2011 Gear of the Year

Following a year of uncertainty and economic challenges, the fly-fishing industry heads out of the chaos and into the nanosphere. by Steve Walburn

From American Angler:

This time last year, you might say that the sport of fly-fishing was enduring its winter of discontent. The American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA) had just severed relations with promoter Nielsen Media, which aimed to absorb the fly-fishing industry’s only stand-alone trade show into its much larger Outdoor Retailer expo. Meanwhile, others were saying our industry conclave should be a part of the International Convention of Sportfishing Trades, better known as ICAST, the world’s largest general sportfishing trade gathering. And a third scenario had organizers of the consumer-oriented Fly Fishing Show circuit mounting their own campaign to manage the industry’s trade event. Within a span of weeks, the sport of fly-fishing in America went from having no show at which to conduct annual business, to possibly having three.

Eventually, AFFTA took control of its destiny by organizing its own expo this past September—renaming it the International Fly Tackle Dealer show. In light of the challenges IFTD faced, the event was by general consensus a success. But many question remain. How will the past year of turmoil affect fly-fishing consumers? Are manufacturers bringing more or fewer products to market? Is innovation on par with prior years? While this year’s trade show saw the lightest attendance in recent memory, it was not without plenty of noteworthy new products.

Here is a look at some of the gear that will beckon for your hard-earned dollars at fly shops in 2011.