Sportsman Fly Fishing Show (San Mateo, CA)

I visited the International Sportsman Show in San Mateo, CA yesterday. It
seems to be getting more sparse every year, as this time they combined some
of the hunting with the fly-fishing section. I was wondering why the
fly-fishing seemed to be a bit more crowded. In any-case, I got to meet Dave
Whitlock and Denny Rickards, two of the big names in Fly-Fishing world.
Somehow Denny must have enjoyed my company, we talked for over an hour
(mostly him doing the talking) about working the emerger patterns. I felt as
though I was getting a personal instructor and learned quite a lot about
emergers and how to fish them. In all I enjoyed the demos, and lectures,
not much for looking at tackle or new products, food is always overpriced
and unsatisfying, so this year I stopped off and had breakfast first. Not
many booths on international outfitters.
fwiw,
-tom

Tom Nakashima wrote:

I visited the International Sportsman Show in San Mateo, CA yesterday. It
seems to be getting more sparse every year, as this time they combined some
of the hunting with the fly-fishing section. I was wondering why the
fly-fishing seemed to be a bit more crowded. In any-case, I got to meet Dave
Whitlock and Denny Rickards, two of the big names in Fly-Fishing world.
Somehow Denny must have enjoyed my company, we talked for over an hour
(mostly him doing the talking) about working the emerger patterns. I felt as
though I was getting a personal instructor and learned quite a lot about
emergers and how to fish them. In all I enjoyed the demos, and lectures,
not much for looking at tackle or new products, food is always overpriced
and unsatisfying, so this year I stopped off and had breakfast first. Not
many booths on international outfitters.
fwiw,
-tom

Hey Tom,

I'm reading a lot of negative feedback about the San Mateo show.
Everybody is complaining about the lack of vendors. The list of speakers
is still pretty good, and probably worth the price of admission. I
would've really like to have sit in on that conversation you had. :-)

I'm not going this year, based on the early feedback. I'm planning on
going to The Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton. This show is growing every
year, and should be eclipsing the San Mateo show this year.....plus it's
all fly fishing.

brians

"briansfly" wrote in message
news:fTPph.43$9B6.30@trnddc07...
Tom Nakashima wrote:

I visited the International Sportsman Show in San Mateo, CA yesterday.
It seems to be getting more sparse every year, as this time they combined
some of the hunting with the fly-fishing section. I was wondering why
the fly-fishing seemed to be a bit more crowded. In any-case, I got to
meet Dave Whitlock and Denny Rickards, two of the big names in
Fly-Fishing world. Somehow Denny must have enjoyed my company, we talked
for over an hour (mostly him doing the talking) about working the emerger
patterns. I felt as though I was getting a personal instructor and
learned quite a lot about emergers and how to fish them. In all I
enjoyed the demos, and lectures, not much for looking at tackle or new
products, food is always overpriced and unsatisfying, so this year I
stopped off and had breakfast first. Not many booths on international
outfitters.
fwiw,
-tom

Hey Tom,

I'm reading a lot of negative feedback about the San Mateo show. Everybody
is complaining about the lack of vendors. The list of speakers is still
pretty good, and probably worth the price of admission. I would've really
like to have sit in on that conversation you had. :-)

I'm not going this year, based on the early feedback. I'm planning on
going to The Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton. This show is growing every
year, and should be eclipsing the San Mateo show this year.....plus it's
all fly fishing.

brians


Brians, not sure if San Mateo was even the price of admission, but I wanted
to see Dave Whitlock.
I met him in the bathroom, of all places. I must have a non-threatening
face, and felt a little embarrass, because Rickards was giving me info on
emergers that most anglers have to pay for. I did guy 6 of his flies...I
know cheapskate here. I'm also attending the Pleasanton Fly-Fishing show.
-tom

On Fri, 12 Jan 2007 10:21:14 -0800, "Tom Nakashima"
wrote:

Brians, not sure if San Mateo was even the price of admission, but I wanted
to see Dave Whitlock.

He was at the show in Atlanta last year, a really nice guy. Based on the advance
info, it looks like the Atlanta show may be larger than last year. It shrank to
almost nothing a few years ago, but has been growing slowly the last couple of
years. No where near the scale of the San Mateo show, of course.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...
I visited the International Sportsman Show in San Mateo, CA yesterday. It
seems to be getting more sparse every year, as this time they combined some
of the hunting with the fly-fishing section. I was wondering why the
fly-fishing seemed to be a bit more crowded. In any-case, I got to meet
Dave Whitlock and Denny Rickards, two of the big names in Fly-Fishing
world. Somehow Denny must have enjoyed my company, we talked for over an
hour (mostly him doing the talking) about working the emerger patterns. I
felt as though I was getting a personal instructor and learned quite a lot
about emergers and how to fish them. In all I enjoyed the demos, and
lectures, not much for looking at tackle or new products, food is always
overpriced and unsatisfying, so this year I stopped off and had breakfast
first. Not many booths on international outfitters.
fwiw,
-tom


I went down after jury duty and was very underwhelmed. Has shunk a lot.

After last year I decided to save my money. I'll probably go to the
same show in PDX. If it's put on by the same outfit Ill probably stay
home.


On Jan 12, 9:14 am, "Tom Nakashima" wrote:
I visited the International Sportsman Show in San Mateo, CA yesterday. It
seems to be getting more sparse every year, as this time they combined some
of the hunting with the fly-fishing section. I was wondering why the
fly-fishing seemed to be a bit more crowded. In any-case, I got to meet Dave
Whitlock and Denny Rickards, two of the big names in Fly-Fishing world.
Somehow Denny must have enjoyed my company, we talked for over an hour
(mostly him doing the talking) about working the emerger patterns. I felt as
though I was getting a personal instructor and learned quite a lot about
emergers and how to fish them. In all I enjoyed the demos, and lectures,
not much for looking at tackle or new products, food is always overpriced
and unsatisfying, so this year I stopped off and had breakfast first. Not
many booths on international outfitters.
fwiw,
-tom

"Jonathan Cook" wrote in message
...
Tom Nakashima wrote:

(mostly him doing the talking) about working the emerger patterns. I felt
as
though I was getting a personal instructor and learned quite a lot about
emergers and how to fish them.

Do tell!

Jon.

PS: One time on a lake in late morning the sun was bright and the wind was
zilch and nothing at all was happening, so I parked my canoe in a deep
(15')
trench between a little island and the shore, and rigged up with a
chironomid
and a sinking line. I'd cast out short and let it sink all the way, and
then
stand in the canoe, start the rod tip at the surface and do a slow steady
lift
as high as I could (~10 feet of vertical movement). Had trout dinner that
night ;-), and the strikes were surprisingly hard.

"Jonathan Cook" wrote in message
...

PS: One time on a lake in late morning the sun was bright and the wind was
zilch and nothing at all was happening, so I parked my canoe in a deep
(15')
trench between a little island and the shore, and rigged up with a
chironomid
and a sinking line. I'd cast out short and let it sink all the way, and
then
stand in the canoe, start the rod tip at the surface and do a slow steady
lift
as high as I could (~10 feet of vertical movement). Had trout dinner that
night ;-), and the strikes were surprisingly hard.

I always find it amazing what methods work to catch trout. Sometimes it's
what you least expect.
Once I was showing a friend the backcast on the river, I told him he had to
let the line drift a bit before starting the forward cast. To show this I
just let the line fall back on the water, and as I was talking I feel this
tug on the line. My first and probably only time I would ever catch a fish
on the backcast.
fwiw,
-tom