Notes for Next Time...

Next year's San Diego 3Bs event will be held at roughly the same time next year - the weekend before or after Father's Day, depending on the moon phase and tides. I'm willing to chalk up this year's weather to bad luck, as opposed to a recurring seasonal weather pattern.

The team format and prize drawings worked out well, and will be continued next year. I'll be reviewing the rules again to try to simplify some of the processes, but the rules will probably remain substantially the same.

The on-line Contestant's Meeting worked well, although attendance was limited. For next year, I'll be looking at ways to distribute the measuring boards that don't require me to be at ramp at 4:30am. Most likely it will involve UPS or FedEx and an additional fee.

I am probably going to cut back the FOPS tournament day to 6 hours or so (probably 6:00am - Noon). This is in recognition of the fact that FOPS fishing is a heck of a lot more work than Powerboating, and is more strongly affected by the elements.

Final thoughts...

While the weather and fishing could have been a lot better, I don't think I could have asked for a better crowd. Thanks again to everyone that participated - your enthusiasm and attitude helped to make this a successful event. It was extremely gratifying to see everyone having a good time, exchanging ideas and stories, and making new friends.

These events are all about getting people out on the water, and building a community of "Beyond The Breakwater" fly-fishermen. With about 1/3 of the contestants being "new faces", over half the participants coming from outside the San Diego area, and all the personal positive feedback, it felt like we hit the mark.

I'd also like to extend a special thanks to our sponsors. Their continued support despite the tough economy says a lot about their commitment to our sport. Please show your gratitude by checking out and buying their products, or visiting their stores.

Finally, many thanks to my wife and kids, and family friend Edly Villanueva. I couldn't have done it without them!

See you next year (or hopefully at the TYD!)