Step 1
The first member of our ARB Panel reviewed submitted rods yesterday. Some got very high marks. Keep them coming in!
Below is a photo of the first panelist. You probably don’t know her, but the phrase “behind every successful man” certainly applies to Gary’s wife Susan. Besides being married to Gary, she is considered one of the finest rod wrappers anywhere. Over the last 20 years she has set up a number of rod plants and taught countless folks how to build up a stick. Here she is in Chile enjoying the fruits of her labor.
Here is the photo Tom referred to in his comments:
Susan was also pictured in the very first G. Loomis catalog published in about 1982 or 1983. I mentioned this to her a few years ago and she said she didn’t remember it. I’ll find it and bring it to the Expo. If she doesn’t have a copy, she can have this one.
Tom,
You sent me scrambling for the archives! Susie’s photo was in the 1986 Rod Catalog. It was the first color catalog. Gary chuckles when he thinks of this catalog.
Turns out, after the first run, Gary needed to order more, so he called the artist that he paid to do the work. Gary had already paid for the film, the layout and the printing. The artist told Gary that the catalogs would cost more than just the printing because the artist held the copyright to the work. Gary asked him to bring the sample to his office. When the artist came to present his offer, Gary politely listened, and then told him to shove it up his…
Jon
You are correct, in fact, I believe that was the same year (1986) when G. Loomis introduced the world’s first rods made with IM6 graphite.