Good Times, Good Expos ... Back to Work

Curtains down on both the Chicago and Minneapolis 09 Great Waters Expos. What's left is to thanks the many friends — new and old — who made our shows better. If you attended either show, thanks. We appreciated your support. If you were one of the many volunteers, more thanks.

Impressive:

The John Breslin-led FFF team of fly casting instructors taught 231 free casting lessons at the Chicago show, and a whopping 375 free casting lessons at the Minneapolis shows. Think of that, more than 600 newscomers to the sport!

Approx. 75 women attended our fly fishing workshops for women in both cities. Cathy Sero taught the workshop in Chicago; the Fly Fishing Women of Minnesota organized the Minneapolis effort.

The St. Paul (Minn.) Fly Tiers Club supervised the Fly Tying Theaters at both shows and did a great job of integrating tiers and video interludes.

Thanks, then, to the aforementioned fly tiers, fly casters, and to those who spoke up to protect our fly fishing waters.

At their best, the Great Waters Expos capture the great heart of the Midwest angling community, and it's a privilege to be part of the occasion.

I'm going fishing tomorrow, and on the way I'll be thinking about being a more consistent contributor to this blog. I just never could get started last fall and winter. I'm rejuvenated.

Write, if you have a mind to.

Tom Helgeson