Arts-men, crafts-guys and risk-takers. I Love them!

It was, again, the High Mass of the Belgian fly fishing scene: Fête de la mouche 2017 from APMC was nothing less than fantastic.  Like a little boy on a playground, I was walking from one attraction to another.  Meeting people I knew from the interweb, in the flesh. Telling stories, exchanging info and making dates for doing the real stuff: fishing!

I saw a lot of shops, but this year my heart was specially touched by some people, most of the visitors didn't pay as much attention as they should had.  I tried to get to meet some guys who could be defined by the title of this post, because I sincerely mean what comes after the title: I love them!

Since I have been a fly fisherman and tier, I always was looking for those guys who could offer me just that little more, than the average shop.  That standard vise, the dull bobinholder, the standard olive dubbing...  everyone has them and so do I.  But, they don't give me that warm feeling.  Yeah, it's OK to call me a material- and tool-fetish
ist, because I am one.  That urge for new things makes me look out for guys who try to meet my expectations.  I'm not saying that dealers of the known brands are not needed.  I also look to them as investors.  To have a
ll the "standard" stuff on stock these days isn't a financial joke.  In the days you had 10 colors of dubbing in 3 different types. Since synthetics and fluorescent colors, the number of different bags has grown exponentially.  And that is only for dubbing.  People who think it's so easy to manage, don't have a clue what it means to own a shop, nowadays.  So: Thank you for having all the stuff!

Also a big thank you for those, who give a chance to (new) talents and making it possible for them to get a stage to show what they're capable of.  The rest is up to the audience to make them great.

But here and there you see the little entrepreneurs, making a start by making a leap into the dark.  I saw for the third year on a row, a 'local' tier.  He refuses to use cheap material, an deliver lower quality flies.  His price is a
lmost triple of some online-shops.  Is he crazy?  Is he stupid?  I call it bravura. I love this guy just for the sake of that!

I remember that, when I was a kid, the logo Made in China, was a standard for cheap junk and lower quality copies.  Is that still the case?  Is cheap a synonym for junk?  I will not give you the answer to this question.  I will make you answer it yourself: How long does it take you to make a standard fly, and which amount on material get's into it?  Now, take your hourly wage and count how much it will cost you.  Now take in account that you will not have any social security if your ill, you're not sure you'll get to sell enough to cover your costs for this month, ... . Just saying: quality has a price, and should be supported. Unless you like junk... I rest my case!

So thank you APMC-club for organizing this fantastic stage for those youngsters, those crafts-guys, the arts-men and the risk-takers.  They make my fly-experience just that more exciting!

Up to next year!  It's already in my 2018 agenda!


Tom... that fly fishing guy!