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Fly Fishing Show Report
 The Fly Fishing Show in Marlboro, MA was this past weekend. I made the trek down from Maine, as I had each of the past two years, looking forward to meeting some folks, and gaining some knowledge. I was there from about 12:30 - 3:30 on Saturday, and the show was packed with both retailers and consumers. Many of the same old faces were there manning the booths, but there were also some noticeable new entries. Two that caught my eye were StripersForever.org and Albright Tackle.
StripersForever.org is a non-profit organization formed by Maine's Brad Burns, among several others. Their mission is to make Striped Bass recognized nationally as a game fish (their slogan reads "Make it a game fish"). They were at the show collecting new members (membership is free) and educating folks on what they are all about. You may be thinking that there is already no commercial fishing for Striped Bass in Maine. Well, you are right, but there are many states to our south that still allow and support this activity that is once again dwindling our stocks of fish. Take the time to hop over to their website (www.stripersforever.org) to find out more and sign up for your membership.
Albright Tackle is a relatively new company that was started by Jim Murphy, who recently sold Redington (now owned by Sage). Jim and his crew have designed a real high quality rod for a knockout price. Their top shelf rods go for just over $300 (where compared to other manufacturers whose top dogs fetch well over the $600 dollar mark). Of particular note was the attention to detail and quality components that are used on these rods, when compared to some of the others in the "value" price range. They even offer an entry level rod for under $70 for those who are looking to learn on a decent rod but don't want to spend a lot of money. All of their rods (except the entry level) come with an unconditional guarantee, so you can rest assured of your investment. Check them out at www.albrighttackle.com or at these fine Maine dealers: (Kittery Trading Post, Van Raymonds, Eldredge Bros, ....)
I stopped by to say hello to John Kenealy at his Mountain Valley Flies booth, hoping to coax him into attending the conclave this June (he said maybe, so we'll cross out fingers!)...and was impressed with the booth and layout that the MDIFW had to show. I even had the chance to meet FFIM'er berniem at the New England Fly Tyers booth (www.newenglandflytyers.org), it's always great to meet new folks! Unfortunately I missed meeting Kathy Scott and her husband David, but will look forward to seeing them at the bamboo mini-conclave on the 31st.
All in all, a great day. If you missed this show, don't worry, there are more on the way. Check out the events calendar to find one that fits you!
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