It's all about "Fish Porn"

It seems that I’ve been out of commission for some time. Looking at my last Blog, it really hasn't been that long. Towards the first of the month I went on a cruise to Alaska with my mother, father and sister. Having never been to Alaska before and making my living in the fishing business, you would of thought my first travels to the “Last Frontier” would have been with fly rod in tow. I didn’t even pack one.

Many years ago I learned that families are much happier if under certain circumstances fishing doesn’t enter the equation. I’ve been accused of being a slow learner, but fortunately I seem to have caught on soon enough to keep my family relation in-tack. Oddly enough I’ve also found that I tend to be a little happier if I don’t mix matters of family with matters of fishing.

So off to Alaska I went. Upon returning my manager, Ken, took off for the Dean for a week. Poor guy. Someone had to go and since I'd had the opportunity to fish this legendary river a time or two I felt that Ken would best be served by jumping on this grenade.

If you haven't been to the Dean before, it's one of those magical places. To get there your means of transportation gets smaller and smaller until you touch down within the Dean's narrow corroidor on the floats of a single engine plane. This place should be at the top of your "A" list if you have such a compilation. While Ken was gone Outdoor Retailer was in town. Between him being in “Steelhead Heaven” and OR I had my hands full. Upon his return we both backed our bags and headed to Fly Tackle Retailer, for our industries annual buying show. Where did August go. For that matter where did the summer run off to.

Fly Fishing Retailer first and foremost is a show about fly fishing stuff. The latest, greatest, bigger better bobbers, it's all there. Rods usually highlight the big buzz. It's been that way since the first year breathable waders were introduced. The new rods looked good and felt nice in the hand, however with the casting ponds lined with testosterone laden “Casturbaters” there’s never room to give any of these new rods a flick let alone leisurely stroke. These masters of the fly rod are the same bunch every year. As active as the ponds were the new stuff must be pretty good. Can't wait to try some myself.

There was a cornucopia of new items introduced that you guys, me included, are going to have that are pretty trick. After all, we are nothing more than a bunch of "Godfrey Gear Freaks" when it comes to this stuff.

For me the flies are what really gets lit up about. I'm a fly junky. Needle marks all up an down my arms when it comes to creations tied on a hook. Did I tell you about my $400.00 fly box that contained only a dozen and a half flies. Desperate men do desperate things. I won't incriminate myself any further on this one. However, there are those who will.

I remember the first time I saw a bin chauked full of flies. I was hooked. No pun intended. One of the great advancements in this sport over the 25 years I've worked fishing retail is flies. There are simply some very edible bugs out there. Flies that our finned friends love to rap thier lips around, but also make me want to go fishing. In my mind these are two critical components of a great pattern. On any given day I can walk over to our fly bin and pick a selection of flies out that I have total confidence in. I couldn't of said that 10-15 years ago. Again this year this fly addict found some very very tasty morsels.

Running out of steam late on the third and final day of the show, I stopped to say hello and take a brief reprieve with our friends at Scott Rods. These guys always have good fish energy. Several nights back they sponsored the first Fly Fishing Retailer Film Festival. Frank, kindly referred to as Fred when he’s our drinking buddy, asked me if I’d seen his starring role in “Running Down the Man”. My "No" answer got me promptly escorted over to the Oakley booth for a look.

At this juncture in the show I could use a little juice to revitilze my efforts. What better way than to view a little teaser about what got me into this business in the first place.

“Running Down the Man” is the second film by Feltsoul Media. Their first “Hatch”, we’ve watched a thousand times without tiring of it. Their new production takes place in Baja and opens with Frank and his brother motoring down a desolate dirt track in a sand buggy of some sorts. Talk about a couple of desperados. They looked like a couple of drug runners, vs. two guys headed to the emerald waters of Baja in pursuit of Rooster Fish.

As the brief clip came to a close a rather significant crowd had gathered to watch. By demand it was run again. More gathered to take in the second viewing. As good as Oakley's shades are, unfortunately, all present focused on the "Fish Porn" playing on the screen.

Unlike most areas we now fish in, this part of the world is still raw and rather desolate. Frank and his compadres were the only one frantically wind sprinting up and down the beach in pursuit of these elusive giant Rooster Fish. Not a location or way of fishing that would appeal to the masses, fortunately, but definitely of great interest to this crowd, myself included.

Needless to say I and my cohorts can't wait to see the full version. For the next several hours business matters at hand were temporarily put on the back burner as visions of vibrant blue waters, stripped piscatorial giants and frantic fishermen clearly overtook our mission. Pornography of such a nature will has such and effect on fish starved anglers. Evidence of the films success was easily recorded in our ensuing actions.

As enthused as I get about fly fishing gear, the show and its success comes down to what I love most about this sport; the people, wild places and fish. At the close of this last day several of us shared a taxi to the airport loaded down with the industries propaganda on their latest offerings. Yet it was clear our focus wasn't on products. Instead our conversation soon wandered to fishing, fishing trips and a place not to far from here called Baja.