The Fly Fishing Shows 2023

Winter can be a long and less inspiring time for many anglers. The colder weather has a pretty low ROF (return on fun). Some focus their time tying flies or bantering on the forums. The Fly Fishing Shows can be a bright spot for many looking to get into the fly fishing mindset with some fellow anglers. They are highly regarded as an opportunity to check new gear, but the shows hold so much more!

It is a great event if you are looking for trips, rods, reels, flies, waders, tying materials, or any fly fishing gear. More importantly, in today's online world, it is the best way to get face-to-face with manufacturers, vendors, and industry experts.

Each of the shows is a multi-day event that includes a very large exhibit floor, fly tiers, retail shops, and plenty of educational programs. The outstanding classes are led by some of the best pros in the business. Many of your favorite celebrity authors are found teaching techniques and sharing some great ideas on how to improve your fly fishing. Some of my favorite classes are programs about fly fishing locations near and far.

For me, The Fly Fishing Shows are a great chance to catch up with some friends I don't often see. There is always plenty of members from Paflyfish wandering the exhibit floors or in the booths.

The Edison, NJ show is one of the biggest of the shows and the Lancaster event is clearly located close to home. I like going to both!

The local Fly Fishing Show Schedule
Edison, NJ: January 27-29
Lancaster, PA: March 4 & 5

You can find out more about times, entrance fees, and detailed locations here at the Fly Fishing website. For some more conversations follow along here on the Paflyfish forums.

 

I will be there Friday. I have enough gear - seeing friends is a bigger draw

 

im there every year. normally go on Saturday. its a nice event with a lot to look at. i look forward to it each year. and its only a 45 min drive for me.

 

I would like to attend the Edison show because I understand that it is much larger with more to offer than the local Lancaster show where I live. I really don't need to buy anything since I have more than enough.

I like to attend these shows to improve my fly casting and nymph fishing, and learning more about getting better in general at fly fishing.

On a side note: I lived in Bucks County, PA but worked across the Delaware River in Mercer County, NJ. A real argument starter was to ask which state had the worst drivers. PA thinks that NJ has the worst drivers and vice versa.

Way back in 1980, I was in on a rental house one summer in Ocean City, NJ. This was a two bedroom house. There were three of us that had jobs during the week. My brother, myself, and another guy from Media, PA. The eight others in on this rental were my brother's fraternity brothers from Ursinus College. I was the only roommate who wasn't in Zeta Chi at UC.

This place was Animal House. Most of the roommates were from NJ. I could really get them all riled up if I started complaining about NJ about anything like traffic circles or tolls, etc.

"Jersey's Great! Where you at right now!" I heard that a lot.

 

Way back in 1980, I was in on a rental house one summer in Ocean City, NJ. This was a two bedroom house. There were three of us that had jobs during the week. My brother, myself, and another guy from Media, PA. The eight others in on this rental were my brother's fraternity brothers from Ursinus College. I was the only roommate who wasn't in Zeta Chi at UC.

Ursinus Zeta Chi’s from NJ…that’s a double whammy.

Beware of those Bears!!!

 

Some of the sights from Friday's Fly Fishing Show. A pretty good crowd for a Friday. I was only there for a few hours. But had a nice time running into folks from Paflyfish and vendors I have not seen in a few years. A good day.

 

Thanks for the post. I might have to plan in advance next year and reserve a room. I was at Precision Fly & Tackle in Lancaster today and asked them if they had a booth in Edison. They do. Tom Herr was working the store and he said that 10 Lancaster shows could fit into all of the space in Edison.

 

Some of the sights from Friday's Fly Fishing Show. A pretty good crowd for a Friday. I was only there for a few hours. But had a nice time running into folks from Paflyfish and vendors I have not seen in a few years. A good day.

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Thanks for the pics. I was curious about what goes on at those events. Maybe I will attend the Lancaster Show. I have tentative plans March 4th to attend 2023 Mountain Fest in Ridgway but who knows...

 

Thanks for the post. I might have to plan in advance next year and reserve a room. I was at Precision Fly & Tackle in Lancaster today and asked them if they had a booth in Edison. They do. Tom Herr was working the store and he said that 10 Lancaster shows could fit into all of the space in Edison.

Lancaster is a smaller show, but I would say it's more 1/2 or 1/3 in size to Edison.

 

Went to the show. It was fun. I cast two Taylor rods, seen some people I knew and bought a SA fly line for 20 off. Quite a few well known vendors did not attend. Sage, Hatch, Nautilus, Rio. Not really too crowded.

 

Yo Dave - great seeing you at Rick Nyles' Sky Blue booth. Your summary captured the rationale(s) for going to these fine shows. Over the years I've taken them in all over the country - maybe a dozen different venues. I'm an unrepentant gear geek, so the attraction is real. But the seminars are many, and I ought to just get a hotel in the future and take the two or three days to absorb everything. I love the new Edison and Lancaster shows because of the two casting ponds, so I can check out new and old sticks. I got a chance to check out the Taylors I'd only heard about before, and there were enough cane guys to keep me busy. I ended up with only a Leon Hanson 3wt. I noticed that there were plenty of outfitters (come on, Lehigh River and Iceland!) but not boats or hooks. Lunch was super, with off-menu Italian sausage and pastrami (I gained 3 pounds).

 

I go to the Lancaster show every year. There seemed to be less vendors the last couple years. Hopefully they bounce back this year. I’ll be there on Saturday, March 4th. My buddies and I usually make a day of it, and eat lunch at a local establishment. I really enjoy the seminars. Always a good time.

 

Rosenbauer and Orvis were a no show also.

 

I’m headed to the Lancaster show in a few weeks. Have never attended the show before and was wondering how the deals were in the past for purchasing fly tying materials? I have a list of materials that I’ve been waiting on but wondered if it was worth waiting for the show. Are there generally some deals at the show or is it about the same as retail.

Any help is appreciated.

 

I wouldn’t get your expectations up for lots of fly tying materials. There were not a lot of tying vendors at Edison. More gear than tying. The Fly Tying show, held a few months earlier, had more.

 

I’m headed to the Lancaster show in a few weeks. Have never attended the show before and was wondering how the deals were in the past for purchasing fly tying materials? I have a list of materials that I’ve been waiting on but wondered if it was worth waiting for the show. Are there generally some deals at the show or is it about the same as retail.

Any help is appreciated.

There are usually a bunch of vendors with a small selection of materials, and a couple vendors with a fair selection. You’ll be able to find most of what you want if you look hard enough. But by and large, as previously mentioned, there are more gear vendors and guides. But hey, looking for things is part of the fun at the show, right? If you are looking for a bunch of materials without spending a lot of time, you’ll be better off visiting a local shop.

 

I enjoyed the Lancaster show in its earlier days, but the past few years haven’t done much for me. I know we’re in the post-COVID era and a lot of things have yet to return to “normal”, but the Lancaster show has yet to bounce back IMO. Add up the costs and it doesn’t have a good cost/benefit ratio for me. YMMV…

 

Last year I went to Edison and took my boys to Lancaster. Didn't make Edison this year, but, hoping to get my boys to Lancaster again. It is a kid weekend. It's mostly exposing them to the scene for a few hrs, always good to get a pic of your kid with Humphreys or other celebrities. Might pick some little things up for the season, tippet, shot, etc. But with the price of entry I certainly ain't saving any money.

And we'll hit Sky Zone or something afterwards, lol.

 

I’m headed to the Lancaster show in a few weeks. Have never attended the show before and was wondering how the deals were in the past for purchasing fly tying materials? I have a list of materials that I’ve been waiting on but wondered if it was worth waiting for the show. Are there generally some deals at the show or is it about the same as retail.

Any help is appreciated.

As alluded to by more than a few already, knowledgeable shoppers typically don't go to shows expecting to save money when they factor in travel expenses, parking & admission fees...

...they go to have fun.

As with anything you hope to purchase at any kind of show, it would behoove you to make a list of what you want/need and start shopping NOW on the Internet to get an idea of the prices BEFORE you shop at a show.

Another thing you can do is something I've done in the past with other gear when I knew I was going to a show; look at the list of exhibitors, call or email likely vendors to inquire if they have what you want and ask them to bring it to the show.

It sure beats waiting and hoping...

 

Pre-COVID, a bunch of us would breakfast before they opened the doors at Lancaster. For awhile we met at the Neptune in town. Construction caused us to change to another spot further out but I think the last one was back at Neptune. Anybody wanting in on the fun?