And so passes another Fred Hall Long Beach extravaganza with all the bells and whistles that identify this venue as the finest in the land. I mean it. Every year at least once I walk the show in complete amazement. The diversity, the breadth, the spectrum is stunning relative to other shows I have attended. Needless to say we are particularly well served by Bart Hall and the entire management staff who recognize our contributions to southland outdoor enthusiasts as a significant part of the local culture. By providing everyone the unlimited access the show offers we all benefit.

On a more direct note I want to mention that for me there were several show highlights. First, the Thursday pre-show seminar featuring Frank Lo Preste, Brian Kiyohara, and I was one of the best we have produced. Taking the previous year's feedback into account, this year we tailored the content to our more experienced fishing audience. Recognizing that the broad details of long range fishing were well known to the majority of our listeners, Brian, Frank, and I enjoyed the unique opportunity to share the stage and talk exclusively about fishing, techniques, strategies to improve results, how to translate observations into results, and more, all of which combined for a wealth of solid information. Now that we have a better understanding of how this opportunity is viewed by anglers, we look forward to next year and beyond. I will mention this again in advance of next year's Fred Hall Long Beach show. For now, to those interested, keep this information in the back of your mind. We have plenty of new ideas already for next year and look forward to delivering a unique presentation that exceeds expectations.

Also, I wanted to mention the Shimano section of the show where Frank and I also offered daily presentations. While competition with the thundering arena P.A. did not exactly serve us well the venue most certainly did. Anyone reading these reports is well familiar with my affinity for Shimano and the incredible products they offer. One stroll around what I dubbed "Shimano World" at the Fred Hall show explains my sentiments. Professional, visionary, exciting, reliable, I could go on and on. I continue to be impressed by Shimano products and the results they produce. Our association with the Shimano team is something we are proud to offer Royal Star anglers.

Finally, I have to mention that the Fisherman's Processing team knocked it out of the park. Sean, Rosie, and Sandy represent our combined efforts better than anyone could hope for. They performed a phenomenal job promoting the newest processing venue and incredible product handing out over ten thousand samples of tuna jerky and smoked tuna during the five day Fred Hall Long Beach show! Professional is an understatement when describing Fisherman's Processing. Our strategy, advanced by the entire team, is to be an extension of the professionalism and service anglers experience during their long range voyages. In this respect, with consistent attention to detail, incredible products, and an expanding variety of processing options to choose from, Fisherman's Processing has introduced the fish processing experience we have always envisioned to all long range anglers. This venue is a cut above, and then some; exactly how we want it to be. And, there is more to come...

In closing for the day now we are back to it on Royal Star applying a fresh coat of paint and tending to a wide array of mechanical projects to keep her in top condition. If I get the itch I will snap a few photos and forward them later in the week. Otherwise she is back in the water sporting shiny new rudders and a completely overhauled steering system. With the biggest project completed it is now all in the details.


Tim Ekstrom