Thursday, July 9, 2009

Nationals Show Report: Part I

Nationals Show Report: Part I

It's nearly one a.m. the night before the 2009 NFLCC Nationals in Louisville, KY, and as you might think, I can't sleep. Having arrived from Cincinnati on Tuesday afternoon, I've been here a little over a day and I am already completely overwhelmed. There are so many things to see, people to talk to, lures and reels and other tackle to ogle, it's almost mind boggling. Well, not almost. It IS mind boggling. Here is some stream of consciousness notes from the room trading floor...

Seen and Heard Around the Nationals
Chris Labuznik cackling as he carries his latest Horrocks-Ibbotson find back to his room, which looks disturbingly like one of those bunkers U.S. GI's use to hide Nazi loot in...Dick Streater rounding up all the pickles at the lunch table...Jeff Kieny's voice rising as he describes his latest folk art find...the Missouri gang quarantined on the seventh floor away from the remainder of the NFLCC...Jim Garrett and Skip Brooks using their unbelievable super powers of identifying the correct style, type, and model of a Montague reel through a closed door...Dave Erickson and Roger Schulz hoarding all of the good reels and refusing to share even one marked Malleson with their fellow ORCAns...John Conlin cradling a new K&K bait in his hands as if it was a newborn baby...Dudley Murphy carrying around an awesome printing block...Bigfoot and Grouch both smiling at dinner...Philip Allen trying to keep people from passing out when they look at his handmade metal baits...Ralph Hecht reaching into the pocket of his vest and pulling out a fly rod lure you didn't know existed...Ron Mize getting a glint in his eyes as he talks about Rush Tango...Joe Hilko smiling because he's about to unveil the Sheridan R. Jones collection in its entirety and because he's just launched his new book on Sheridan R. Jones (more on this next week)...Dan Basore with more Bagleys than you can shake a stick at...Jim Schottenham trying the doors on all of the locked meeting rooms and finally deciding to hold the ORCA breakfast in the bar...Ed Pritchard showing off his "meat grinder swivel handmade brass and wood saltwater fishing reel" to his fellow reel fanatics...Warren Platt declaring the Talbot the finest reel ever made and Dr. Todd agreeing with him wholeheartedly...Bill Sonnett and Warren Platt's picture blown up disturbingly large onto a massive poster board to advertise their seminar on Friday afternoon (don't miss it)...Jerry Schemechko adding his newly purchased reels to a list longer than Santa's...Don Ludy's room looking like a war zone as 27 collectors jostle for position to buy tackle...People buying lures while on the elevator (seriously)...Terry McBurney smiling wryly as he walks away with another Michigan treasure...Steve Lumpkin trying not to break his poker face while dickering for a made-in-Illinois lure he really, really, really wants...Colby Sorrels advertising his great new book on fly fishing the Texas coast (more on this next week too)...Gary Miller looking really, really tired after his flight in...Phil Beguhl sequestered in his room hunched over his salmon egg bait history manuscript...Henry Caldwell carrying around a box that probably contains a fishing reel of unimaginable coolness...John Caldwell sharing his nifty Montague reel collection...Wayne Mullins graciously retelling the story of Harold Sharp, B.A.S.S. member #2...Norman Bryant giving intel on life north of the border...Bob Miller ready to talk Pflueger with anyone and everyone...

More sights and sounds of the Nationals later today....

-- Dr. Todd

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