Why You Should Visit a Fly Fishing Show

 The fishing show season is officially underway for the 2020 season.  These shows are a great way to not only meet new customers but to also spend time with past and present customers from years past.  This is also a great way for anglers to participate in several different courses on casting, fly selection, and trip planning for that dream fishing tip of a lifetime.    

The Denver fly show has come and gone already with a flash.  The Denver show was a huge success and is now the largest one of its kind in the Fly Fishing Show circuit!  We were able to stay engaged with current or past guests the whole show while answering a lot of questions for possible new guests.  My voice is finally recovering from all the talking I did over the course of the 3-day show.    

The great thing about the shows from a customer perspective is that you can actually shop all kinds of possible fishing destinations, from Mongolia for Taimen, Iceland for Atlantic salmon, to even jungle fly-fishing on the Amazon!  The neat thing is that all these destinations are represented under one roof at these shows!  I did leave out Alaska, but of course, there are always plenty of options for an Alaskan adventure at these shows.    

​The biggest thing from a possible customer is that they can meet the actual owners of some of the lodges that have been in business for over 20 years and get a feel for not only the fishing program, but for how the operation is run and its location.  I think this can be a bit overwhelming at times but if the customer knows their price point, and what they want out of the trip, then narrowing down a fishing destination anywhere should be a fun and easy task.  

Be Prepared - Make a List Before You Go

Here is a short list of what to consider for a fishing trip.  Once all these questions are met, you can really narrow down the search and come to a show prepared to nail down a fishing trip of a lifetime!

1. Your #1 target fish species 
2. Price point for a week of fishing (most trips are 7 days, but shorter ones are also available) 
3. Size of lodge or camp with concern to guest to guide ratio 
4. Time of year that you can make the trip happen 

​There are a lot of things to consider, but asking yourself these questions before heading into a fishing show with hopes of finding a dream trip will really make the decision process much smoother.   

Good Questions to Ask Lodge Owners

1. What is your average return rate of customers 
   
2. What is your staff turnover rate 
   
3. How long have you been doing this for? 
   
4. Do you guide and or have you been a guide there? 

These are pretty simple questions to ask.  Most of the best lodges no matter what the species or location in the World have a customer base that is very strong with returning customers.  If lodges are shopping new customers every year in droves, this is a red flag.  If lodge owners or managers are not part of the fishing program in a big way, this can really cause some issues with how the quality fishing experience is met. Fishing programs need to be very flexible to stay on top of fish and if the owner or manager does not have a true understanding of what is happening on the water daily, this can be a red flag. 

Angler’s Alibi will be at the Atlanta Fly Fishing Show next on January 31st & February 1st, 2020.  This is a great show that has an all-star line up of quality dream fishing destinations represented.  
- Atlanta Fly Fishing Show Info

• Date: Friday, January 31st and Saturday, February 1st, 2020
  
• Location: Infinite Energy Center
  
• Website: https://flyfishingshow.com/atlanta/

I hope this article will help you choose that dream trip of a lifetime! 

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About the Author

​John Perry grew up in Michigan on an island called Grosse Ile, in the mouth of the Detroit River and Lake Erie. It was here, surrounded by great fishing and waterfowl hunting that John developed a passion for the outdoors. John moved to Colorado to chase trout in the summers and ski patrol in the winters. John had the privilege to start guiding for Angler’s Alibi with his fly fishing mentor TR Rafferty the second year it was in business. He left a head guide job in Colorado to pursue bigger and better fish.