Fishing The Fly Scotland
Index => Main Discussion Area => Topic started by: Mike Barrio on 03/07/2013 at 15:19
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Scottish Game Fair this weekend .......... anybody going down?
http://www.scottishfair.com/ (http://www.scottishfair.com/)
Cheers
Mike
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On Call Mike :z6
Iain
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Nope as the last one I went to was shit.
H :z10
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Don't sugar coat it Hamish...tell it like it is! :z4 :z14
Ewan
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Tying flies on the GAIA stand if anyones passing give me a shout its always nice to put names to faces
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Don't sugar coat it Hamish...tell it like it is! :z4 :z14
Ewan
Hell yes :z13
Tying flies on the GAIA stand if anyones passing give me a shout its always nice to put names to faces
Got all the glue you need Peter :? Seem to recall you like a wee drop of glue :wink Sure Ben will have some at the shop...... :z13 :X2
H :wink
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Not making this one as GAIA have all the help they need.
Heading to Leven anyway. :z16
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Nope as the last one I went to was shit.
H :z10
:z16
What happened to the manufacturers having stands? (Orvis excepted). That was the best bit for me, going and talking to the folk that actually built and designed the gear. There used to be an antuque tackle stand as well that had some great old reels and so on.
Think I will give it a miss this year.
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I agree Rob, Anglers row is a shadow of its former self and that's why I go.
As it is now so depleted of fishing 'stuff' the Scottish Game Fair is just not for me. OK, there's still plenty of other stuff to see and do but what I want/would like to see just isn't there.
CLA on the other hand :z16 Also worth going to Moy :z17
H :cool:
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One of the reasons for me going down is to suss out if I feel it would be worth having a Barrio stand there next year :wink
Cheers
Mike
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What, at the Scottish Game Fair :? CLA would be better IMHO :z17 Then again, maybe this years Scottish Game Fair will be a step forward and be 'like it was' back in the old days when spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri - and they were scared every time they went near my fly tying kit.
H :cool:
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Hmmmm ...... interesting posts :z6
I think it would be fair to say that if we lose interest in an event for whatever reason and do not attend, this increases the possibility of us losing the event?
Would we rather enjoy an event as a day out in Scotland, or drive all the way down to the CLA?
I'm not being funny here ..... just wondering what can be done to "revamp" interest in an event like the Scottish Game Fair?
Cheers
Mike
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I'm not being funny here ..... just wondering what can be done to "revamp" interest in an event like the Scottish Game Fair?
Hi Mike. Right, soap box time!
I see the Scone Game Fair as a place where certain shops offload items they cannot sell. Often, those items can be bought cheaper online or, in the case of one shop, cheaper at the shop itself!
Yes you can see some of the latest gear and in some instances (Orvis) actually go and play with it, but it is extremely limited to how it used to be.
I would much rather see "retail" stalls limited and a return to manufacturers having a presence. I don't want to go and buy stuff I can buy anywhere, but I do want to go and see items that are about to be released, to have a cast of rods or perhaps speak to the people that actually design the rods/reels/lines (Barrio!!)
The manufacturers just do not seem to be bothered these days despite much greater competition. Back in the day you had Hardy, B&W, Greys and maybe Sage/Loomis. Now you can add another 10 companies all producing top quality gear, so why are they not out there showing it off at the Game Fair?
Strangely, all the major coarse manufacturers all have stalls at the CLA.
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Not making this one as GAIA have all the help they need.
Heading to Leven anyway. :z16
Plenty fish up at N Bhoy i hear Alan!
I will be heading down to the game fair on Saturday!
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Hmmmm ...... interesting posts :z6
I think it would be fair to say that if we lose interest in an event for whatever reason and do not attend, this increases the possibility of us losing the event?
Would we rather enjoy an event as a day out in Scotland, or drive all the way down to the CLA?
I'm not being funny here ..... just wondering what can be done to "revamp" interest in an event like the Scottish Game Fair?
Cheers
Mike
Couldn't agree more Mike, use it or lose it as they say :z18
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Couldn't agree more Mike, use it or lose it as they say
Well it's lost. :cry
Until the rod makers come back it will always just be poundshop. I remember tying flies with Hamish on a stand to promote a Scottish materials company - just a wee tent, there to sell their wares. Fishermans row was just that - all the main rod and line makers. Bargains could be had, deals could be made and in the last hour of the last day those who had worked there (for free) could get a bit more off.
Now if we can bring that back and get more than Orvis to have a stand, and well done to Orvis for actually doing that, then it might be worth going to. If someone shows interest in a range of rods and want to think about it, then the nearest stockist to their home town could do a follow up and invite them in for a demo. That sh*t isn't hard FFS.
Or is it that they just want your money and not your loyalty? My missus is heading there tomorrow so I'm sure I'll get a full report, but me no go.
:z1
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Couldn't agree more Mike, use it or lose it as they say :z18
The Game Fair is well used, as can be seen by the car park, its Fishermans Row that lets it down.
If you are into other country pursuits, then you are well catered for, but Fishermans Row has shrunk and has become a bit of a flea market. There are a few retailers that are ok, but again, I can go to their shop or order online and not have to pay a large entrance fee :)
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Now if we can bring that back and get more than Orvis to have a stand, and well done to Orvis for actually doing that, then it might be worth going to.
Orvis are not doing it this year nor were they in attendence last year, it is no longer a profitable exercise and at best a manufaturer will break even but usually wll struggle to cover costs.
Yes you can see some of the latest gear and in some instances (Orvis) actually go and play with it, but it is extremely limited to how it used to be.
Right, soap box time!
Yes and then the punter will go home and buy from a bedroom dealer or from USA to save a few quid. The reason you get stuff there that cannot be shifted Rob is because it only makes sense to take stock that needs to be liquidated as no one wants to pay full price at Scone. Why lump along all the premium full priced stock when all you get is some clown coming to the stand telling you that X is not worth that amount of money and you are ripping folk off etc. Or, I can get that off the internet for £X.XX. Bigger issue is not regarding Scone but, rather that if anglers want to be able to try stuff or even see it in the flesh then they need to support their local retailers rather than look to save £0.50 here or £10 there and buy from the net. Tackle shops are like a lot of things in life, if you don't use them, you lose them.
Cheers
Ben
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Yes and then the punter will go home and buy from a bedroom dealer or from USA to save a few quid.
That is not my point Ben, and that is why I said retailers should be limited.
If a manufacturer is at the game fair, and someone buys a rod direct from them, they make a profit.
If that person buys from a retailer at the game fair, the manufacturer will still have made money as the retailer whould have bought stock from them.
If that person buys from the internet/US, the manufacturer still makes money as again, the stockist must have bought from the manufacturer.
If the manufacturer was not at the game fair and someone wanted to try a rod, but saw a rivals rod elsewhere, the manufacturer as lost out totally.
If I were parting with £500, I would rather visit the manufacturer and have a play with a rod and speak to the designers/makers rather than buy unseen from an online dealer.
Local retailers are not a viable option in many cases. You do not sell Hardy, Somers does not sell Orvis, Bains does not sell either..so how do I compare them?
I find it interesting that you say Orvis does not think it profitable. I would never have bought an Access or a Helios without trying. I may not have bought at the gamefair, but I did buy eventually. I know others have not spent their money until they have tried a rod from a manufacturer, so is it not a little short sighted to say that because the manufacturer did not make the sale at the Gamefair, then its not profitable?
Just a thought :)
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I see your point Rob but it is not really a cost effective way of promoting product. For the same cash (much less actually) as it takes to do a game fair at manufacturer level and make it look good and professional, a series of magazine ad's will reach far more potential customers. Customers will go and search out what they want from dealers or whoever. I'm not sure about your Helios Rob but I'm fairly certain you did not try your Access at a game fair or show, I think you went to your local outlet who arranged a trial there and then :z7
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I did indeed have a trial of the Access at my local retailers, but I actually had my first cast of one at the Game Fair..I do belive Hamish thrust a rod into my hand...and then removed it and gave me an Access instead! ;)
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In the main ring at the Game Fair today :cool: ..... more pics to follow
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/2_05_07_13_10_24_23.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=986)
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/2_05_07_13_10_23_42.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=985)
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A couple more from today :cool: ...... more pics to follow
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/2_05_07_13_10_31_38.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=987)
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/2_05_07_13_10_32_15.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=988)
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A couple more from today :cool:
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/2_05_07_13_11_23_38.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=989)
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/2_05_07_13_11_24_15.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=990)
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And a few more ......... :cool:
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF07.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF08.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF09.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF10.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF11.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF12.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF13.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF14.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF15.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF16.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF17.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF18.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF19.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF20.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF21.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF22.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF23.jpg)
(http://fishingthefly.co.uk/SGF24.jpg)
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So .... what did I find?
Fisherman's row did not have a lot of fishing stands in it, about half of them were fishing I guess, if you took out the clothes stands etc and apart from a couple of online fly tying suppliers, all were tackle shops ...... no presence from any brands or manufacturers.
The casting demos given by Andy and Scott were first class, both in the main ring and on the water. The GAIA stand with Peter tying flies and the booking table for short tuition slots was fine and the GAIA stand down at the water was kept busy as the meeting point for folk going for their tuition, nice to chat with Peter, Brian, Tamas and Nigel for a while.
Apart from that, the Reedman weed cutting stand caught my attention, the Dundee firm that sold fishery type boats ( both of which I no longer have a need for ) and I enjoyed having a chat with the folk on the Hilltrek outdoor clothing stand.
The casting competitions today and tomorrow would hopefully add to the things to see :cool:
Cheers
Mike
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Any results from the casting competitions at the Scottish Game Fair today?
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/2_07_07_13_1_08_16.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=991)
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I enjoyed having a chat with the folk on the Hilltrek outdoor clothing stand.
Annnnnnnd?
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Annnnnnnd?
Annnnnnd ...... I enjoyed having a chat with the folk on the Hilltrek outdoor clothing stand. :cool:
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Did anybody else go? :z8
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(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/2_05_07_13_10_32_15.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=988)
Look Hamish, no superglue :z4 :z4
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Annnnnnd ...... I enjoyed having a chat with the folk on the Hilltrek outdoor clothing stand. :cool:
Tut!..lol
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Nice to see you there Mike, and Ben popped in for a wee while. I have seen it Busier but We did over 300 lessons.
I would like to see more Manufacturers there but for that to happen the entrance price would have to come down to entice more Fishermen.
All the other outdoor sports were well attended,is it just that fishermen are harder to please price wise?
I saw plenty Loop rods being Field tested and sold. Also according to the Hardy Boys they were selling Plenty.
Who knows what people want? Down to the marketing men but I think if manufacturers allow rivals products to be in peoples faces they may regret it in the future.
We are a finicky mob us Anglers.
Regards
Brian