News
By Kendra Sardinha, Staff Writer
Posted Feb 10, 2008 @ 10:26 PM
TAUNTON —
It was a man town, for the most part, at this year’s annual fly-fishing expo. For the hundreds of men who got together from all over the east coast this Sunday, seeing old friends and catching up from the last fly-fishing expo was just as important if not more so than seeing or testing the latest fly reels or flies.
The one-day expo filled the entire main ballroom at The Holiday Inn in Taunton. The show is Scott Wessels’s baby. Wessel, owner of one of the area’s best known fly-fishing stores, Bear’s Den, is located at 98 Summer Street in Taunton. Wessel began fishing with his dad when he was young, but it didn’t really stick and he got away from it, until 12 years ago when his dad opened a hunting and fishing store.“If it wasn’t for him opening the store,” Wessel said, “I wouldn’t have gotten back into it.”
He started the expo after the first year his store opened as a way to
thank his customers and friends for their help and support. For the past
nine years, the event took place on Wednesday, but because it has grown
so much, this year it moved to the weekend.
“I wanted to make it easier for the vendors as well as the people who
attend,” Wessel said.
Joe Calcavecchia is one of those vendors.
“I do shows all up and down the coast from Maine to New Jersey,” said
Calcavecchia, a designer of custom flies for Pacific Fly Group. “I love
seeing all the people. It’s amazing seeing how different the crowds are
from place to place.”
He loves taking part in trade shows because of their variety, and he has
learned in his 20 years of making flies that it’s easier to find unique
materials at shows.
This was Calcavecchia’s third time taking part in the Taunton show,
displaying the flies he designs from both natural and synthetic
materials.
“The natural ones work so much better in water,” Calcavecchia said.
“Scott carries a lot of what I create in his shop.”
Lefty Kreh, an 83-year-old expert/legend in the sport, was the featured
speaker who wasn’t afraid to offer his advice to those in search of
improvement. Kreh is considered to be the Ted Williams or the Babe Ruth
of fly fishing.
Kreh, a renowned columnist for fishing and hunting magazines, has
enjoyed fly fishing all over the world and began writing his first
column in 1951 when only four such magazines were being published. He
has been married to his best friend, Ev, for 61 years and always has a
joke.
“I love the people,” Kreh said. “There are more women coming in too, and
fly fishing is a non-competitive sport, so it’s something everyone can
be comfortable with. And the whole thing is done in some pretty places.”
This was John Letournau’s first time at the show. The Seekonk resident
has been fly fishing for 20 years and thought he had it pretty well down
— until he met Kreh.
“He was standing there, so I got to talking to him and we grabbed
lunch,” Letournau said. “From there, he told me five things I was doing
wrong and told me how to correct them.”
Letournau compared the atmosphere to that of a woman’s sewing circle.
“Not only can you find great name brands and products here, but it’s a
great place to talk to those who share the same enthusiasm for the
sport,” Letournau said.
Vendors at 65 tables offered everything from fishing clothing gear,
books, rods, all types of flies, guide services and accommodations. One
long table all down one side of the tradeshow was dedicated to all types
of bucket raffles, where tickets could be dropped in for chances to win
items from brand names such as I Fly, Airflo, Royal Wulff and Rio.
For just a dollar a chance, the opportunity was had to win an Albright
9-foot or 5-foot rod, reel and flyline, with a full day fishing lesson,
worth $400.
Ray Stachelek has been writing and doing photography for national fly
fishing magazines for many years. He takes part in national shows, but
came to the expo to help some local clubs in this area.
“I really enjoy the friendships,” he said. “Today is nice for me because
it’s usually commercial all the time and today it’s relaxing.”
“It’s great that this is in the wintertime because it doesn’t overlap
with any fishing time and it gets people ready for the season,”
Stachelek said.
The event also gives him the opportunity to exchange ideas with others
and gain new clients.
“It’s like a fraternity,” he said. “It’s like golf or tennis where it’s
all tied in with how much free cash you have, but it’s coming back. But
it’s not all about the fishing. It’s all tied in with nature.”
Trevor Bross and John Marchefta represented Thomas and Thomas Fine Fly
Tackle, a fly rod company out of Greenfield. Bross loves the expo
experience.
“It’s the ability to have that direct contact with the consumer,” he
said. “There aren’t that many opportunities to have this representation
of all there is to offer.”
Although Wessel was pleased with how the past years have gone, he is
ready to try something new.
“It just keeps getting bigger and the hardest part is living up to
expectations,” he said. “I’ve got great people who help me out but I’m
not sure what the future will hold.”
His thoughts rang bitter-sweet in relation to the numerous compliments
he received over the course of the day on a job well done.
ksardinha@tauntongazette.com
Copyright 2008 The Taunton Gazette. Some rights reserved
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