I just got off the red eye flight from Las Vegas and the ICAST show (largest fishing tackle trade show in US open only to industry people). This year’s event was much better then the Chicago meeting last year. The isles were filled (mostly) with people and exhibitors. The exhibitors I spoke to said the show was going well for them. Some name companies in the rod building industry were missing though.

In the rod building front many new & exciting items where on display for the 2002 rod building year. I’ll try and condense 3 days of looking and talking into a brief report.

Fuji
1. New soft-touch reel seats & colored reel seats. Fuji has taken their standard graphite reel seats and added some colors and soft-touch texture that feels like velvet. Neat suff but it is going to be a bit pricey.
2. New MSRP pricing policy will be coming out shortly.
3. Expanding the TCSM trigger reel seats to include sizes 16 & 18
4. A new ferruled two piece graphite reel seat (like a Lakeland but in graphite).
5. Expanded products in the concept system, and adding TiChrome finish to a couple of series.
6. Unfortunately fuji will be dropping some components that are very popular like the BSHG guides and some others.
7. A new palm support reel seat is now available, it is like a trigger reel seat but its not as your fingers don’t split around the trigger. Applications in larger spinning and casting as the “trigger support” helps you control/support the rod better.

Gudebrod
1. Some new tools including a SST spatula for applying finish (Ralph will like it).
2. Some VERY neat braided holographic thread. – this stuff is awesome and will be a major hit for them.
3. New colors - Teal 638 will now be available in NCP. Burgundy metallic now available.
4. New MSRP pricing policy is out.

Lamiglas
1. New composite blanks.
2. New surf blanks (Todd I will let you fill in the details, to many great things that I will only get wrong).

Rice Thread
1. New colors and some new braided threads. I was very impressed with the Rice threads. They have recently purchased some “state of the art” equipment for manufacturing rod building threads and are making an effort to get it in to the rod builders hands. If you have not tried it, they have a neat sample pack available to let you “play with it”, call them at 800-765-7423 to get it at a low price.

G-Loomis
1. Still on target for their new blank program. Gary Loomis is always fun the chat with.

REC Components
1. They are experimenting with utilizing their “recoil” fly guides as wire guides for non-fouling spinning and casting guides. They are not yet available but will be in the 2002 year.

Rod Wrap Company
1. New non-slip grip protection wrap material – cool stuff for repairs, non-slip handle needs and other application.

Aftco
1. Not much new, adding 6” pliers to their line up. I talked to them at length about their single foot light weight guides, we will be having some new information explaining their installation and application better in the future.

FET & The IRS
1. The IRS is something I would say we all try to avoid. However, an excellent presentation was given by two IRS employees on Federal Excise Tax that I found myself talking to the two agents at length after their presentation was over. It seems the IRS after collecting a record $104 million in FET in 2000, have appointed two “industry specialist” to help collect & educate us on FET. So if you have any questions regarding FET please call them, Ms. June Rittscher from FL @ 904-665-1266 or email june.rittscher@irs.gov or Mr. Jack Brown @ 231-932-2057 from MI. They are both very nice people who understand and appreciate the complicated world of FET and rod building and are their to help.

All in all there are some very exciting new products coming out for the 2002 rod building year that will not only functionally enhance the custom rods we build but also add to the decorative artistic touches that we put on the rods as well.

I had some great conversations with many people from around the world that are in the rod building industry. Although over all tackle sales in the USA have declined about 4% last year, the rod building segment of the fishing tackle industry has been growing. Just about every one of them agreed that sales of rod building components in the 2000 & 2001 years has been excellent and that custom rod building in general has been on a growth swing these last few years. I would look for many great things to happen in the 2002 rod building year as manufactures and vendors are encouraged by the opportunities for growth that the rod building industry been experiencing.

Tom McNamara
Mud Hole Custom Tackle
[www.mudhole.com]
Phone: (407) 277-0

Tom,
Good report and some interesting items.
I was sure St. Croix was there, but in any case don't forget the
additional blanks they will be having available after August.
These include several new SCIII cranking series blanks and musky
additions.

Also, there witl be several new blanks added to the SCV lineup.
Not sure exactly the number, but all in all, will be at least 20 or so new blanks to consider and a few we've all been waiting for.

A bit of a plug here, St. Croix is the largest full-line manufacturer of fishing rods in the United States. The technology behind their blanks is becoming recognized as a world leader. The SCV (legend) blanks are rated as a top buy for many professional anglers and rodbuilders for price vs. performance, light weight, and appearance. Fine folks to deal with and one of the very few rod and blank manufacterers left in North America (and darn good at it!). Prices are hard to beat, too.

The fine distributors who sponsor this board have a good selection of blanks available, and for you Canadian Rodbuilders, Richard's Rod & Reel is the distributor for St. Croix blanks and other rodbuilding components. Able to handle convenience in shipping and currency conversions to your liking. We will try our damndest to satisfy, and the full support of warranty service from St. Croix Rod in Park Falls, Wisconsin.

Looking forward to a fine year in the tackle/rodbuilding business.


Rich
www.solyrich.com

P.S. I believe Shikari Blanks also were present at ICAST. Ask us about these, too.

Sorry, my sources tell me neither Shikari nor St. Croix were at ICAST. Perhaps next year and at other wholesale trade shows or
tackle/rodbuilder events.

It would be nice for manufacturers to post when and where they will show their wares throughout the country for the benefit of rodbuilders to see first hand 'show and tell' and 'touchy feely'.

My Regards,
Richard Garbowski

Actually, St. Croix was not there. As we too are a distributor of their products I was hopping to see what they had coming up first hand. Other companies not present included Pacific Bay, All Star, Shakespeare blank people, Seeker and others.

You got me on Shikari, they were there, I did not mean to leave Brian and his fine products out. He had some great new blanks and some composites they are working on. Also, Cape Fear was present and had some new blanks but they were busy with their recent Fin-Nor acquisition. I think that’s all…I need some sleep.

Tom McNamara
Mud Hole Custom Tackle
[www.mudhole.com]
Phone: (407) 277-0099

Tom,
Thanks much for the update. I apprciate the timely information.
Buzz Butters
B & B Custom Flies and Rods
Ripon, WI

After catching up on some much needed sleep I realized I forgot about Amtak. I was able to meet up with Joe after the show one day and review some of his new products.
1. They have some excellent new composite blanks coming out that have some great tapers. The fit & finish on them was outstanding. Based on graphite core with e-glass over top, lifetime warranty.
2. Some really nice roller guides that are for saltwater applications.
3. A new blue guide that will be really neat looking. The ring is a cobalt blue on a zirconia material with a black frame.
4. New wood fly reel seats that were very nice.
5. They have also expanded their guide selection considerable offering some titanium nitride, and widening their already large selection. Chances are they will have the standard guides plus the hard to find ones as well.

Tom McNamara
Mud Hole Custom Tackle
[www.mudhole.com]
Phone: (407) 277-0099