Virginia Fly Fishing Festival

Well, despite not bringing scuba gear for the first day of the event, we had a great time down in Waynesboro again this year! The weather was horrid on Saturday but we saw more people "wading" through the tent then on Sunday when it was beautiful! Funny, I think fly fishers don't mind bad weather (as long as there is no lightning or tornadoes) and will venture out in bad weather more often than others.

Met some new friends and saw a lot of our regular customers. Lefty was on hand to please the crowd and the regulars that support the event like Rick Pope from TFO and King Montgomery made an appearance and mingled with the crowd. All in all, it was a great weekend, weather or not!

Looking forward to the Project Healing Waters 2-Fly event in a couple of weeks and then we'll pack it up for the show season. Best show season on record for Fly Fishing Benefactors!

Fredericksburg Outdoor Show

One in a while, we have to take a gamble and try a new venue to see what the customer interest is in a specific geographic area. The Fredericksburg Outdoor Show was exactly such a venue. Despite being visited by numerous existing customers and meeting new friends and making new customers, the foot traffic was dismal at the event. The gun show going on next door was absolutely packing them in there like sardines but hardly any overflow traffic rolled over into the Outdoor Show venue. Even though your entry ticket allowed you to visit both sides of the hall, we seldom saw a gun show visitor on our side of the convention center. So, looks like we won't be returning to the Fredericksburg Outdoor Show next year unless there are some drastic changes in the way the venue is operated or advertised. Thanks to all our old and new friends for visiting us in the booth and we hope to see you at the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival next month in Waynesboro.

The Trials and Tribulations of Customer Service

We have been operating for seven years at Fly Fishing Benefactors and over the course of those seven years, we have had to switch web hosts and merchant service accounts many times. The sad part about those web hosting sites and merchant services accounts is that they absolutely don't care what kind of service they provide you once they have your money and sign-up for a contract. Now, since I try real hard to do the expenses as cheaply as I can (to maximize my donations), I obviously felt I would have to expect some lackluster service for the price I pay but lately, it is amazing what these people have done. I am soon to be leaving my merchant services account, as soon as the show season is over. I hate to have to do this because it causes me much grief to have to "start over" again somewhere else but these guys take the cake. Before anyone signs up for One Stop Merchant Services in Rhode Island, please call me. I'll tell you how they have lied to me, cheated me, plain didn't care about my website or services, yet insist on me paying them for absolutely the worst service I have ever received since I started this company. As a retired federal law enforcement officer (married to an attorney), I have never seen an organization so pathetic in all my years and so absolutely worth a letter campaign to the Better Business Bureau and Interstate Commerce Commission. Since this is a "G" Rated blog site, I cannot use the language I would like to use to describe the customer service I have yet to receive from this company. So, stay tuned to where I land and I will let you know when I turn the switch. At Fly Fishing Benefactors, we will try and do everything these guys don't do. That is a promise from me. I may not be able to transact business as well and efficiently as I would like but I will ALWAYS give my customers the customer service they deserve!

Middleburg Fly Fishing Show

Wow! Once again the Rapidan Chapter put on a great show! Thanks Fred for a great job! Lots of turn out and the new venue at the Faquier High School allows for a lot more breathing room for both the vendors and the attendees. We got a chance to show off the new Jim Hicks Fly Rod and Steve Moore did well with his new Rappahannock Wading Book! The next show is the NCC-TU show at Georgetown Prep on March 12, 2011. Hope to see you there!

Richmond Fishing Expo

The Richmond Fishing Expo was a new stop on the Fly Fishing Benefactors Show Schedule for 2011. The unexpected and un-announced termination of the Sportsman Show at the Dulles Expo Center prompted us to consider a new show for the January slot in 2011. We are glad we decided to go to Doswell and the Expo. Working right next to the troops from Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and across from the "Trout Pond", we met new friends and enjoyed the company of old friends as well. My little "Billboard" was at the show and assisted her daddy in sales and advertisement as well!


Steve Moore, a.k.a. "SwitchFisher" was in attendance and sold and autographed his latest addition to the "Catch Guide" Series of guide books. The sub-teen temperatures made for difficult maneuvering in the parking lot of the Expo but seemed to drive customers indoors to the event.

Our next event is the Middleburg Fly Fishing Show done by the Rapidan TU Club. This year, the venue has been moved from the traditional Main Hall in Middleburg to the Faquier High School in Warrenton. See you there on the 26th of February.