My new issue of Rodmaker arrived at the PO this morning. Getting the special "gift" struck me to the point of realizing something that I never thought I would see in this hobby. I've been building rods a long long time and most of that time was spent without ever coming into contact with another custom rod builder. Once in a while I'd hear about one or see a business card in one of the tackle shops I'd visit, but for most of my time in rod building I never actually saw or met another rod builder. It was a treat just to find a fisherman that owned a custom rod and I would always ask to look at the rod not to critique it, but to see the work of another person who was interested the same hobby that I was.

In the past decade I have witnessed this hobby or craft or whatever you want to call it, come together in a way I would never have thought possible. It is almost like a fraternity now. This forum and others, Rodmaker magazine and most importanty the International Custom Rod Building Exposition have brought the hobby together in way that has put thousands of custom rod builders in touch with each other, some on a daily basis. And all without having to join anything or learn secret handshakes and such. It is the most informal and wonderful thing I think could ever have happened to this hobby that I love so much. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd meet and converse with a dozen other rod builders, let alone hundreds or even thousands.

The Rodmaker "gift" takes this even further and puts anyone who wants to be included into a fraternity of custom rod builders. The only people who are excluded are those few who choose to be. This is just another wonderful idea carried out by a person who has always had the best interest of our hobby and craft at heart. I even feel as if we just moved past the wood turners and knifemakers and gunmakers with this simple "gift." I'm excited to see how many thousands will "sign on" and use it as it was intended. Finally we have something that ties us all together under one roof as rod building brothers. Good job Tom. Your idea and the way you went about it almost guarantee it will succeed. You can count on me to take part.

Still waiting. Hoping that today will be the day.

Dead on Bill C.

This provides another opportunity for some of us who are blessed by our proximity to a major Interstate Highway. We may now compete with the guy holding the "Will Work For Food" on the I-10 entrance ramp and hold up THE GIFT - maybe now more rodbuilders will stop!

We ordered extras from Tom to pass out to those who stop and ask questions!

Edit of the above sentence: We may stop them all and give them one and do the "preacher" thing for the craft while they are stopped at the light! Others may take up a collection but we will give them away freely!

[www.swamplandtackle.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/2008 01:43PM by Bill Stevens.

Well said Mr. Colby!

To make this project successful we need thousands and thousands of rod builders to get on board. And to have that happen, I had to make the “gift” readily available and at no charge. This necessitated that I foot the bill for the thing and to be honest, because of the numbers involved it was very expensive. But that’s okay, I think it’ll be fun and provides us with something that might be a big help to everyone over the coming years. We’ll see.

Currently something like 300,000 people will build a fishing rod this year, and next year, and the year after that. Of course most of those will build just a rod or two and then be done with the craft, replaced by the next group of new or occasional builders who will also just build a rod or two and then be done. How many regular practicing custom rod builders who build multiple rods each year, year after year, are there? Probably about 50,000 or so. This program is aimed at them for the most part.

The 15,000 or so who subscribe to RodMaker will be on board first, but I want to eventually make this available to all rod builders, again at no charge to anyone. So, in about a month I’m going to open it up to non-subscribers as well with a means for them to get in on the “gift” as well. In the meantime, several manufacturers and dealers have signed on to participate and they will be providing their customers with the “gift.”

I fully believe that the RodMaker circulation alone will put many thousands of these into immediate use within the next 2 or 3 weeks. That puts us off to a great start that should steamroll over the next few months. We’ll see.

I do not expect everyone involved in the craft to participate. There will be those who just don’t care, those who would rather that no one know they’re a rod builder or those who don’t really want to interact with other builders. That’s fine - this is a voluntary thing for those who enjoy interacting with other rod builders. Those who don’t are entitled to do as they wish.

Of course.. you’ll have the usual few dozen who went off into a corner long ago and cut themselves off from the mainstream rod building craft. They won’t like it one bit. I never worry about them. You always have to look at the big picture when dealing with something like this - a few dozen standing on the sidelines while tens of thousands march on by doesn’t mean the craft is fractured or that the program isn’t inclusive of the vast majority. As a craft, custom rod building has never been more united and this will only serve to solidfy that.

The thing is, the bulk of those who comprise the overall rod building craft will most likely get on board and have some fun with this thing. I have some other ideas and things to add as we move forward, but for now, I just want to see as many rod builders as possible getting on board. Once we get the ball rolling downhill I’ll say a bit more about how this can be used for the betterment of each builder and the rod building craft in general.


.................

My sentiments exactly Mr Colby !

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

Well said, Bill and Tom!!!! Tom, once again, the craft owes you a big THANKS!!

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

It doesn't owe me anything - I was happy to do it and think it'll be fun for everybody involved.

.............

Aww man......now I REALLY can't wait for my mag. to arrive. WHAT IS THIS THING??????????????? OK wait, dont tell me......

Scott Sheets
www.smsrods.com

My Mailman thinks I'm nuts! I feel like a five year old who sent away for something on a cereal box! Maybe today.....

My own copy hasn't arrived and I really don't expect it to for another week, at least. Some get them a little earlier and some get them a little later. That's just the way 3rd class mail moves.

..............

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My own copy hasn't arrived and I really don't
> expect it to for another week, at least. Some get
> them a little earlier and some get them a little
> later. That's just the way 3rd class mail moves.
>
> ..............

Tom, I have to say this is by far the funniest post I think I have ever read on this site, especially since I believe that you are serious. How many other editors actually subscribe to their mag???

Scott Sheets
www.smsrods.com

I would hope they all do. I do it so I can see what the routine delivery time is, the condition of the magazine when it arrives, etc. And... when mine arrives I sit down and view it not from the standpoint of the editor or publisher, but from the standpoint of a rod builder. I look at each page and trying to be as objective as possible, I ask myself if this information, this article, etc., is helpful to me as a custom rod builder.

Too often, editors are only interested in getting a copy out the door, having the text and article content play second fiddle to the real reason they're publishing - to sell advertising space. And often they fail because they never considered what it was that they were really sending their subscribers.

.................

Tom, What rights do I have to this?
Thanks

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble.It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Mark Twain
John in Wethersfield, CT