Somerset NJ show

[REDNECK_FLYFISHER]

I am basically new to the site here even though I have been fly fishing for 35 years and tying for 30. I am not really the biggest computer buff. I usually just fish the streams close to home and I have never gone to any of the fly fishing shows . My wife and I were thinking about going to the show in Somerset NJ and was just curious if any of you have been to the past shows and is it worth the trip. Thanks and any input would be helpful.

 

[robkonowitch]

I have been to the Lancaster show 3 years running and went to Summerset for the first time last year. I live 2 hours away but must say it was worth it! You can get anything you could think of and meet some great people.

The seminar sections are great too!

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I have gone to the Somerset show for the last 10 years in a row. It is definitely a good one and it's pretty big. Last year was my first visit to the show in Lancaster. It is smaller but still worth going to. It's about a three hour drive to both locations for me. I plan to attend both shows again this year. The only thing that would stop me is bad weather/snow.

 

[RCFetter]

I've been going for at least 10 years and it's worth the trip but I'm only an hr away. Last year I went on a Friday, lost track of the time and left at rush hr. That was a mistake.

 

[JerryC]

I've been going to both of the Somerset shows pretty much since they started. I'd recommend both. The Fly Tying Symposium in November if you're interested in tying and learning new patterns and enjoy, often as not, talking with the tyers.
The Fly Fishing show in January has some tyers but mostly vendors and outfitters. Good chance to look at fly fishing destinations, new equipment and tying materials. The seminars and classes offered at both shows are interesting and informative.
Haven't been to the Lancaster show yet. Might check it out this time around. Somerset's an hour an 10 minute drive from my house, probably about two hours to Lancaster.

 

[robkonowitch]

Because the Lancaster show is 25 minutes from my house, that is where I started. NJ show is 10 times as big.... and super cool

 

[foxtrapper1972]

It might be a great thing for some people....I wasn't impressed. Pay to travel there and park and entrance fee and over priced and lousy food. No great bargains on anything. You might catch sight of some celebrity flyfishing guys and watch Lefty casting. I think they show some flyfishing movies which sounds like it could be interesting. I went once to Lancaster show but won't go again. The NJ show might be better.

 

[McSneek]

foxtrapper1972 wrote:
It might be a great thing for some people....I wasn't impressed. Pay to travel there and park and entrance fee and over priced and lousy food. No great bargains on anything. You might catch sight of some celebrity flyfishing guys and watch Lefty casting. I think they show some flyfishing movies which sounds like it could be interesting. I went once to Lancaster show but won't go again. The NJ show might be better.

Went to a FF show and complains about the food? There are all sorts of good places to eat and drink within easy walking distance of the Lancaster show. That being said, the show itself is nothing great. You might get a bargain or two on some equipment or tying materials, on the other hand, you may not. Not like anyone is giving stuff away (not that they should). Really, how many times can you watch Humphries or Clouser cast into a wading pool? If you've been fly fishing and tying for 30+ years not sure you're going to get a lot out of it.

 

[Fishidiot]

As one who builds most of his fly rods and is always on the lookout for blanks and guides, as well as fly tying materials, I've found some good deals on this sort of thing at both Somerset and Lancaster (not great deals, but good ones).

Ball park food is a fair trade off.

 

[geebee]

the talks at the FFS are excellent - up in MA i used to go to the Marlborough one. i've seen and chatted with Ed Engel, Alan Caolo, Dan Blanton, Bob Clouser, George Daniels, Enrico Puglisi.

and a lot of these guys are now making their own short films for the 'destination theater' too - this year Alan has a film on sight fishing for great lakes carp. There's one for fishing the Delaware too.


its also a great place to look at and feel tying materials - hackles, bucktails etc that are best bought in person.


This year i hope to get to Lancaster - in MA it was a tradition that we'd go get a huge breakfast before the show to sustain us through the day. if anyone is up for that, i am but don't know any good spots.

cheers

Mark.

 

[JeffK]

I still like to go, but it is getting more commercial with less bargains every year. My big reason to go is to meet up with all sorts of friends.

That said, there are still bargains and I buy a cape or two from Collins hackle each year. Can check out the new offerings from all the major vendors and sit through some great presentations. I always learn something.

The food in the venue is awful, but central NJ is awash with good places to eat within a 10 min drive. Use Yelp or some other app to find good food nearby.

 

[NickR]

It's Jersey...pretty much any diner you set foot in for breakfast is going to be good.

 

[REDNECK_FLYFISHER]

Thanks for all the input. It sounds like mixed reviews from everyone so I guess I will give it A shot and find out for myself , and if the show isnt great I can always find A bar nearby.

 

[troutpoop]

I go to the shows because I have cabin fever more than anything else.
Where is the food at the Lancaster show?? I always have to walk to the nearby restaurants. Is there food At the show somewhere?

 

[tomitrout]

I enjoy going to the shows. If you've got you eye on anything, anything, flyfishing related and want want to try before you buy, then it's worth going. And you may or may not find a bargain on said item. You will also find a bunch of other stuff for decent prices, which you may or may not consider 'bargains'.

The seminars/demos/meet-n-greets are also good and can stretch out the day. Food at the venues is typical convention/arena fare, lots of good eats within a block or two of the Lancaster show, and had dinner at a good burger-rib/sports bar joint just down the street from the NJ show last year.

So, pretty much what those guys above have already said...

 

[RCFetter]

REDNECK_FLYFISHER wrote:
Thanks for all the input. It sounds like mixed reviews from everyone so I guess I will give it A shot and find out for myself , and if the show isnt great I can always find A bar nearby.

You can get beer at the show and it's connected to a hotel that has a bar.

 

[sandfly]

double tree has good food and is next door

 

[lestrout]

With the multi-day shows, the last day is best for negotiating bargains. The vendors would rather sell you stuff that they don't want to pack up and carry home. Selection is better on the first day.

 

[pcray1231]

As far as the seminars, they are worthwhile. Once. Seems every year is a re-hash of the same ones that you saw the year prior. Some are basically advertisements for guides and lodges. These have titles like "fishing the so and so area". If you plan to go to that place, they're great, but otherwise worth skipping. The better ones are based on techniques and so forth. But once you go one year, there's no need to return every year to hear the same stuff slightly updated.

If you're a fly tyer, it's the bee's knees. Tons of great tiers with desks set up everywhere. You can go watch them, get some pointers, B.S. a bit. A serious fly tyer could spend hours and hours just going from tyer to tyer and talking things over.

As for a shopping trip. Yes, if you have lots of stuff to buy, it's worth it. If you just need some tippet and a shot wheel, skip it. Tons of fly tying materials, cheap flies, and fly shops who sell everything that fly shops sell. All in one place. So if you want something specific, you'll find that someone there has it. Also, if shopping for rods, you can pick a bunch up and go to the casting pools and try them all out back to back. Even if not buying, it's interesting to cast a bunch of different rods and get a feel for their actions.

Selection is best on the first day, and price on the last. A lot of vendors don't want to take stuff home, so whatever they have left, they give crazy prices to. I bought a good pair of Chota wading boots for $10 one year. A few years back I bought a discontinued version of Simms G3's for $300 (retail was $500). At the fly shack you can get like 3 dozen assorted flies for $20. But while the steals come the last day, it's kinda like Big Lots, good if you just keep an eye open for deals, but if you have a specific thing you want to buy it might be gone by then.

And then there's seeing authors and celebrities, get them to sign their books, etc. Which is kinda cool, but not really a sole reason to go.

Somerset is 10x bigger than Lancaster. The seminars and demos are similar. The shopping selection and number of tiers are not. If you go to Lancaster, don't eat there! Go in town somewhere. Somerset has a nice bar.

 

[TDB]

get to see the "celebrities"...lol