Post by Mark Patenaude on Feb 9, 2008 17:16:32 GMT -5
Me and my son Matt just got back from the show in Schaumburg, Il. which is about 25 minutes from where I live in Cary. Its one of the advantages that I enjoy, being so close to the City of Chicago and O'hare Airport (Chicago is 35 miles and O'hare about 20). All these types of events are always very close to my home.
It was held at a new hotel and convention center which I hadn't been in before. The Chicagoland Golf Show was also going on at the same time. The size of this place is enormous and despite both shows going on at the same time, there was plenty of room to spare.
Got to talk with Gary Borger, Kevin Feenstra, Tim Holschlag and Glen Blackledge. Grey Drake Lodge on the Muskegon River in Michigan, also had a booth setup but Matt Supinski wasn't anywhere to be found. However, his daughter was there tying rag sculpins. She is an absolutely excellent tier about 20 yrs. old and as an added bonus, smokin' hot! She is without a doubt the best looking tier I've ever run in to. She doesn't fit the typical description of a fly tier but with a dad like Matt, she can't help but be as good as she is. His books on Steelhead fishing are the most comprehensive that you will find.
I bought a bunch of materials to include some of the new Web Wing produced by D's Flies and some hooks and other misc. stuff I was running low on. Man I hate spending $13.00 for a package of 25 TMC811S hooks for my Smallie Clousers, but I won't tie them on anything else. You can't beat stainless steel. I checked out some of the classic fly fishing and tying books that were being sold. I actually saw a signed copy of Swisher/Richards "Selective Trout" with the original jacket that was in really good condition. The price tag however, was very steep.
One of the coolest things they had, which some of you guys who study bugs would have loved, were tanks containing Hexagenia Limbata nymphs, Net Spinning Caddis, Case Making Caddis, Giant Black Stone, Brown Stones, Mayfly Clingers and Swimmers, Scuds, Sowbugs the ever popular Crawfish and some of the biggest Hellgramites I've ever seen. The guy running the booth picked up a Hellgie that had to be close to 4" long and I was waiting for it to take a chunk out of his finger(s). My son grabbed one of the magnifying glasses and a small flashlight that they provided to get a closer look at them and I couldn't get him away from them. He even managed to catch a scud on a piece of wire mesh they provided. If you can catch a scud you are really quick. Those things cover water very quickly.
If you've never seen a Hex nymph before, let me tell you, it was a real treat. I've only come across a couple of dead ones and some schucks before. These were alive and I finally got to see their action when they swim. They also had a tank where some were burrowed in slit that was put between two panes of glass about 1" apart. The guy who setup the display was an entomology PhD and forgot more than most of us will ever know.
I was also a bit surprised at how small the fly shows are getting each year. That may be good news as the effect of the movie "A River Runs Through It" may be wearing off and the sport will return to a more quiet state, as it should be. The usual vendors were represented like Sage (my favorite rod maker), Rio Lines, Cortland, Mustad, Teton Reels, TFO Rods, Echo Rods and some others.
There were alot of really good tiers were at the show and I was surprised at the number of woman tiers. There had to be at least half a dozen and each one of them was very good. One of them was tying brown X-Caddis and giving them out to the visitors. There were enough free fly hand-outs to fill a small box with one pass around the floor.
Talked with a friend of mine who owns a fly shop called "One More Cast" in the South Suburbs. He as well is an excellent tier as well as a great casting instructor. I really want to get out on the water with him, but distance to where he is is always a problem. He stayed busy the entire 2 hours that Matt and I were there which is testament to how well he is respected in my area.
It was held at a new hotel and convention center which I hadn't been in before. The Chicagoland Golf Show was also going on at the same time. The size of this place is enormous and despite both shows going on at the same time, there was plenty of room to spare.
Got to talk with Gary Borger, Kevin Feenstra, Tim Holschlag and Glen Blackledge. Grey Drake Lodge on the Muskegon River in Michigan, also had a booth setup but Matt Supinski wasn't anywhere to be found. However, his daughter was there tying rag sculpins. She is an absolutely excellent tier about 20 yrs. old and as an added bonus, smokin' hot! She is without a doubt the best looking tier I've ever run in to. She doesn't fit the typical description of a fly tier but with a dad like Matt, she can't help but be as good as she is. His books on Steelhead fishing are the most comprehensive that you will find.
I bought a bunch of materials to include some of the new Web Wing produced by D's Flies and some hooks and other misc. stuff I was running low on. Man I hate spending $13.00 for a package of 25 TMC811S hooks for my Smallie Clousers, but I won't tie them on anything else. You can't beat stainless steel. I checked out some of the classic fly fishing and tying books that were being sold. I actually saw a signed copy of Swisher/Richards "Selective Trout" with the original jacket that was in really good condition. The price tag however, was very steep.
One of the coolest things they had, which some of you guys who study bugs would have loved, were tanks containing Hexagenia Limbata nymphs, Net Spinning Caddis, Case Making Caddis, Giant Black Stone, Brown Stones, Mayfly Clingers and Swimmers, Scuds, Sowbugs the ever popular Crawfish and some of the biggest Hellgramites I've ever seen. The guy running the booth picked up a Hellgie that had to be close to 4" long and I was waiting for it to take a chunk out of his finger(s). My son grabbed one of the magnifying glasses and a small flashlight that they provided to get a closer look at them and I couldn't get him away from them. He even managed to catch a scud on a piece of wire mesh they provided. If you can catch a scud you are really quick. Those things cover water very quickly.
If you've never seen a Hex nymph before, let me tell you, it was a real treat. I've only come across a couple of dead ones and some schucks before. These were alive and I finally got to see their action when they swim. They also had a tank where some were burrowed in slit that was put between two panes of glass about 1" apart. The guy who setup the display was an entomology PhD and forgot more than most of us will ever know.
I was also a bit surprised at how small the fly shows are getting each year. That may be good news as the effect of the movie "A River Runs Through It" may be wearing off and the sport will return to a more quiet state, as it should be. The usual vendors were represented like Sage (my favorite rod maker), Rio Lines, Cortland, Mustad, Teton Reels, TFO Rods, Echo Rods and some others.
There were alot of really good tiers were at the show and I was surprised at the number of woman tiers. There had to be at least half a dozen and each one of them was very good. One of them was tying brown X-Caddis and giving them out to the visitors. There were enough free fly hand-outs to fill a small box with one pass around the floor.
Talked with a friend of mine who owns a fly shop called "One More Cast" in the South Suburbs. He as well is an excellent tier as well as a great casting instructor. I really want to get out on the water with him, but distance to where he is is always a problem. He stayed busy the entire 2 hours that Matt and I were there which is testament to how well he is respected in my area.