Being around the block in rod building for a lot of years now I\'ve attended other rod building events in other places by other people and just have to say that what goes on in Charlotte at the show there is just on a whole different level than anything else in all of rod building. One trip to Charlotte is probably the equivilent of all the other rod building shows ever held since time began, put together and wrapped into one. But even then I think they\'d still come up short compared to Charlotte. WOW! What a time!

I want to say something about the seminars in Charlotte. I didn\'t get to all of them but did sit in on some. After building rods for 30 years I sort of figure that I won\'t learn much more before I\'m gone. But I picked up a ton of useful info at the seminars I attended. Rich Forhan needs to be at all future shows. This guy just makes perfect sense. He gave GREAT seminars! If you had charged a separate fee to listen to him I would gladly have paid it. Went to one of Ralph O\'Quinns talks and it was just as good. This old guy knows his stuff. Joe Emig has got me wanting to do some reel seats and rod pieces. I wish he could have given one on the laser engraving stuff. Maybe next year. Mike Barkely had a good one too. Those were the ones I could get to and every one of them was very professionaly done.

In short this was just the best rod buidling event ever held. I\'ve been around the block and this thing is the major league of rod building.

Thanks for the kind comments. It will be a challenge next year in Charlotte - living up to expectations.