Putting Fly Back in Fishing
By Kirk Deeter
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he wait is over. Today, for the first time since the 1980s, we saw what a fly-fishing trade show and an all-tackle trade show look like under the same roof at the same time. And from my vantage point, they both look pretty good.
ICAST (the all-tackle show) is visibly bigger than I remembered. IFTD (the fly tackle dealer show) is swarming with foot traffic from retailers and media from around the globe. In sum, the exhibit hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center is packed wall-to-wall with all things fishing, and the energy on the floor is palpable. The new product buzz is strong. But perhaps most significantly, it there is a new sense of cohesion and collaboration in the air.
That kicked off early this morning at the Industry Breakfast Event, where American Sportfishing Association president and CEO Mike Nussman made a point to welcome IFTD and the American Fly Fishing Trade Association into the ICAST fold; AFFTA chairman Jim Klug followed with reciprocal comments of gratitude and optimism that the two organizations would continue a long and prosperous relationship to benefit the sport.
And we saw data in the 2013 Special Report on Fishing and Boating that suggest the worm may be turning on what had been dwindling participation, and that fly fishing may be on the vanguard of exposing new aficionados to the fishing pastime.
Some of the findings (from the report prepared by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation and the Outdoor Foundation) are as follows:
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