Expo Report

Eric Patterson

Eric Patterson

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Staff member
I took the boys to the H2O Expo and calling competition this morning. Called my good friend Alan McElyea who is always supportive of any last minute plans made and usually avails himself if at all possible. Expo was a tad heavy on vendors for my tastes and a little light on hands on stuff and demos but for a first year I'd say David Hohn did a hell of a job getting the show off the ground. Adding the decoy carving competition would bring a lot to the show I think. Maybe a boat rigging contest too. Some stuff to get the average guy personally involved would help make it more interesting.

The calling competition was fun and a GREAT learning experience. They lumped the Juniors (12 & under) with the Intermediates (13 - 16) for the contest but awarded them separately. There were some very good callers in the 13-16 age group. Thomas, 8, was in with two other boys. He took second behind a 12 year old who held his own with the intermediates. All in all a great opportunity for Thomas to get his feet wet and hear callers that will help him expand his own routine. So I guess I'll just downplay the fact there were three boys and highlight Thomas took second in the Alabama Calling Competion in his age group. Hey, it's not very often someone can be recognized in the top two for their entire state now is it.

Eric
 
Congradulations Thomas.Quite an accomplishment ,especially in a hot calling state like Alabama.
 
Sorry I missed the show. And thans for the plug about the Decoy Comp. We're sort of joined at the hip with the Southern Wildlife Fest for now, but if we grow much bigger, they might start complaining about us pushing the artists out. Think there's any place that's wadeable around the venue that we could float decoys? I'd hate to HAVE to judge in tanks instead of real water. Congrats to the man-child. Hope to get all y'all out in the new rig this season. That is, IF I get it finished! Got the console mounted over Labor Day weekend, but still have to hook up steering, fuel and electrical before it's usable. Plenty more to do than that, but that's the minimum. And, still, I'm vacationing (yeah, right) up here in VA. They're talking about Thanksgiving week, now. Told them that they've got to let me go home the Friday before Thanksgiving for the rest of the year, because i've got so much vacation backed up and because that's opening day in so many states......
 
Eric,
Congratulations to Thomas (and to you Dad)! Most kids don't have the skill or desire at 8yrs to duck call. Too bad forums couldn't take a recording. Would like to hear his calling!

Craig S
 
hey eric, tell thomas congrats for me.glad you took him.our buddy was tied for last was the report i got as of the 2nd round.....
 
We were out of there before the big boys started blowing. Tied for last you say. No sweat. Whatever he lacks in talent he makes up in denial.
 
Eric,
I have a couple of calls I would like Thomas to try, he can be my first prostaffer(insert laughing guy). Seriously I would like to fit a call for him, if things go well for him down the road it work out well for me. Shawn
 
Shawn

That would be great. Thomas would get a big kick out of beiong a pro staffer haha. Is there a website where having a couple of season under your belt, one where you actually shoot a gun, and being a pro staffer makes you an expert...... (Obscure reference to an observation made by Jay Anglin).

We need to hook up soon. Do yu still have that mandrel for sale? I'd like to see it if so. This weekend I played around in the shop a bit and made a rack for those ebay turning tools I scored. Sure is a lot handier than reaching up than scrounging around for the right tool.

toolrack.jpg


Eric
 
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Eric,
I was just talking with Steve Burch from the GA & AL Outdoor News. He's had one of our scull boats for a number of years and took it down to the expo with him. I mentioned that your son took 2nd place in the Junior calling competition and he said "I have his picture then." Also told him about you and he said........."'he's about 35-38 years old or so, got reddish hair, wearing a burgundy t-shirt from Leigh Neilson (sp)-hand planes". I said, yup, gotta be him. He also had your email addy right in front of him. Wow..small world.
Later partner,
Lou
www.lockstockbarrell.com
 
Lou

I did speak to Steve. He took pictures of the winners and afterwords came up to me because he is into Lie Nielsen tools and I was wearing a L-N tshirt. Nice fella. I went by his booth a little later but he wasn't there. I did see your Brant boat there when I left a piece of paper with my email address on it for him to send the pics. Super nice fella. Wish I had caught him at the booth because then we would have made the "Lou Connection."

Eric
 
Eric:
I'm sending you my turning tools to sharpen and polish up--just kidding of course. Did you get those sharpening jigs and did you use them on those? Four days before bow deer hunting in Northern Wisconsin--can't wait!
wis boz
 
Boz

The tools were varnsihed wood, blue, gray, yellow, and green when I got them. I pulled the shanks out and put the handles in the lathe and sanded them down. Next came a coat of paint to match Oliver lathe green. I hit the tools with a wire wheel to get rid of no telling how many years of rust and lord knows what else . I haven't sharpened all of them but have started. Just got in my new Norton wheels for the bench grinder and it looks like sharpening will go pretty quick.
 
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