It’s March and temperatures are slowly warming up. January and February were a whirl wind of expos. Wintertime is fly fishing show season and each year for the past twelve, Zen Tenkara has been exhibiting at many of them around the country. This year was different. Attendance was noticiably down. It felt like the first year after the world opened up after the Covid Pandemic. Aisles were often near empty and at times, it seemed like the only conversations happening were between vendors. There was only one exception, the Denver Fly Fishing Show. The vibe and energy at this event was through the roof. So why are so many other show locations lack-luster?
Atlanta Fly Fishing Show aisles are pretty empty on a Saturday afternoon
Denver is a fly fishing hub for obvious reasons. It has tons of rivers, streams, lakes, mountains and fish. Colorado has an outdoor culture that spans a broad range of demographics. From the young to the old, people get outdoors, and many people fish. Colorado is a destination for anglers through out the country. But there are plenty of other states that offer incredible fishing. In fact, the upper northeast region near the Catskills was the breeding ground for fly fishing in the US. So why are shows in this area (and other areas) not as well attended as Denver?
Some exhibitors reported that this year’s sales were down as much as 50% from previous years. That’s beyond substantial, it’s alarming. Zen continues to do very well at these events and certainly economics plays a big role, yet we couldn’t help but notice that there were simply fewer people walking around the shows. And here’s my hunch why.
Attendees are aging out in many locations. Locations that haven’t done as well as Denver to attract more young people into the sport or more women. When you walked around the Denver Fly Fishing Show there was a mix of ages from the trucker-hat, plaid and button down shirt-wearing 20 year olds, to the conservative Orvis-decked 75 year olds – and everything in between. Older women in their late 60s and early 70s walked the aisles as well as small groups of smiling 20-something young women. Fly shops and outfitters that were exhibitors had both male and female guide staff working the booths and there were many companies that offered women specific gear or women-only hosted trips and outtings. Dads decked out in Catchflo trout-print footwear did hand-over-hand casting with their 3 year olds on the casting pond nurturing an early passion for the sport. The show was noisey and busy with tons of conversations happening at booths and at the multiple fully-stocked bars setup throughout the center of the show. It was hopping.
The Denver Fly Fishing Show was busy and had a greater showing of women anglers and younger anglers
New Jersey on the other hand was quiet. Presentations were given in a dark, shadowy corner of the exhibition center separated by black curtains. Few women walked the show and those that did, mostly weren’t anglers. They were just attending with their husbands or partners. But what stuck out even more prominently was the age difference between Denver and most of these other show locations; Denver was so much younger. The average age of the Edison show attendee was probably between 60 and 65. This location lacked the 20-something or even 30-something age group, making the show slower, quieter and possibly less well attended.
So my question is, are these other locations doing as good a job at attracting young people to the sport of fly fishing? Are these states welcoming women? Why are shows in other states so much smaller than they are in Colorado? And should we be doing anything different to make changes?
When I think about grooming or nurturing young people to become fly anglers or tenkara anglers I believe through the sport we also groom and nurture conservationists. Learning to fly fishing is also learning about the environment. The sport helps people understand why protecting our environment is so important. A love of fly fishing translates into a love of the environment which is so impactful.
I pose these questions not out of a need to sell more tenkara rods but out of a desire to keep our beloved sport alive and thriving and to educate more people on why keeping our rivers and waterways clean and protected is so important. How does Colorado get so many young men and women into the sport? How has the state breathed such vitality into fly fishing in their youth? Is it simply because of the state’s outdoor culture or are there more initiatives and youth programs being offered in this location than others? These are sincere questions and wonderings and I welcome your input and thoughts.
Tight lines and happy fishing!
Karin, I think there are several factors. Before I specify, know that fly fishing participation has been growing for the past 13 years. We now have the largest number of fly anglers in America since surveys began in 1960. We have the most diverse in age, sex, and income than ever. In fact, the bulk of fly anglers under 40 is the largest ever. So its definitely not that flyfishing is on the decline… very much the opposite!!
I used to love going to these fly fishing shows. And for the most part, still do. Commerical ones like The Fly Fishing Show, International Sportsmans Expo, Texas (or Virginia) Fly & Wine/Brew Festival, or others. And smaller NPO ones like the FFI regional (council) “conclaves” or “Classics”, or large club events like Sowbug.
You make an astute observation. Take the Atlanta Fly Fishing Show. There’s definitely been a decline in attendance. The problem is that the 2024 show was almost identical to the 2023 show. Same exact speakers, same exact programs. Some of my friends in the Atlanta area were not interested for that reason. Imagine someone like me who has to travel 8 hours to attend. The same was true with the Texas Fly Fishing & Brew Festival.
Conversely, Sowbug saw one of its largest attendances ever. I think because the large number of fly tiers generate interest off their social media followers. And because there is a diversity in programs each year.
I’m Programs Director for our FFI Gulf Coast Council’s annual “Gulf Coast Classic”. We’ve been growing by 30% each year, partly because we have that diversity in programs and topics. I tell potential speakers who gave a presentation the previous year that they are welcome to present again, but the topic must be different. In other words, no same program in consecutive years.
But moreso, our event gets excitement among young anglers because we have several activities during our event that broaden the concept of traditional “shows”. We have a Fly Fishing Film Festival, a Mixed Bag Challenge fishing contest, a photo contest and more. Plus, our location in Gulf Shores lends itself to many outdoor and fun activities you won’t find in metro areas like Atlanta, Somerset/Edinberg, or Dallas.
Another show that is getting bigger each year is the Blue Ridge Trout and Outdoors Festival. The entire downtown of Blue Ridge, Georgia is transformed for this event. There’s more than just fly tying and fly casting… dozens of local vendors, live music, craft beer and local wineries (young people love that!).
What I think is really happening is a paradigm change. Young people want a different experience for enjoying a fly fishing event. They want a more rural environment, a plethora of activities, a more relaxed setting, and not just window shopping.
Excellent point. I completely agree with you!