FFR '07 Day One Recap

If the Fly Fishing Retailer show is any measure of the health of the fly fishing industry, the patient comfortably endured its physical yesterday. Though we had heard from organizers that the show was larger this year, there seemed to be only a few more booths in the Denver Convention Center exhibit hall. And by 9:30 AM, we wondered if the show might see lower attendance than in years past. But by 11, the coffee lines were growing (even at $3.50 a cup) and by lunch time Mountain Dew became the best available option for a jolt (business note to food vendor for 2008: be sure you don’t run out of coffee, especially at those margins). All the anglerati seemed to be in attendance this year too: Lefty Kreh, Dave Whitlock, Gary Borger, Flip Pallot, Simon Gawesworth, Steve Rajeff and others. The top new products — excepting some new rods from Orvis and Sage and new lines from Scientific Anglers and RIO — might well be sleepers this year. We noticed, for example, some sweet new “Extra Hand” nippers from Dr. Slick and some well-thought-out apparel in Redington booth. But there are many more miles of exhibit carpet to walk before we have a good count of the standouts.