View from the hut
Dani Morey has an end-of-season blast at the Irish Fly Fair
THE CLOSE SEASON CAN SEEM A BIT dull, can’t it? I know there’s all the hullabaloo of Christmas and New Year, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds themselves thinking “you can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends” while wistfully yearning for time on the river. When I received a request from my friend Stevie Munn to help him with the Irish Fly Fair (IFF), an event that fell in the lull between the salmon season and the silly season, I leapt at the chance.
Those involved undoubtedly put in hours of effort, but just like a day’s work on the river, there was a lot of fun had by all. Back after a four-year hiatus, this weekend-long show experienced its best-ever footfall on the Saturday, and as the great craic from those coming through the door each day proved, it was the perfect boost for many of us to get through the cold-turkey months until we step back into our waders.
Shows like the IFF provide much-needed close season camaraderie, a chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones. It was a melting pot of ideas and advice and showcased all that’s good about our sport, not least our passion for fishing and our willingness to share knowledge. It was also a platform to present plans for conservation and show how fishing can be such a wonderful escape from the pressures of the modern world.
The fair hosted more than 40 exhibitors as well as 70 fly-tyers from all over the globe, including the USA, Europe and Aruba, which, my atlas tells me, is an island in the Caribbean Sea. The tyers were without doubt the stars of the show, but the event was much more than just fly-dressing. Often at the bigger game fairs, fishing feels like a sideshow, tacked on behind other field sports and country lifestyle options, but here it was centre stage. The event was run by anglers for anglers, and it showed.
There were casting demos and clinics, informative talks, tackle, books and clothing —something to appeal to all budgets. The new waterfront location provided ample opportunity to try before you buy.
Children were well catere
