Ben Furmisky President and CEO of The Fly Fishing Show

Looks like Chuck Furmisky is going to be spending a little more time on the water and a bit less on the show floor.   Congratulations Ben on your new role!

Ben has worked for the show as a speaker, fly tier, exhibitor, and staff member on site. Ben took over the role as Co-Director in 2009, working alongside his father, Chuck. Over the past 6 years, Ben has expanded his job duties with the show. He will now continue working full time overseeing the day-to-day operations. Chuck will continue his role as Director and his wife, Janet, will continue managing ticket sales. Both will be available at all show locations.

"As for me, I'll be looking forward to more fishing time," says Chuck.

"My wife, Brooke, and I are very excited about the future of the Fly Fishing Show.  I look forward to continued growth and moving our show ahead as a leader in the industry. We are already selling out our 2016 shows at a record pace which is a great indicator for our industry of the year to come," says Ben.

Things we didn't buy...

Abercrombie & Fitch once sold bamboo travel rods that fit in a passport sized box. Now they hawk clothes to cool kids who probably haven't ever seen a fly rod. Can you imagine the ads they would have for fly rods if they sold them today? At $450 I seriously considered whipping out the plastic...

Much to the Editorial Trophy Wife's relief, I did not consider purchasing this copy of Izaac Walton's famous book. Note the price in the lower right...

Sightings

Dave Whitlock signing some of his artwork.

Andy Mill giving some Tarpon Advice at the Hardy & Greys booth.

The Fly Fishing Show

The Fly Fishing Show took root in Somerset, NJ this weekend. By my usual measure of success (How far from the door I have to park arriving at 10 AM on Sunday) this year must have been a rousing success for Chuck Furmsky as I hiked what seemed to be a quarter of a mile from my truck to the front door.

Many of the vendors I spoke with indicated that Somerset was the one show where they could count on selling enough to break even. Many of the exhibitors had excellent "Show" deals while prices for non close out type items were what you would expect to see at your local fly shop. Of course the real fun of these sort of things is prowling through the 50% of bins.

I'm not saying how much I spent or what I bought just yet but I will say that before I came home, I drove a half hour out of the way to a newly discovered Krispy Kreme to bring some Southen "non-Dunkin" donuts for the Editorial Trophy Wife. They might keep me out of the doghouse...

Famous.

Because you can never have too many photo's of Lefty on your blog.

Famous for fibers

Enrico Puglisi at the vise during the Somerset, NJ instance of The Fly Fishing Show. Tell him hello if you see him at the Charlotte show this weekend.

Something to smile about?

Chuck Furimsky, owner/operator of The Fly Fishing Show may well have something to smile about. We accosted him in the halls of his Somerset, NJ event and found out a few interesting facts about the fly fishing show scene.

How was attendance this year? According to Mr. Furimsky, Friday set an all time record for the Somerset show (which is his largest event). The packed house we saw on Saturday seemed to further back this up. When asked if he thought the strong attendance was a sign of an impending economic rebound he replied rather that people saw the $15 admission price for the show and over 60 fly fishing programs as a great value (a message that is front and center in this year's marketing material).

What about the whole AFFTA / Nielsen trade show drama this year? Mr. F just shook his head and indicated that he had pitched a Florida show proposal to AFFTA but couldn't get any traction with the AFFTA board (the same folks who had previously decided to go head to head with his consumer show in the Denver market). A big revelation about his proposal for the Florida show would have given free hotel rooms to the dealers. Something we have to think would have made it almost as popular as if they had given free rooms to the media types.

From our own point of view, the show felt successful. The dealers we spoke to seemed happy with the attendance, booths were packed, Lefty Kreh was in the house, and the cash registers appeared to be ringing sales. We even saw a few freshly purchased fly rods leaving the building. Lots of folks were giving show discounts and one rod company even offered our pal Pete a code to use if he wanted to purchase online later. Laissez les bon temps rouler? Maybe.

Thanks to Mr. Furimski for taking time to answer our questions. Just in case you ever thought being a fly fishing show mogul was easy, when we met up with Mr. F he was on his way to repair a wireless microphone and wondering why the local Goose Patrol hadn't gotten rid of the geese.

Fly fishing show NJ Edition

I met up with angler, author, and fly fishing blogger Pete McDonald of FishingJones.com at the Somerset, NJ fly fishing show. In this picture he is holding a House of Hardy fly reel worth about 8K. I can't spill the beans but let's just say that Pete has some "splainin'" to do when he gets back home to Mrs. FishingJones..

The Fly fishing Show NJ Edition

A commentary on the industry?

The Largest 100% Fly Fishing Show on Earth

is next weekend in Somerset, NJ. We will (hopefully) be posting live updates from the show floor, looking for deals on gear, and meeting up with some old and new fly fishing friends. Give us a shout out via the comments if your plans include attending this year's show.

Show Director Chuck Furimsky talks about just how large an event the Somerset, NJ show is:

No other event teaches you more about fly fishing than this three day show. With over 200 talks on anything from fly fishing for carp to landing a sailfish and marlin on a fly, we’ve got the sport covered for you. If you enjoy seeing everything standard or new, and getting some great show deals or needed fly fishing products, you’ve found the place. Hundreds of fly rods and areas to test them out, reels, waders, clothing, fly tying material, and more books and DVDs than you’ll ever see displayed are here for you to try and buy. Lodges and travel companies are exhibiting and represent every dream fly fishing trip in the world. They will also do power point presentation to answer all your questions in our Destination Theater rooms with over 60 talks daily. This is the must attend event of the year for fly fishing. It’s impossible to see it all in one day, even all three.

Fly Tying Video: Dick Talleur ties the "Beetleator"

Famous fly tyer Dick Talleur took the time to sit down with our Captain Paul Rose and tie up an innovative fly pattern known as "The Beetleator." Unlike I would have done, Paul refrains from using the phrase "I'll be baaaaack" at any time during the interview.

(Editor's note: Due to the size and length of these video's they are not hosted on our Youtube channel but rather through Viddler.com)

Michael Mauri: Rodless Fly Casting

This might just start a whole new revolution in the world of fly fishing.

The Fly Fishing Show hits Charlotte this Weekend

This is your reminder that The Fly Fishing Show will be rolling into our home town this Friday at 10 AM. The show will be at the Charlotte Merchandise Mart and will run through Saturday evening. This year's show is looking to be a good one with the pre-show chatter indicating more bargains than ever on gear and trips. The FlyfishMagazine.com crew will be on site for both days (as well as attending the many after parties) so be sure to look for us if you plan to attend.

FlyfishMagazine.com contributor, Capt. Paul Rose, will be giving seminars both Friday and Saturday about tips for catching Carp on the fly. Captain Gordon Churchill, our very own Redfish guru, will be on site Saturday and will be signing autographs and accepting adoration from the fly fishing masses. As for me, I will be wandering around, conducting interviews with pretty much anyone who will take the time to talk to me, as well as bestowing prizes from the corporate swag vault to the show attendees that we feel best exemplify the age old practice of wearing fishing gear to a fishing show. If you dare show up wearing your waders and vest you just might get a prize (albeit a small one).

GillznFinz

A few fellow anglers who we are planning on meeting up with at the Charlotte Fly Show. Sounds like it might be a wild ride. Also check out this article about Adam Paul of Greensboro, NC. Adam is the guy behind GillznFinz

The Fly Fishing Show Charlotte

The Fly Fishing Show arrives in Charlotte, NC January, 30th - 31st. The only show of its kind to come to this area, The Fly Fishing Show is always one of the more popular events for area anglers. We will be attending along with other members of the FlyfishMagazine.com crew and, in addition to looking for show attendees who are wearing fishing gear to attend the show, we will be providing coverage from the show floor.

Our own Captain Paul Rose will be packing the destination theater where he will be giving his seminar titled "Backyard Bonefish-Carp on the Fly" Friday at 6:00 PM and Saturday at 4:00 PM.

Let us know if you are planning to attend. We would enjoy meeting you!