Wes,
When I have tyed at shows I use a board like that to show the flys I'm
tying. It makes it easier for the person sitting across from you to pick up
and inspect closely. I usual tye either 1 or 2 trout patterns at the show as
well as 1 of my Ivory hooked flys. Sort of something for everybody. I've
also seen tyers come with 2 vises, 1 to tye on and 1 to teach someone to tye
the pattern on, I really liked that. I do remember 5 or 6 years ago watching
Kim Rassmusin spending the better part of a whole day building salmon fly
wings , his small audience either were giving undivided attention or quickly
glazing over. Also, try to just bring a small ziplock with only the
materials needed for the pattern(s) you are tying. This makes it a lot
easier than digging through your bag(s) or box(es) for something.
Something else I've done and seen, I give some of the flys I tye at the
shows to people watching. That seems to generate more enthusiasm to go home
and try it themselves. Not all the tyers do that though, some offer to sell
that fly to the watching people. To each their own, but I figure on giving
out 8-12 flys while I am there. I guess it comes down to the question of
"Why are you tying there?" Are you there because you are a world renown tyer
feeding of your adoring fans of your art work, or are you there to generate
more interest in tying. I have brought younger kids around to the tyers side
of the table to teach them hands on at a couple shows. The kids are all
smiles holding a fly that THEY can tye, a wooly bugger goes a long way to a
kid.
Hope this helps some,
Dave Wilson
http://www.wilsonsworld.org
