While it’s still very early, following are the first companies to purchase booth space for the 2012 International Custom Rod Building Exposition, to be held February 25 & 26, 2012 at the beautiful Showplace Center in High Point, NC.

 

As of October 1st, 2011

American Tackle

Angler’s Envy

Angler’s Resource (Fuji)

Angler’s Roost

Batson/Rainshadow/ALPs

Bingham Enterprises

Decal Connection

Fishsticks

Hydra Fishing, LLC

Jim Upton Weaving

Ken and Lana Preston Rods

Lamiglas, Inc.

Mar Ktruz LDA Cork

Mickels Custom Rods

Mud Hole Custom Tackle

NERBS – Northeast Rod Builders

North Fork Composites

Roddancer

RodMaker Magazine

Schlesinger Wood Turning

Seeker Rod Company

Skin Shop USA

St. Croix Rods/Blanks

Sticks ‘N Bones

Swampland

Talon Graphite

Tiage USA

Trondak U-40

Woodworkers Shop

 

I’ll be adding additional exhibitors later this week.  We’re off to another great start and I believe the 2012 event will be our biggest and best yet.  Please visit the official event website at www.rodexpo.com for a complete list of area hotels, transportation, seminars and exhibitors.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

………….

Hi Tom, 

I am writing to cancel Ed’s subscription.  He passed away in his sleep last May.  He so loved Rodmaker magazine.  We have every copy he ever got.  If you have any need for back copies they are in perfect condition.  I just can’t see getting rid of such beautiful magazines.

Toni Karacozian

 

Ed Karacozian used to call me every so often. Although older and with problems of his own, he had taken on a personal project involving the rehabilitation of suddenly handicapped individuals. His therapy? Having them build custom fishing rods. According to Ed, it did wonders for their manual dexterity and more than a few, coming from lifelong fishing pursuits, came to really enjoy the process.

 

Over the years I sent Ed dozens of copies of RodMaker for use in his program. According to him, the rod builders really ate them up and always looked forward to getting a new batch.

 

Ed once told me that if he ever failed to renew his subscription to RodMaker it would mean that he’d died. We’d laugh about it, but now it’s come to pass. I get similar notes from many folks each year and it’s never a pleasant thing to hear of a builder’s passing, but it happens to everyone eventually.

 

Ed did a world of good for a lot of people out his way in California. I’m sure they’ll miss him just as much as I will.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

………………..

 

There’s still a lot of work to be done compiling the results of the Rod Builders Survey that mailed in the Volume 14 #3 issue of RodMaker. Just over 4,300 survey forms have been returned, of which about half have now been tallied. From that number, certain facts are already apparent.

 

I’ve always believed most rod builders don’t frequent the internet rod building websites much, if at all.  My guess was that only about 10% of the active rod builders around the world ever view a rod building forum or chat room. Viewing the survey results thus far it turns out I was wrong – it appears that almost 20% of active rod builders at least occasionally view or participate on rod building websites. Of course, that leaves the other 80%, the vast majority of the craft, that do not. Which is still what I have long suspected.

 

This explains why rod building dealers, events, etc., that rely solely on the internet for advertising, marketing, product sales, etc., don’t fare anywhere near as well as those dealers, events, etc., that engage in the print and direct mail mediums. For the time being, that’s the only way you’ll ever reach the majority of the custom rod builders. The internet just won’t get the job done. And this is the reason why 90% of the advertising I do for the Expo takes place in print magazines and via direct mail.

 

It’s fair to wonder why so few rod builders are active on the various internet rod building mediums. Well, at least until you take into consideration one other interesting fact from the survey forms – over 90% of all custom rod builders are over the age of 50. Those generations didn’t grow up with a cell phone in their ear or a computer on their desk. The internet has never, and likely never will be, a large part of their lives. If you want to reach them, you’ll have to do it the old fashioned way. Smart dealers, event promoters, marketers, etc., understand age groups and demographics and work accordingly. If you want to catch fish, you need to fish where the fish are. If you want to reach rod builders, you must reach them via the mediums they use.

 

Tom Kirkman

………………

Custom rod builders who rely on the internet for the bulk of their rod building information and education will always lag behind those who subscribe to RodMaker.

When did you first hear of Micro Guides, Carbon Skinned Grips, The Common Cents System, Marbling, Free Form or Beaded Wraps?  When you attend a rod building seminar and watch a demonstration on how to flock your own grips, inlay snake skin, create a true “threadless” guide wrap, or spin your own metal components, did you stop to wonder where the presenter learned the technique? When you saw your first Birch Bark Grip or Off-Angle Inlay, did you wonder where these were first unveiled? The answer to all of the above is, of course, RodMaker Magazine. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.

RodMaker is first with most of the new ideas and methods that make the modern rod building craft what it is.  The hundreds of completely new, innovative and ground breaking techniques that have appeared in RodMaker over the past 15 years have only trickled down to the internet months, and in some cases, years later.

While RodMaker has long been known for the high quality rod building information it presents, it’s also a very attractive publication. While the appearance of a magazine is secondary to the information it presents, being able to present that information in a pleasing, easy on the eyes format is an added benefit to the reader.

RodMaker is printed on heavy, bright white, glossy stock. Of course, this costs more to print and mail than a publication done on lesser stock, and although not absolutely necessary, it goes a long way in providing the reader with a sturdy and substantial magazine that is suitable for long term reference.  Many, if not most RodMaker subscribers, save their RodMaker copies for years on end.

So how much does such a high quality publication, with the newest rod building techniques and methods cost? Not much, really.  Six full issues, mailed to your doorstep, is just $27.95. That comes out to just $4.66 per issue. Last time I checked, a Big Mac Value Meal was considerably more than that, and while tasty, won’t teach you a thing about building better custom fishing rods.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

……………….

 

 

 

The shooting club I belong to is comprised of just over 400 acres. An added benefit, it includes two nice ponds, one is fairly large, about 5 acres. While doing some shooting this past weekend, one of my fishing buddies decided to try his hand at some bream fishing in those ponds. He met with great success as the following photo shows.

Sometimes we forget that getting a good fight from a fish has a great deal to do with the tackle we employ. Hitting an aspirin with a .22 cal PCP tournament air rifle at 80 yards is no different than popping a 10 inch pan with a 6.5 Creedmore round at 1000 yards. It’s all about scale.

 

A long, 8’6” or 9” 3-weight or 4-weight fly rod against a 3/4 pound bream is just as much fun as battling far larger fish on heavier gear. And such fishing is within range of most anglers across North America, perhaps the world.

 

Next time you want some fun fishing without travel or great expense, think about building yourself a long, light rod and doing battle with some big bream or similar. Most commercial ultra-light gear is short and negates the leverage you want the fish to have against you.  Go long and have fun.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

……………..

Several folks (non-subscribers) have asked about specific articles which appeared in the recent Volume 14, number 3 and number 4 issues. Both of those issues are available now, on the back issue page.

 

New issues generally go on sale on the back issue page about a month after subscribers have received them.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

………………

Statistics vary, but the general consensus is that most folks receive an average of about 85 junk or spam emails per day.  I receive considerably more – often as many as 350 in a single 24 hour time period. I mention this because I don’t bother reading them. In fact, I don’t even open them. (In fact, I’ve always wondered why so many folks bother opening and reading email from persons they don’t know about subjects that are so obviously spam related.)

 

When I scan my email inbox, I skip right over any email that doesn’t have a subject line relating directly in some way to the magazine, Expo, forum, etc.  I’m forced to do this, otherwise I’d get nothing done in a day’s time for opening and bothering with junk and spam.  So such emails, that don’t seem to have anything at all to do with my business, are batch deleted without my ever having even looked inside to see what they contain. Takes about 5 seconds to rid myself of each and every one of them.

 

I mention this because at least some of the many subscribers, readers, forum users, etc., don’t bother to put anything in the subject line of the emails they send me. Or they use such a generic subject that their email is apt to find itself swept out with the spam.

 

Maintaining an open line of communication with my customers is important. But helping them requires that they help me a little bit, too.  If you find yourself needing to email me about a subscription, registration, Expo matter, etc., etc., please take just a few seconds and provide a little bit of information in your email subject line. That will ensure that your comment or concern receives my attention, instead of quickly getting the boot. Thanks.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

…………………

Today I received a short, heavy tube in the mail. Inside was a manuscript accompanied by two sections of rod blank upon which several new and very unique guide and inscription wraps had been made. The gentleman who sent them had asked if I might consider the article and photo for use in RodMaker. I phoned him and assured him that I’d certainly make use of them in the magazine – but not right away.

 

This is perhaps the biggest problem I face with RodMaker – Builders often become discouraged or disappointed if they don’t see their submission in the next available issue of RodMaker. The thing is, I receive so many articles and photos, more than a few containing really new and exciting concepts and ideas, that I just can’t get them all published very quickly.  I would have genuinely loved to publish the article mentioned in the first paragraph in the issue that mails on October 1st, but that issue, nearly done as it is, contains other equally fine concepts and methods.  So it has to wait a couple or more months.  Same with all the other many fine submissions that arrive weekly.

 

So I ask for patience. From my perspective, having too many articles is far better than having too few. For the readers, it ensures that each future issue will always contain something completely new and different.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

……………….

I’ve been more than a bit lax in getting the exhibitors for the 2012 Expo posted on the event website. That will change this week as I have more time to revamp the website.

 

Over half of the exhibit hall booths have now been sold, putting us on a pace slightly ahead of last year.

 

Stay tuned, more to come.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

………………

RodMaker has always been a colorful publication. The cover, the Readers Photo Gallery and a several of the advertisements have all been in color since the 3rd or 4th issue back in 1998. But earlier this year, RodMaker moved to a complete 4-color process on each and every page.

 

While the quality of content didn’t change, the appearance of it did. Suddenly everything is brighter, bolder, more upscale. I’ve always believed that in order to get people to actually enjoy reading something, you’ve got to make it attractive. The addition of all the new color allows me to do just that.

 

Although this format change cost a lot more money, I think it was worth it. And it won’t cost the readers one more red cent – the subscription price will remain the same as always.

I’m having a great deal of fun with the layouts recently. Stay tuned for further improvements as we continue through 2011- you haven’t seen anything yet.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

………………