The Blessed Curse of the Fly-Fishing Retailer Show

James R. Babb delivers a typically astute assessment of the failures and achievements of the annual Fly-Fishing Retailer show, which he notes is as important for its culture as its intended purpose: introducing new products. The piece also gives a list of the Gray’s team’s favorite products for the year. “Speaking of which, Diamondback has a couple of new split-cane rods at graphite prices that look and feel surprisingly like the wonderful old Jim Payne 98 and 198 models. Wind River has a nicely portable first-aid kit meant to keep the incautious angler intact. Fish Pond has a new waterproof gear bag meant to keep the incautious angler’s necessities intact, not to mention organized and handy.” In Gray’s Sporting Journal.