Somerset Show Report

[Doug Jowett]

Any reports on the Somerset Show?

[Captcastafly]

You couldn't tell that the economy was in such bad shape if you went.
All three days had plenty of attendance. Plenty of spending by the number of bags in peoples hands, mostly materials. I would suspect the larger ticket products may have suffered. Plenty of buzz.

[JGH]

I was there all day Friday. Seemed about the same as previous years. Bought a Flick Ford bonefish painting. Saw lots of friends and it was a good mid-winter way to focus on fishing. They put three across in the casting pool, which made it feel cramped.

[sweet+salt]

I attended Friday and Saturday and though the crowds where not visibly diminished from previous years the manufacturers where. Patagonia and Simms, both double booth participants in the past where absent. Albright wasn't there and I don't recall seeing Winston either. One new attendee was Hardy and Greys with their new North American presence and some fine looking rods and reel too. I did buy a couple of 'show specials' but a number of top-flight rod and reel makers told me pre-season factory orders where sadly reflective of the over-all economic woes. An exception was Hatch Reels whose terrific and innovative reel is selling well ahead of last year's record sales...I want another one myself.