Another hectic IFTD / ICAST

This past week your intrepid reporter was in Orlando for International Fly Tackle Dealer Show (IFTD) held in conjunction with ICAST, the world's largest sportfishing trade show. While there were lots of new fly fishing products, as well as new fishing kayaks, it wasn't nearly as many as each of the last two years. But that's not to say it was a "down year" by any stretch. Readers will be delighted to hear that for 2018, the quality of rods and reels in the mid-priced range are stellar. With mid-range tackle so good, the rod companies had to up their game in the premium category to justify the higher prices - and they've done just that. It all keeps getting better! We tested over three dozen rods, took over 40 pages of notes, and collected over 60 publications on new and existing products!  Once again, we summarize our findings - and best products overall - in the Fly Lines column of the September and December issues of Louisiana Sportsman.