St. Croix just called and informed me that they're adding a half dozen of their new rod blanks to the list of door prizes at the RodMaker Reception.

Andy Dear called last night and said he was adding something else to his list of door prize offerings, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was.

So, we'll end up with probably 50 door prizes. Not everyone will win, but the odds are pretty good you'll get something.

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So how many you reckon will be at the rod builders reception? Are we going to be a little enclave in the midst of, as a friend of mine put it, a bunch of pretty boy fly fishermen. Don't get me wrong - I fly fish, wear bow ties and hold my wife's purse in public - but nobody has ever called me pretty.

If the crowd in the rodbuilding aisle last year is any indication, there will be plenty of rodbuilders in attendance, maybe 50-50. As a matter of fact, with free drinks and snakes, and all the good door prizes being given away, Tom ought to require everyone to wrap a trim band to get in the door of the reception(lol). Wouldn't want all those " pretty boy fly fisherman" running off with all our goodies.

Or make everybody spine a rod to get in. Probably be like "crossed or uncrossed" with scissors to the folk who've never done it.

Wait a minute. This is the best show in the country because the two are combined. There are too many posts on this site to not believe that at least some of the rod builders are also fly fishermen. Rod building is great and enjoyable by itself, but why not also furl the leader and tie the fly. Cut fly fishers some slack, they might become a customer one day.

Just a little tongue-in-cheek, Robert. You're right, many of us, including Tom Kirkman, are fly fishermen.

RodMaker Magazine has rented a separate room, upstairs away from the show floor. I have made provisions for 400 rod builders (I feel pretty sure that not all will stay over - if they do, we'll just have to make do). Most of the general fly and other fishermen won't even know about the Reception. The few that do and decide to come up are welcome to do so. I think 95% of the people you see in the room will be bonafide rod builders. At least, rod builders will be the vast majority there.

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"Some of my best friends are...."? Yes, I've been known to stand in a cool stream thigh deep in August too. There are quite a few streams nearby (20 minutes from my job) where I've been know to leave work a tad early just to sit on a rock and watch the deer come down around sunset.

That many guys in the same room, let's all remember our BREATH MINTS!