PlanetCatfish.com

Rusty wrote:And the whole (most of it anyway) gang:
<a href="http://img97.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img97&image=catcon.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img97.exs.cx/img97/3243/catcon.th.jpg" border="0" /></a>
Going clockwise starting from the top left, Don Kinyon, Dave Snell, Dinyar, Dave Rinaldo, me, Ingo Seidel, Ryan, Lee Finley, Jools, HH, Shane and Mark Soberman.

Rusty

That looks like a still from the bar scene in 'Star Wars'

^^ too far away for me sadly...

but im gonna out Rusty as a cartoon "star" from "Dexters lab"

Made it home a little after 1 AM. After unpaking all the fish it was after 2 AM. I picked up 9 new species(for me) of cories and 2 other species. I will make a list if anyone is interested. But the highlight was 2 bags(8 fish) of C. Fowleri that had been imported for the auction.
It was great to meet everyone and it's nice being able to put a face with a name. I would just like to say "Thank You" to Andrew, PVAS, and all the speakers for doing such a fantastic drive. It was over an 8 hour drive for me but it was well worth it. Since Fri when I left I think I have spent more time driving than sleeping. Again I had a blast and truly enjoyed myself. Thanks much to all that were involved.

Casey

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone especially the people who made it happen !!!

The last few hours of the auction was great fun! I'm new to the whiskey critters (or I should say fairly new) but everyone who missed this should try to go next year.

KWalker and I made it back to his house at about midnight, I made it home around one am. I have to say, after two nights of 4 hours sleep or less, driving 6 hours is allot harder than expected!

I have to say "hat's off" to Andrew and all the members of the PVAS for pulling this thing off so incredibly well! I have been to many fish conventions: nine ACA conventions, six OCA Extravaganza's, Several Chicago Cichlid Classics, and the NEC once(I need to get to this one more often!) and dozens of local shows and events.
For a "FIRST TIME" gathering, this was among one of the best I have ever attended (subject matter non-withstanding).

The talks were excellent, the schedule was well organized and very well executed. The Banquet dinner was excellent (Catfish BTW!) and the company unequalled.
I do have to apologize to PICKLEFISH, I didn't even realize I was sitting next to him at the Banquet.

I will second the notion that it was great to put a face to a PlanetCatfish username. In regards to some in attendance, a face to a Catfish-L listserve username from nearly a decade of emails and conversations!

Two questions remain:
"WHEN IS THE NEXT ONE?"

and

"HOW SOON CAN I SIGN UP?"

And Jools, I'm looking forward to eating the haggis! Ask Clare to P/M me your favorite recipe and instructions on how to cook it...

Well, at 5:00 Monday afternoon I opened the front door of my house, something I had not done since last Thursday morning. Bursting with pride for my club's accomplishment and wishing it were not all over.

What an amazing weekend full of new friends and fellow catfish aquarists!

Once again, to everyone who came to the convention: Thank You. You believed in the idea of an all-catfish event and in the host club enough to make the trip to our little corner of the world to spend time with us and your fellow catfish lovers. From Alberta, Canada to Fort Lauderdale Florida; Bathgate, Scotland to San Antonio, Texas and all points in between you came to share in the events.

We all appreciate your kind words about the convention but want to emphasize as well that the quality of the conventioneers was superb and that made the whole weekend run more smoothly than it could have otherwise. You elevated all of our spirits when we were almost overwhelmed and gave us the perk we needed to continue on when we were almost dead on our feet. I have never seen a room full of an eager and appreciative audience from the beginning of the event to the end like I did this weekend. So again, thank you.

Thanks once again also to Jools and Shane for helping us spread the word about the convention and use the PC forums as our unofficial communications center.

Andrew

Just landed in Seattle and I am beat. Amazing you can be this tired and still excited at the same time. It was great to meet many of you for the first time and see old friends too. Special thanks to Andrew and everyone else at PVAS for making the Convention so great. You all pulled off an amazing thing and should be very proud.
The only negative thing I can say was that there were so many great people that I feel I did not get enough time with each person. Not sure how you could solve that without making the Convention longer, and I am not sure that I could go on no sleep, catfish, and beer for any more than three days.
-Shane

I will so have to be at this next one....I'll have enough time off at the zoo to take a mini vacation!


So when is it?

Sounds like it was Awesome for all... I will have to get sometime off for the next one!

it would be great if there was such a thing in Europe for once, but the date would be tricky....

we have a new "labour-law" or whatever you call it when working in the education-business, and it strips us of any movable "free days" to pick up.
so I still DO have lots of vacation (as do most teachers), BUT it's all fixed now....

next time I'm gonna be "sick" I guess

and I saved a LOT of money on my last trip (Oz was dirtcheap thanks to Dubya and his low-dollar-currency), so I can afford to do a non-summerholiday-trip to the UK or something; wich has been long in the making.

Anyone got any African cats?
someone did a lecture on Riftlake fish btw?

Here is a link to a thread on my local clubs board where I have posted some photos of the wonderful weekend I had up there.

Catfish Convention

It was one of the best conventions I've been to... Can't wait till we have the next one ( , Andrew...) had an awesome time meeting everyone and the speakers.

Ryan

pturley wrote:And Jools, I'm looking forward to eating the haggis! Ask Clare to P/M me your favorite recipe and instructions on how to cook it...

Most authentic way:
1. Take haggis out of plastic but DONT piece inner skin.
2. Place in a pan of hot water and bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Follow cooking length of time on instructions
4. Don't boil too agressively or it'll explode - I'm not kidding this happened when Clare was cooking haggis for Johnny Jensen!
5. Pierce haggis at table with ceremonial flourish while reading to a haggis .

Simpler method:
1. Take haggis our of skin & plastic and microwave as per instructions.

Serve with mashed potatoes and turnip. AKA Haggis, neeps and tatties.

Jools

Hello from Cullman, Alabama! Clare and I are well underway on our Washington DC to New Orleans road trip oddessey eat much catfish as we go! Got some nice pix from my real favourite aquarium in Chatanooga, will try to post them and some others if I can figure out how to FTP from this wireless connection in the hotel.

Andrew, what a great event, I can only stand in awe of the logistic accomplishment! Can I also say sorry to anyone I didn't speak to long enough, I really wanted to spend a lot more time with a lot more people than I did but I really did only get 3-4 hours sleep a night as it was.

Bread and Gobies!

Jools

Yes indeed, Bread and Gobies!
-Shane

Another amusing moment was Ingo telling Shane that he drives like Ingo's Grandmother on the way to hitting an LFS with great fish and really poor service.

Ah, halcyon days.

Jools

Hey guys...

I'm just curious as to what lfs's you guys visited? Obviously I don't want to know about the bad ones lol. Just curious as to what you thought about my (our) area?

The only ones we went to were The Aquarium Center in Randallstown and the House of Tropicals in Glen Burnie.

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW missed the best one of them all. they are high in price usually but quality is outstanding... they know what they have and htey price for it lol.

They are still way better than anything I've seen in the midwest by far.

I know we are VERY lucky here. Some of the best LFS's around the nation are here. I think the reason they are some of the best though is the local hobbiests with large basments with tons of tanks in them The people that Import around here are also outstanding....It's hard to by at LFS's knowing you can get things cheaper but I always feel a need to support them since I know what a generally good job they do...Thanks for supporting them

Hi Everyone,

Got back to the UK this morning after spending a few days in New York after the convention and what a convention it was. I had a fabulous time from the minute I arrived. I new it was going to be a winner the minute I tasted my first beer. The visit to the Smithsonian, meeting Dr Stanley Weitzman and seeing the fish collection, well a tiny selection of it and getting a look at the Coelacanth, no not Pete, this one was better looking.

I had a great deal of fun on the forum panel along with Don, Mark and Eric. I think the forum Idea is a great way to get people involved and what I believe was expected to last for 15 or 20 minutes wen on for well over an hour, I think that idea will become an integral part of future fish conventions. It's certainly on my schedule for the 2006 CSG convention.

My only regret is the difficulty I have is remembering the names of the many wonderful people I me over the four days.

Andrew and his team at the PVAS deserve a heartiest thank you from everyone, for the way the whole event was meticulously planned executed, especially as this was a totally new and untried venture. Three cheers for Andrew and his team Hip hip - Horay .. Hip hip - Horay .. Hip hip - Horay

Hi, All;

I have to say it was great to see old friends again, and make some new ones as well. The convention tweeked my interest in the hobby back up to where it ought to be and I'm looking forward to the next get-together wherever it's held. It was a treat to finally meet Ian face-to-face, along with some others that I've only known through the web. Thanks to all those who made the effort to attend.

Take Care
Don

Jools- Haggis is good!

Well now..

I frequent these annals frequently
reading, learning, and 'musing

My turn now to place my piece
and with gratitude for a significant weekend
say with admiration for all the work and preparation
I know was involved

Thank you All for the 2004 catfish convention. I had a great time.

I think I managed to share thoughts and views with many...
I definitely hope to do so again..

Bravo

I wonder if I can duplicate some of these successes and propogate

Hi All,

That's us home again (jiggity jig) safe and sound. What a blast and OH LORDY how much stuff do I need to do to the site...



Jools

Could anyone who has pics from the convention and would like to share them (including those already posted) please send them along to webmaster@planetcatfish.com. I'll add them to my online gallery and post a link here.

Cheers,

Jools