The Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton, CA

[RoosterHunter]

The fly fishing show, held at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, will be held next weekend.

Starting on Feb.23, 2024 and running through the 25th. Fri, Sat and Sun.

https://flyfishingshow.com/pleasanton-ca/



As usual, I will be there tying flies for all 3 days. But this year I'll be tying up a different pattern that I use down in Baja, for stripers and large-mouth bass.

I will also have a small selection of necks and saddles for sale. Both fresh water and salt water at prices you can afford. I thought about bringing some hooks and a bunch of white bucktails but I already have too much to pack. If you are interested, I have a bunch of the original craft fur that Targus used to carry. Do you remember Targus? It's much longer than the "craft fur" that is sold by other companies. If you're looking for some, send me a PM and I will let you know if I have the color. One last thing, I will be bringing a few bottles of Solarez Bone Dry in a few colors and clear.

Hope to visit with you at the show.

As soon as you walk in the door, go right and you will see tyer's row. Hopefully, the rains will hold off for a few days.

Jay Murakoshi

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I always love going to the fishing shows.

Usually see some old friends that I have not seen in a while.

[RoosterHunter]

It's like an annual old friends reunion. But that's starting to get a little thinned out
Shows nowadays are not like the old days of the ISE San Mateo Fly Fishing show which was run by Ed Rice

[Bob Loblaw]

The fly fishing show, held at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, will be held next weekend.

Starting on Feb.23, 2024 and running through the 25th. Fri, Sat and Sun.

https://flyfishingshow.com/pleasanton-ca/



As usual, I will be there tying flies for all 3 days. But this year I'll be tying up a different pattern that I use down in Baja, for stripers and large-mouth bass.

I will also have a small selection of necks and saddles for sale. Both fresh water and salt water at prices you can afford. I thought about bringing some hooks and a bunch of white bucktails but I already have too much to pack. If you are interested, I have a bunch of the original craft fur that Targus used to carry. Do you remember Targus? It's much longer than the "craft fur" that is sold by other companies. If you're looking for some, send me a PM and I will let you know if I have the color. One last thing, I will be bringing a few bottles of Solarez Bone Dry in a few colors and clear.

Hope to visit with you at the show.

As soon as you walk in the door, go right and you will see tyer's row. Hopefully, the rains will hold off for a few days.

Jay Murakoshi

Hi Jay,

I picked up a couple of hackle saddles from you Friday morning. Putting them to good use already.

I couldn't help but notice that the show seems to be getting smaller each year with fewer exhibitors...definitely fewer manufacturers and stores. I took a look at the Denver Show page and they had about 4 times as many booths as Pleasanton. Any reason for this???

[RoosterHunter]

Bob
The Denver show has always been one of the bigger shows. I think a lot of exhibitors and manufactures don't want to put out the money for the booth space, shipping freight, lodging and meals, not counting airfare. I know there were a quite a few manufacturers not present at this show. One was TFO, which surprised me. I didn't get a chance to walk around much or even get out to watch a few presentations. I know over the past couple years, there has been a number of new fly tyers in tyers row. I've been doing shows since 1998 when ISE was the only game in town, then the fly fishing show came on board. I use to do the shows in Denver, Seattle, Dallas, and a couple other places. I heard the ISE Sac show wasn't that good this year, but that's only what I heard.
I was thinking this could be my last year doing shows but my wife likes going to the shows. Actually she likes to go shopping and also visit my daughter and grand daugthers who live in the Bay Area.
I sold a good number of saddles over the two days I was there but when I got home, I had a phone call from a person who bought a few necks and saddles and wanted to buy all I had here at the house, especially the dyed necks and saddles. I guess it's good to been seen at the shows.

[Bob Loblaw]

Does seem odd that the population of greater Denver a 2-3 hour drive, is about 3.5 million, but its about 10 million for Pleasanton/Bay Area. Definitely a much bigger market for vendors and certainly a more affluent one capable of buying those tarpon trips to the Caymans and Dorado trips to Brazil. TFO, Hardy, Galvan, Ross, Abel, Scott, Thomas & Thomas, just a few manufacturers who used to come but don't anymore. Friday was packed, and I was there for an hour on Saturday too and it was busy, so they are selling tickets...just not renting the booths.

I went to ISE in Sacramento too and it was much larger, but the hunting industry is 10X bigger. A few decent fly fishing booths there too.

[yubaman]

The Fly Fishing show was quite a bit bigger when it was in San Rafael, and the first couple of years in Pleasanton were much bigger than today. It was a great event to go cast different manufacturer’s rods, buy some new flies, learn about new lines, etc. I wonder if the advent of the internet has greatly diluted the perceived need for shows to provide this information to people? There would always be some great small, local outfit booths as well.

These days, the booths seem to be largely guides, outfitters and lodges. I have looked at the vendor booth listing the past couple of years, and could not get excited to head out there. I had heard that the booths at this show are not cheap.

Bob

[RoosterHunter]

No, not cheap at all.
Just sit and think how much it cost, say for a vendor who comes from Alaska. He might sell one or two trips during the show but I would say that they would break even. Then again, look at the cost for a week in Alaska or the Bahama's, not cheap by any means.
When the show first came to CA. It was the SHOW. The vendors were put on a waiting list and it took a few years to get your foot in the door.
The Pleasanton Fair grounds is not cheap to rent. I would say the main building probably runs close to $15,000 to rent not counting all the other out buildings. Plus paying all the presenters in the C&R theater, casting instructors, etc. The destination theater participants don't get paid, they are just advertising their products.
Gone are the days of the well attend fly fishing shows. I remember when they use to had 5 day shows, glad it's on 2 or 3 days now
Bob, what vendors would you like to see there