Friday, January 26, 2024

Renzetti Fly Fishing & Rod Building Fair -- 2019

Renzetti Fair Sign -- TSA2019

Hanging out at the @renzettiinc factory today! I've wanted to tour this place since I moved to Florida!


Peach Custom Gheenoe -- TSA2019

Some beautiful boats on display from the folks at Custom Gheenoe!


Show Opening -- TSA2019

Lily Renzetti welcoming all to the Renzetti Factory


Bob Clouser -- TSA2019

Bob Clouser tying an ostrich herl variation of his world famous Clouser Minnow at the Renzetti Fly Tying Fair!

Renzetti Factory Tour --TSA2019

The factory tour with brief explanations of the amazing capabilities of their machinery.


Renzetti Factory Tour -- TSA2019


Renzetti Vises Packaging -- TSA2019

The packing room


Renzetti Vise Assembly -- TSA2019

A demonstration of vise assembly


Renzettis remembering Lefty -- TSA2019

Andy and Lili Renzetti remembering Lefty Kreh at the Renzetti Fly Tying and Rod Building Fair.



Blue Ridge Trout Fest 2019






For the last several years the city of Blue Ridge, Georgia has hosted the Blue Ridge Trout Fest & Outdoor Adventures Festival in the parks between East and West Main Streets in the historic downtown.  Unfortunately, due to the current international health crisis, the 2020 Trout Fest had to be canceled.  As the date approaches that the event was supposed to occur on this year, I thought it would be a good time to finally get around to doing a larger write up of last year's affair.  If you follow The Suburban Angler on the various social media outlets, or if you follow the quick Odds 'n Ends posts on TheSuburbanAngler.com, you've likely seen some of these photos, but I'll add a few extras and elaborate on the event here.  

On the Thursday before the show I pulled the Wolf Pup up to Vogel State Park outside of Blairsville.  Vogel is Georgia's second oldest state park, built in 1931 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, several original buildings still remain in the park.  There were some renovations going on in the park while I was visiting, with some new bath houses under construction.  Vogel has 90 tent, trailer and rv sites as well as 18 walk-in sites and a Pioneer Campground area.  There's lots of opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while there, the park has around 18 miles of hiking trails, access to several streams and a 22 acre lake that is regularly stocked with trout!  
All of the RV sites at Vogel are electric and water only (there's a dump station on the way out), but they seem to be fairly spacious and private for the most part.  I guess I wasn't paying attention when I made my reservation, the site that I rented for the weekend ended up being a "buddy" site, meaning that two camp sites share one driveway.  Luckily, the folks in the adjacent site were very friendly (and quiet) and even came out to help guide me as I backed the Pup into the site.  
Vogel State Park makes a fantastic base for whatever activities you have planned in the north Georgia mountains, and was only just over a 30-minute (very scenic!!!) drive in to Blue Ridge.

Another great camping spot! This time with a trout stream running behind it!!



The festival tends to be divided up into 4 areas, a typical small town street festival with insurance agents, air conditioner companies, local stores and artisans showing and selling their creations; a children's play area with various amusements; a large food truck corral; and the flyfishing and outdoors area showcasing the region's outfitters, guides, clubs and seminar tents. 


Hanging out at the Alpharetta Outfitters booth at the Blue Ridge Trout Fest!! Stop by and see us!




The folks from Unicoi Outfitters are here in Blue Ridge today selling a few hats and talking all things flyfishing in North Georgia! These are the folks to see for a guided shoal bass trip!


It's a gorgeous day to buy a new Vibe Kayak or a Riverquiver!


Smokey's watching! The US Forest Service, Chattahoochee National Forest and the Georgia Forestry Commision were on hand with lots of activity books and stickers for the children, along with a giant, inflatable Smokey Bear! I've been a fan of Smokey's all my life!







Wednesday, January 24, 2024

The Fly Fishing Show Atlanta 2023

Good morning, Folks!
   With The Fly Fishing Show having already kicked off in other locations this year, and the Atlanta show very quickly approaching, I wanted to get these pictures posted up from last year's show.  I intend to be there again this year, live posting from the show floor as usual, so if there's anything you'd like to see or any questions you have, I'll do my best to get it for you.
  Hope you're all doing well!
     Make it a great day!
        Tight lines,
            -Nick





The show is open, time to walk the floor!!


 


East Cape Boats is here in Atlanta debuting the prototype East Cape Drift! The new carbon and kevlar hull combines cutting edge tech, modern design and materials, 20 years of skiff building experience and the heart of trout fishermen to build a durable drift boat that weighs around 300lbs as displayed!!



Coming soon to a flyshop near you! RoxStar Fishing is taking some of the intimidation out of fly selection for new flyfishers. Their US hand-tied flies are packaged into selections by fly type, with an array of different variations to make sure you're stocked for any instance on the water.



 Dropped in on Jimmy Jacobs' talk on Georgia's Best High Country Trout Options. This will definitely inspire you to get off the beaten path!!



 Lots going on in the Alpharetta Outfitters booth today! They've got deals on gear and guides, a chance to win a Sage rod and $100 gift card, and a few seats left on each of their awesome curated fishing trips!!



Landon Mayer is in the seat at the Featured Fly Tier Booth giving up the secrets to Guide Flies: Easy To Tie Patterns For Tough Trout.



 Mark introducing a crowd to the benefits of The Original Ty-Rite! The best tool for handling small flies!



Checking out the Fly Caddy from Atollas Gear out of Charleston, SC. The foam patch has a rigid plastic baking with a clip, so it can be worn on a hat brim, shirt collar or even your truck visor! Included is a self-adhesive "docking station" so you can park your patch on a cooler, boat box, or almost anywhere! I think I want at least one of each size!



 I was able to catch the last few minutes of Capt. Michael Mauri's presentation Adventures Along The Treasure Coast and Indian River Lagoon. I hope he repeats the presentation again this weekend, because he certainly made it sound exciting!



 Celebrity Fly Tier Todd Arnold down on Tier's Row demonstrating his techniques for tying Gamechangers and Jerkchangers for the local striper population!



Jeff Currier is on the pond demonstrating casting techniques to improve your dryfly presentation! Need to know the difference between a Parachute Cast and a Pile Cast, this is the demo for you!



 Karin Miller of Zen Tenkara gave a very informative talk on fishing for big fish with a tenkara rod! The insightful tips she gave can easily be implemented in both tenkara and traditional fly fishing situations. Can you imagine catching tarpon and bonefish on a tenkara rod? I'd sure like to give it a try!



Day 2 of the 2023 The Fly Fishing Show Atlanta is well underway!



Always fun checking out the Seigler Reels booth! These reels evolve with time and it's always fascinating to learn about all the small improvements.



 Luong Tam of Tenkara Tanuki gave a great presentation on the Fundamentals of Tenkara Casting on Pond 1 this morning!



Tier's Row is about a mile long and I don't think there's a single empty seat! There's an awful lot of fly tying talent in this picture and all of these folks are eager to share their specialty with the crowd!



 One of the masters holding class on the casting pond to a very large crowd! Bob Clouser giving one of his great presentations on How To Cast Weighted Flies and Line!



Beautiful fishy art available in the M. B. Meeks Block Prints booth! There's a huge assortment of species available in these prints, and even some t-shirts!



I always enjoy walking through the Hardy booth! Did you know they celebrated their 150th anniversary last year? That kind of history and legacy is absolutely amazing!



TFO is here in Atlanta with a huge selection of rods for you to check out! Some are rigged and ready to try out on the casting pond!



 Cohutta Fishing Company of Blue Ridge is here with a good selection of gear, and always great advice for your next trip to the Trout Capital of Georgia!



The folks from Simms brought out lots of demo gear in their display booth, so showgoers can check it all out hands on!



Cristian Rodriguez of Fly Fishing The Run gave an excellent presentation on his fly fishing operations in Cuba! With two resort bases and a liveaboard yacht, they have plenty of lodging available, but through environmental partnerships and government assigned waters, they choose not to increase accommodations to preserve the state of the fishery!



Took in the Fly Fishing North Georgia and Beyond presentation with Andy Bowen of Cohutta Fishing Co. He gave examples of some the excellent fly fishing that North Georgia has to offer, then went into some of the travel packages through the fly shop to extend your fly fishing, literally, around the world!



One of the Women's Casting Clinics has moved out onto the lawn!! Gotta love seeing new flycasters learning the ropes!!!



Could it really even be The Fly Fishing Show Atlanta without Badger Creek Fly Tying stretched across the aisle?



Currently no line, no wait at the Douglas Outdoors booth! Swing by and grab a demo rod and hit the casting pond!!



 Author, columnist and small fly artist Ed Engle sharing his tips for effectively Tying Small Dry Flies in the Featured Fly Tier booth!



Jeff Currier gave a great presentation with pictures of jaw dropping fish from all over the world in Tips and Tactics for the World's Best Flats!



 I was able to catch one of my good friend Steve Hudson's presentations today on Bluelining in North Georgia! Always a very informative talk from the man that wrote the book on the subject! It's titled "Bluelining 101" and it's packed with information to get you started in the right direction.



Day 3!! The third and final day of The Fly Fishing Show Atlanta! More booths to see, more lectures to attend! Let's go!!



 I was able to catch Chris Scalley's presentation, 30 Years of Guiding And Advocating On The Chattahoochee River Tailwater, first thing this morning. It was great to catch up with him in the booth, and my good friend and fly tyer to the stars David Aviles! The 'Hooch knowledge flowing in this booth is overwhelming!



Made it by the On The Fly South booth to get my autographed copy of Jimmy Jacobs and Polly Dean's new book, The Angler's Guide To Georgia State Parks! I'm really looking forward to reading this one and will post a review on TheSuburbanAngler.com real soon!



 Just met Randall from AppSouth Fly Co. tying big, gorgeous Yard Sale flies in the Daiichi booth! Check out his flies on the AppSouth IG page and drop him a follow for more good things to come!





More from Sunday at the Fly Fishing Show Atlanta. Chattahoochee Riverkeepers had a busy booth all weekend educating folks on the river and what they do to protect the watershed.



It's my understanding that the Georgia Trout Unlimited booth had been manned the whole weekend by high school or collegiate members! Very cool!"



I'm pretty sure Sunday afternoon saw the very first lull in the booth of the Georgia Women Flyfishers! This is a great, supportive group to help encourage more women to get on the water."



 More from Sunday at the Fly Fishing Show Atlanta. Fly Fishers International Southeast Council had a busy booth at the show explaining what they do and projects they're involved in, as well as recruiting new members and operating an Intro to Fly Tying table.



More from Sunday at the Fly Fishing Show Atlanta. Due South Outfitters out of Boone, North Carolina was selling some gear and scheduling guide trips for the Watauga and South Holston rivers.






Bob Clouser tying up when of his namesake minnows at the Featured Fly Tier table, and, as always, keeping the audience laughing!



 Gourmet pork sausage, do I really need to say any more than that? The Pineapple Pepper Jack was awesome, and I really wish I could've tried more and brought a lot home! If you're in the Atlanta area, make sure to check them out, Real Cajun Market!





The Airflo and Abel booth stayed very busy throughout the show! You could even drop off your old flyline to be recycled!




The Norvise booth stayed busy all weekend, sometimes with three tiers, demonstrating their mesmerizing tying system!