President's Message
President’s Message
December 23, 2025:
As we all gear up for our feasts and family time, I wanted to share a few club updates.
First, a hearty welcome to the dozens of new members that have recently joined our group! You have or will soon receive back issues of the Gazette. In addition, those signing up during the holiday membership drive will receive a commemorative patch. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming National Fishing Lure Collectors Club show!
Many of you have noticed our expanding social media footprint. We have recently added an Instagram account and we are feeding content to our Facebook public page regularly, including enhanced event promotion. If you have not already, check out our events pages, and consider joining us at a regional show.
Two of our larger regional events kick-off the 2026 calendar year:
January 10th-11th – Winterfest 2026 – Pigeon Forge, Tennessee- Hosted by Russell Kear. Public attendees are very welcome to enjoy all that this show has to offer- check out the link to learn more. For club members, there are several fun events throughout the week, including a trout tournament on Tuesday, a casting contest on Wednesday, and a live auction on Thursday evening.
January 17th-18th – The Great Milwaukee Classic- Brookfield/Milwaukee, Wisconsin- Hosted by Chris Slusar and Mitchell Bell. We would love to see public attendance on January 17th…. bring along your fishing tackle for free appraisals and participate in our giveaway drawings. Club members can raise their paddles at our auctions on Thursday morning and Saturday evening. See the attached link for more information.
Our December Gazette should have arrived or will be in members’ mailboxes soon. You will note an ad for our 50th Anniversary National, set in Fort Wayne, Indiana during July 2026. Later in January 2026, we will share reservation details. If you have never been, please consider attending this milestone event….and, offering up a display of your favorite collection or pieces. Our big show will have six display award categories.
Keep an eye out for updates to our club shop. In addition to 50th anniversary t-shirts, patches, and stickers, we will be offering a line of winter hats, insulated tumblers, and totes. All products will be available through the club website and at our club-sanctioned events, including our two January shows!
If you make the Milwaukee event, please track me down and say hello. In the meantime, I wish you all a blessed holiday season and a very happy new year.
Take care –
Chris
President’s Message
November 1, 2025 :
The National Fishing Lure Collectors Club was organized in 1976 and will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary next year. We have several commemorative activities and club shop items in the works and look forward to hosting our National Show in Fort Wayne, Indiana next July. We will be sharing a few details in our December Gazette, with a formal launch in January. In advance, I am excited to share our 50th anniversary logo and patch desig
n. Check it out!
Our fall regional events continue their successful run, with upcoming events on opposite coasts. Today, November 1st, Kevin Ireton and his team are hosting their fall show in Portland, Oregon. And, next Saturday, November 8th, show host Keith Marshall is putting on an event in Saratoga Springs, New York. Details for both can be found under the events section of this page. For those that can make it, please enjoy. We look forward to hearing the stories and seeing the pics!
As previously announced, the NFLCC club shop is now open to on-line orders through the member section of our website. All club shop inventory is visible and multiple forms of payment are accepted. Special thanks to Errolyn Martin for launching this newest member benefit.
For those non-members…. How about considering an early Christmas gift, a membership to the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club! Whether for yourself or friend, it is a great value! Just $35 for a paper membership or $25 for a paperless membership. Among the many benefits:
- Events- Early entry privileges, access to show tables and auction activities.
- Gazette- On a quarterly basis, you will receive a well-produced, all color edition of our club publication. Chock full of articles and knowledge, our Gazette is unique to our club and hobby. (all levels except paperless membership).
- Website- Access club archives, including decades of publications and research materials.
- Directory- You will receive our annual directory, which is sorted by state and alphabetically, and features member contact information.
- Survivorship- The club offers support and consignment services to survivors of deceased members. Over the years, the club has assisted hundreds of families by providing a credible avenue for assessment and disposition of tackle collections.
- Club Shop- Exclusive access to our inventory of goodies….t-shirts, hats, patches, decals and more!
- Organization- Club members agree to abide by the club’s code of ethics.
For more information on membership and joining the club, please use the following link:
Hope to see you at an upcoming show!
Chris Slusar
NFLCC- President
President’s Message
October 3, 2025 :
Well, our show season if off to a successful start! Congratulations to Pat and Michelle Tierney for leading the way in Hickory, North Carolina. Thanks too, Terry Battisti and Russell Kear, for supporting the technology and promotional end of things. Wow, what an event! We were happy to see old friends and the many new faces that made this a special gathering. Hello and welcome to the 74 newest members to join our club!
Host Dave Brevik led our meet in Scottsdale, Arizona. Members from around the country flocked to the warm southwest to socialize and trade some great tackle. Thanks, Dave!
As I type this note, I am preparing to make our 10th event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, which is hosted by Stu Stein and co-hosted by John Collen. “Oshkosh on the Water” is set for this Saturday, October 4th and will include a wide assortment of tackle and silent auctions. For more details, check out these links: Oshkosh On The Water Facebook and Oshkosh On The Water Show Flyer
By now, most of our membership has received the latest Gazette and Member Directory. If you are among those reading this and you have not received your publications, and don’t expect to, please consider joining the club. The content in our quarterly publication is unique to our hobby and the directory is a helpful tool…. either of these fine documents are worth the price of admission. If anyone out there is teetering on the decision, please reach me, I’d love to chat. For an easy sign-up, please visit our Membership Page.
The NFLCC will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, and we are working on several commemorative club shop items, which we expect to roll out to membership later this year. To make the club shop ordering process a bit more user friendly, we will begin taking credit cards through a direct ordering process. Club shop items are advertised in the Gazette, as well as the club website. Along with the change, Errolyn Martin will be replacing Stu Strange in respect of all club shop orders. Thanks, Stu, for handling club shop distribution these many years! Those interested in T-shirts, hats, mugs and other items can reach Errolyn at the following:
Ways to Order:
Phone orders: 518-992-5873 (we now accept credit cards)
Email to request an invoice you can pay online
Mail your order using the order form included with the Gazette – mail to: PO Box 2856, Acworth, GA 30102
The current Club Shop ad is available for active members at Club Shop
Take care, All. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event.
Chris Slusar
NFLCC- President
President’s Message
September 10, 2025 :
Some parts of the country have been experiencing a taste of fall….my favorite season. I look forward to the cooler weather, some serious musky fishing, and deer hunting. This time of the year also marks the beginning of our show season. A couple of September events are among the first on the list:
*** 1st Annual Fall Fest in Hickory, North Carolina, set for September 12th -14th . Pat Tierney and Terry Battisti are lining up a big show, complete with a casting contest, display awards, auctions, and giveaways.
*** Fall Vintage Tackle Show in Scottsdale, Arizona, set for September 20 th . Dave Brevik hosts our event in the warm southwest.
If you are able, please enjoy and support these events…. we would love to see you! Check out the details under events on this page or at the links below.
Members will find several great articles in the September Gazette, which is available on-line and will soon appear in mailboxes. This edition features a piece on Rinal Fly Studios, which was co-authored by Ralph Hecht, who was recently inducted into the NFLCC Hall of Fame. To further acknowledge our Gazette contributors, I am pleased to announce the Best Article of the Year Award. Those authors contributing to the Gazettes published between June 2025 and March 2026 will be eligible for an award presented at our 2026 National. Members will find further information in the current Gazette.
Our club’s senior leadership has several initiatives underway. Many are directed at guiding and enhancing our digital footprint, with others focused on our survivorship program and event support, promotion, and administration.
Our planning also includes the celebration of the NFLCC’s 50th anniversary, which will be highlighted at our next National Show, set for July 9-11, 2026 in Fort Wayne,Indiana. Lots ahead on so many fronts. Please look for updates during the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, do not hesitate to reach me directly with any comments or questions.
Take care-
Chris Slusar
NFLCC- President
Fall Fest- Hickory, North Carolina- September 12-14th
Fall Vintage Tackle Show- Scottsdale, Arizona- September 20th