As part of its Summer Market event, Outdoor Retailer has offered to provide a new venue and demo experience for FlyFishing Retailer participants, along with an opportunity to grow the fly fishing category into other segments in the outdoor recreation market.

The in the press release portion of the email, former FFR show director (and current Outdoor Retailer show director) Kenji Haroutunian lights ‘em up with:

Fly Fishing Industry and Outdoor Retailer to Join Forces in 2010
From our 30 years of experience producing scores of specialty-sports tradeshows including 11 years producing FlyFishing Retailer, it is clear that the fly fishing marketplace will be better served now and in the future by expanding its reach to include the overall outdoor specialty marketplace. We are convinced that the best opportunity to grow as a market, and build on the core strength inherent in the fly fishing market, is to be connected to a larger collection of relevant businesses at Outdoor Retailer. Therefore, the entire fly fishing industry is invited to join Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Trade Show in 2010 as the FlyFishing Retailer Trade Expo will no longer be held in Denver

A Winning Opportunity
More than 25 percent of FlyFishing Retailer companies already exhibit at Outdoor Retailer, and those that haven’t are now invited to participate in the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2010 Trade Show. For more than 27 years Outdoor Retailer has provided a specialty wholesale watersports culture that thrives on a national and international level. At OR, consistently more than 20,000 professional participants advance the sales process not only in their own category but across multiple lifestyle segments within the overall specialty outdoor market. Please visit www.outdoorretailer.com now for more information about participating in Outdoor Retailer Summer Market.

Ahh, my Undergrounders – it’s the classic “boy meets girl, boy loses girl” love story. Only with trade shows. (See how we make this stuff clear for you?)

First Nielsen sends AFFTA on its merry way, then circles back and does the trade show equivalent of hitting on the attractive women in the group, suggesting they come over to Nielsen’s place for margaritas and chips while leaving their useless, beer-swilling, farting boyfriends behind.

Given AFFTA’s track record, I’d book a flight for Salt Lake City.

***UPDATE: Angling Trade (industry blog) says AFFTA sources have said there will be an “AFFTA-endorsed trade show sometime in 2010.”

That’s not the same as saying it will be standalone fly fishing show, though you’d assume that would be AFFTA’s goal.

The site also revealed AFFTA revenues and attendance figures from the last few years of FFR:

According to sources, gross income for the 2009 event was somewhere @ $460,000, in 2007, gross income was over $700,000… exhibitor numbers went from 234 in 2007 to 146 in 2009

Note that these are “gross” numbers – not net. It’s not clear to us if Nielsen was losing money on the show, but a 1/3 decline in exhibitors speaks volumes about the shows viability in its current state.

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Tom McGuane Awarded Fly Rod & Reel Magazine’s “Angler of the Year”

November 24, 2009

Following in the footsteps of earlier awards to writers John Gierach and Ted Williams, Fly Rod & Reel has chosen author Tom McGuane as their 2010 Angler of the Year.

With so many of McGuane’s novels and screenplays set against fly fishing locations – and populated by fly fishermen – it seems only right that McGuane would receive this honor on that basis alone.

To do so would be to overlook his publication of the best fly fishing essay book ever written: The Longest Silence.

That book – which solidified many of my observations about fly fishing – opens with a startling passage about fish counters robbing the trout (and the sport) of its soul:

The fisherman now is one who defies society, who rips lips, who drains the pool, who takes no prisoners, who is not to be confused with the sissy with the creel and bamboo rod. Granted, he releases what he catches, but in some cases, he strips the quarry of its perilous soul before tossing it back in the water. What was once a trout – cold, hard, spotted and beautiful – becomes “number seven.”

I could strip mine McGuane’s book for enough material to fill a hundred blog posts, but I’ll leave the discovery (or rediscovery) of those gems to my readers.

Instead, I’ll reprint part of what fly fishing publishing legend Nick Lyons has to say about McGuane on the FR&R site:

In Tom McGuane we have a different species of writer. He has loved fly-fishing for more than five decades, since he fished the rivers and small creeks of Michigan as a boy; he has pursued trout, false albacore, steelhead, bonefish, striped bass, permit and salmon with great passion and success; he has fished from Tierra del Fuego to Russia, Iceland, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, Florida and throughout his now-native Montana, and widely elsewhere; and along with his great novels and stories and films has written, with dazzling skill, much about what he calls his “life in fishing.” He is Fly Rod & Reel’s Angler of the Year and my Angler for the Last Hundred Years.

McGuane says that “what fishing ought to be about” is to use “the ceremony of our sport and passion to arouse greater reverberations within ourselves.” Reverberations: a richer response to all aspects of the natural world, perhaps—and our responsibilities to it; something telling about ourselves, surely; more about our subtle connections to all the texture and detail of fly-fishing; and a lot about our understanding of leisure and friendship and expertness and the enduring value of ritual, and so much more. Mostly, what we know about these matters comes from those with words—words that shock us into some new awareness, that, long after we’ve read them, echo in our brains.

This is, of course, what we call “literature” which is not something fancy dan or pretentious or irrelevant to any other matter in the universe, not sentimental (which is exaggerating sniffles), not trading ever in clichés (which is like claiming fish you haven’t caught). McGuane does these things in a major body of nearly a dozen novels, from The Sporting Club in 1968 to one he just finished, in time for a trip this past summer to Iceland and his annual fall trip to the Dean for steelhead, around which week he says he designs his year, “for these pools, these beautiful fish.” And he does it in what has become a major body of work about fly fishing—parts of An Outside Chance, all of Live Water and The Longest Silence. He is, as all of the best writers must be, a man on whom nothing is lost.

He knows that “the best angling is always a respite from burden,” not part of a competition or PR jaunt or a chance to transact business with those you fish with or a banquet for your ego. He knows we need to be stewards and riverkeepers, lest “there will be less than nothing, remnant populations, put-and-take, dim bulbs following the tank truck.” He knows how to make memorable and precise observations about our emotions and affections: “Young anglers love new rivers the way they love the rest of their lives.”

Speaking as a writer, I revere McGuane for his ability to deftly peel back the unsightly layers that obscure what should be a beautiful sport. As a fly fisherman, I never tire of his obvious love for the sport itself.

See you with a good book, Tom Chandler.

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8/18-8/28

August 30, 2009

Hi all,

Sorry for the lack of reports over the past few weeks—have been busy moving out of Woods Hole, a quick fishing trip to Florida, and now moving back into the dorms for the fall semester. Here’s a run-through of what the guys have been doing since last Tuesday the 18th.

8/18: Capt. Tom O. himself ran the Yankee Clipper’s limited-load trip last Tuesday, but reports a slow day of fishing. The weather was perfect, but the fish just weren’t in the mood. Just a slow pick of cusk and a handful of haddock.

Capt. Kirk, who had a charter on the Yankee Patriot, reports similar results. Not a lot going on, with some cusk, haddock, and a couple of codfish coming aboard.

8/19: Capt. Kirk ran Wednesday’s day trip aboard the Yankee Patriot, and reports much better action than the previous day, with good fishing on mostly haddock with cod to 14 pounds and a few pollock to 15 pounds mixed in as well. They enjoyed steady action all day with some solid flurries of haddock punctuating the day. A beautiful 24-pound wolfish that swallowed a hunk of clam took pool honors.

8/20: Capt. Josh had the wheel for the Super Thursday trip on the Yankee Clipper, and called the day fair to good. The fish were mainly biting the clams rather than jigs, and catches were well-spread around the bait, with a number of anglers tallying 10-12 legal fish by day’s end. Large haddock, market cod to 17 pounds (the pool winner), and a handful of pollock constituted the catch. The bite was best on the anchor in the morning, but they caught fish while drifting in the afternoon as well.

8/21: Capt. Kirk had the day trip on the Yankee Patriot on Friday, and reports a good day of fishing despite difficult conditions. The wind blew 25 knots out of the southwest, so they anchored all day, catching mostly haddock with a few cod and large cusk mixed in. In fact, a big cusk of about 12 pounds took the pool. The dogfish were pretty thick but the good amount of haddock mixed in with them made weeding through them worthwhile.

Capt. Josh led the charge on a charter aboard the Yankee Clipper, and reports that the fishing was slow in the morning, where the fishing had been good on the marathon yesterday. After catching just a few haddock and cusk they shifted to some hard bottom where they found a steady to good pick on some haddock, but tide-versus-wind conditions made fishing effectively difficult. Their best bite occurred in the afternoon just after slack tide. A fair day overall, he said, with slow fishing to start in the morning and a fair to good bite for the last two thirds of the trip.

8/22: On the Yankee Patriot, Capt. Kirk reports a good day of angling. Dogs weren’t too bad, the haddock bit pretty well with some cod and cusk mixed in, and a 12-pound cod took pool honors. They anchored all day, and bait seemed to produce better on the groundfish than the jigs even though it attracted more dogfish as well.

Josh reports a fair to good day on the Yankee Clipper. They made five anchor stops, with some better than others, catching a mix of cod and haddock, with more keeper cod than he’s been seeing recently. A 12-pound cod won the pool. Jigs and bait were more-or-less equally effective.

8/23: All trips were canceled Sunday due to Tropical Storm Bill.

8/24: Capt. Josh ran the Yankee Clipper today, and reports a fair day of fishing. They had a couple of slow stops to start off, then made a shift and found a steady pick of cod to 18 pounds, cusk, haddock, and a brief pollock blitz of 8-14-pound specimens. The 18-pound cod took pool honors.

8/25:
There were two limited-load trips on Tuesday. Aboard the Yankee Clipper, Josh reports another fair day. After a few slow stops, they moved to some deeper water, where Josh located a large sign of pollock. However, the fish seemed finicky and anglers only boated a handful of them. Hopefully those fish will turn on soon and provide some fast, exciting action for the jig fishermen. Since the pollock didn’t pan out Josh made another shift and picked away at cusk and haddock to finish out the day.

On the Yankee Patriot, Kirk, sailing with a light load, reports a very good day of fishing. Drifting all day, they had a good pick of haddock with some market cod and cusk mixed in. Jigs and bait both produced, although jigs caught most of the better-sized cod, including the pool-winning 15-pounder.

8/26: Kirk ran Wednesday’s day trip on the Yankee Patriot, reporting fair to good fishing overall. The first anchor stop was very good, with anglers putting dozens of nice haddock in the boat during their two hours there. Once the bite petered out, Kirk made a short shift but found only a slow pick on haddock with a pile of dogfish mixed in, a surprise because there had been almost no dogs at the first stop. The third anchor stop offered more of the same, with some haddock but lots of dogs too. Conditions made fishing difficult during the second half of the day, when the wind hauled out of the southwest at 25 knots and the boat began to swing on the anchor in choppy 3-5-foot seas. An 11-pound cod won the pool.

Capt. Josh had a charter on the Yankee Clipper, and reports a fair day of haddock fishing despite the mostly inexperienced angling crew on board. Cusk and a couple of nice cod in the 8-14-pound range were mixed in too.

8/27:
Capt. Josh reports a good day of fishing on the Super Thursday trip on the Yankee Clipper. The pollock bit fairly well in the morning, although they were concentrated in small areas and would only eat a jig twitched slowly right on the bottom. After moving off the pollock, they had a steady bait bite on haddock with some codfish to 20 pounds mixed in too. Many anglers had upwards of ten legal fish by day’s end. A 20-pound cod won the pool.

8/28: Capt. Josh ran the day trip aboard the Yankee Clipper yesterday and reports a fair day, with some anglers catching over a dozen keepers while others had only two or three. They began in the morning by looking for the pollock, but they once again proved quite finicky, although a handful of them including the 16-pound pool-winner did succumb to jigs. After targeting the pollock, anglers picked away at haddock, cusk, and cod for the remainder of the day, despite a ripping tide that made tending bottom difficult.

8/29: All trips were canceled today due to weather.

Willy

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