PlanetCatfish.com

Just a thought, say a meet-up for the UK group?... I was going to sugest this to the Cichlid-Forum guys but i have a lifetime ban from there so i cant,

Anyone be up for it? somware that everyone can get to, Manchester ish area?

Thanks

Azz

The Catfish Study Group is meeting up near Manchester several times a year.

Manchester is quite far from where I live, so it would mean an overnight trip, which makes it more difficult.

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Mats

Manchester is quite far from where I live

I love the Uk sense of distance (it is all relative I admit). Total square mileage of England, 50,352. Total square mileage of the State of Texas 163,696. Washington State has 68,192 square miles. Barbie has to drive the equivalent of the Scottish border to Hastings just to get to a fish store with a fair selection.
-Shane

Sorry to hijack the topic but I was wondering what an average commute to work was in the US?

Does it correspond to the larger distances?

Manchester or thereabouts is a good idea. If we're going to do this it would be sensible to be arranged for the catfish convention in February although that's pretty useless for anyone buying fish to take home.

Maybe we should organise a bus from Edinburgh, Perth/Stirling or Glasgow?

Jools

I donâ??t want to sound stupid but i was wondering if the Catfish convention was for me, i love fish, i have kept catfish for a few years but i donâ??t know an awful lot about them. i have a fear i would feel out classed by "Smart People" or am i just getting paranoid over nothing.

Haha, try living in Australia...
Population centres are pretty far apart, 20 million people in a country the size of America
Shaun

Shane wrote: I love the Uk sense of distance (it is all relative I admit). Total square mileage of England, 50,352. Total square mileage of the State of Texas 163,696. Washington State has 68,192 square miles. Barbie has to drive the equivalent of the Scottish border to Hastings just to get to a fish store with a fair selection.
-Shane

I wouldn't mind travelling up to Manchester or attending the CSG meets even, the distance isn't a problem - it's the time needed to cover that distance that gets my goat!

I could get to Manchester in a couple of hours or so - in theory - NOT in practice! - I'm getting stressed just thinking about it!:roll:

Iporangensis Headach wrote:I donâ??t want to sound stupid but i was wondering if the Catfish convention was for me, i love fish, i have kept catfish for a few years but i donâ??t know an awful lot about them. i have a fear i would feel out classed by "Smart People" or am i just getting paranoid over nothing.

That is something that's close to my heart as well. As a boy I went along to a local fish club in Edinburgh and did not have a good experience. In some ways it prompted me towards launching Planet as I can't respect people who will only accept their way is the right way and that others have little to offer. The internet has made this old school a little more approachable and there have always been gems of people who's main joy is to share.

On the CSG front, if you've been keeping catfish for a couple of years I doubt you'd be out of your depth and every one is very friendly. It's hard to find a better way to tap into a huge amount of experience in person than a convention.

Jools

Yes, Shane, I've spent enough time in Texas to know it's MUCH larger than the UK. However, even when it's raining cats and dogs and there's been a big accident on the road, the traffic into/around Dallas [or Seattle for that matter] moves better than the average day of no-accident around Birmingham... That's simply because the roads are built for long-distance travelling much more than they are in the UK. If memory serves, it took me about 3 hours to drive from Austin to Dallas, and a bit longer due to aforementioned rain when I drove back. According to Mapquest, it's 192 miles from 6th street in Austin to Dallas.

To get from my house to Manchester is 223 miles, and I'd be doing really well if I do that in less than 5 hours. That's another 20 miles in the two extra hours...

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Mats

I wouldn't mind an official meeting at the CSG Convention, by the way. If there's "two reasons" to be in the same place, it helps reduce the amount of travel needed.

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Mats

Well, that's maybe an interesting line, Planet could support or sponsor the traditional LFS visit the day the convention starts. It's much easier to meet and talk when there are fish in front of you (or there's a bar in the hotel too)...

Jools

would planet sponsor a trip to rio negro?

paulf wrote:would planet sponsor a trip to rio negro?

Rio Negro, Perthshire? Perhaps not the Amazon (we lose money here, not make it) but I'd be willing to buy anyone a beer or two once we are there.

Jools

You would all be welcome at the LFS in Wigan .
I am sure .
Coryman even suggested a shuttle bus ?
On the topic of being out of your depth ..NO !!
If you like fish and a drink You will be fine !!
There are usually as Julian says a lot of people there that know their stuff!!
This does not mean they wont talk to you !!
Joolz talks to anyone after a few drinks

I'd be up for this. Just need a schedule that allows for bringing home the fishies to Perthshire. (Not that far from the Rio Negro frio).

sojapat wrote:Joolz talks to anyone after a few drinks

What Neil meant to say was I'll talk to anyone who BUYS me drinks...

I think the next logical meet up would be at the convention in Febraury. I'm away in Novemeber and Decmeber, so February is about the first I could realisitically pull together something.

Jools

MatsP wrote:To get from my house to Manchester is 223 miles, and I'd be doing really well if I do that in less than 5 hours. That's another 20 miles in the two extra hours...

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Mats

Sounds like certain parts of New England, Mats.
Amanda

Joolz talks to anyone after a few drinks

True.

What Neil meant to say was I'll talk to anyone who BUYS me drinks...

Actually, Jools will take his clothes off for anyone that buys him drinks. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

-Shane

wich reminds me not to feed beer to Jools if I ever meet him in person.

the image of him stripping will probably be engraved on the inside of my eyeballs and frankly, I can live without.

I'm up for a trip to a convention and the ria negro!

What Shane does when you buy him drinks is both variable and unpostable (at least if I am not to fall foul of several forum rules).

Usually ends up in some porcelain hugging though.

Jools

We'll miss you both over here at the Catfish Convention next week!:cheers:

Usually ends up in some porcelain hugging though.

Actually, our last outing began with me hugging a toilet in Bogota and ended with me hugging the toilet in Leticia.
You'll get yours in December brother!
-Shane

The schedule is now complete for the CSG's 2007 convention, which takes place on 16th -18th February. We have 5 speakers giving a total of 6 talks.

1. Dr Marcelo Britto - Collecting for science & Describing species
2. Dr David Price - Genetics
3. Mr Chris Ralph - African Catfishes
4. None Catfish speaker, awaiting conformation.
5. Mr Ian Fuller - Breeding Corydoradinae Catfishes.

There will be a open Catfish forum on Friday evening after the informal dinner and on Saturday morning we will be putting on a series of workshops. In the afternoon there will be two talks followed in the evening with the convention 2007 dinner followed by "Catfish question time". Sunday there will be four talks. If last year is anything to go by then we are in for one hell of a weekend.

Further details will be posted on the CSG forum and in the aquatic press. In the interim if anyone wants more details please feel free to contact me directly.

There's really no excuse for anyone in the UK not to make this weekend, it's easy to get to, relatively inexpensive and everyone will be made very welcome.

Ian

I live in the Los Angeles area. Roundtrip to work is 90 miles (about 150 km for you metric types). However, in Southern California, when someone asks how long your commute is, we usually phrase the answer in time, e.g., it takes me an hour each way (if I leave the house at 6 am and leave work before 4 pm).

For what it's worth, I drive about 25,000 miles per year, which would cover California to England and back, with a fair amount left over.

I have to drive 12 hours just to get to the Catfish convention in Maryland. I'm not complaining. Worth the drive if you ask me.