"Scott's World, Episode XXXVII" in which I meet Bill "Mac" McElroy AND........

[Staci Matheis]

Went over to BPS St. Charles first thing this morning. It was the first time that this location had had a Spring fishing show. Got there about 9:00 am and had expected to be one of the first in the store - no such thing! The lot was packed!



Mac wasn't hard to find..... They had him right out in the front of the vendors area with his pens and markers spread out on the table and several examples of his artwork.



I didn't even get a chance to introduce myself to him before he stood up (No, not to intimidate me! He's just that kinda warm person!) and said hello to me by name! "I recognized you right off!" he said.



While we were talking, Mark "MoFish" walked up! It was great! Mark had been planning on sneaking a 6-pack of Coronas and limes into the show - but was stopped at the door by the guard..... He wasn't allowed to bring them in - so he just drank them out in the lot himself!



I watched Mac do some of his artwork on the rod handles..... I felt like a little kid! Just stood there staring as this fat bellied bass just "appeared" out of no where! Bright, colorful, sparkly fish, lures, birds and names were applied to rod handles brought to him by several people at the show while we were there!



Mac let the fish outta the bag..... He said Mini thought the fish he drew were "life size"!



Mac, I'm looking forward to seeing you in June on Champlain!



Now..... I gotta confess..... I couldn't get to sleep last night..... And woke up at 4:00 this morning - early even by my standards..... Penny Berryman was going to be at this show.....



I've REALLY gotta laugh at myself! Funny how what started out as just a little joke a year and a half ago about finding myself a woman who likes to fish turned into this ongoing fantasy! Really! I have NEVER had anyone's autograph before..... And now I find myself with this picture of Penny signed "Scott - Let's go fishing! Penny" that Cass got for me last summer sitting on my desk.....



I went to find Penny BEFORE I set out to find Mac!



Very nice person! Intense eyes! Firm handshake! Married.



We only managed to talk for a few minutes before she and several others in the Quantum crew had to leave for a meeting..... But it was an encounter with a warm personality that I will never forget!



Oh, yeah..... Since she had been good enough to send me an autographed picture of herself and an invite to "go fishing", I decided that it would be appropriate to respond..... Remember the picture Rich took of me at the rally last year? The one with the 3" walleye that had attacked my 7" worm.....

 

[Mark Hofman]

It really was fun to watch Mac work. He was drawing on a rod for a father and son when I came up. It was a-mazing to see the detail he can put into a fish -- the size of those I normally catch, ha! -- on the handle of a reel.



Mac, it was a pleasure to finally meet you, and witness your talent in person.



Of course, Mac didn't need any kind of work light. The glow off Scott's face lit up the entire area. When he told us he had just met Penny, it all made sense. I wished I had brought my digital camera. He disappeared and came back with a disposable, and the three of us went off in search of Mrs. Berryman. But, alas, she was on a break for more than I could stick around, so no pic of Scott and Penny together.



Oh, and while I was there I bought a personal hook remover: 3M Marine Outdoor Vinyl Cleaner, Conditioner and Protector. Eight ounce bottle. With UV retardant.



No more Armorall for me!



MO

 

[Tim King]

Scott,

Congratulations!! I'm glad you finally met her! Was it worth the wait? Sorry you didn't get a picture with her.



By the way, how did you get the pictures to work?



Tim

 

[Staci Matheis]

ABSOLUTELY worth the wait!



She doesn't monitor this site, so she had no idea in the world as to how very harmless I really am! All she knew of me was what she had seen in copies of a couple of the posts I had sent to her shortly after Cass sent me her picture. I sensed a bit of apprehension - but then so would I if some weirdo like me had appeared out of no where! All in all, she is VERY people orientated! When I first got to her booth, she was explaining the inner workings of a reel to another person; I just stood back for a moment, watched and listened. I enjoyed seeing her ability to communicate complex matters and her "take charge" attitude!



Maybe I shoulda asked Carli to send a Letter of Reference before hand!



I'm not the one who got your pictures to work..... When I post pictures, I use AOL's system. Maybe we can get Rich to give us a bit of a tutorial.....



me!

 

[Sam Elkins]

Tim, If you want to post pictures in your message the first rule is that the picture you want to post has to already be on the web somewhere, either your own personal web page, in your library here on this site, etc.



Then go to the picture you want to include in the message, click on it and call it up on the screen.



With the mouse pointer on the picture, right click and a box will come up. It will have a 'Properties' option somewhere, usually at the bottom. Click on the properties option and you'll see a URL Address. Copy that address onto your clipboard then paste it in the 'Picture' URL slot just above the REPLY and PREVIEW boxes.



It works on this site. If Rich didn't have the 'Picture" slot I wouldn't know how to do it.



Hope this helps.

 

[Sam Elkins]

By the way Scott.....Congratulations on meeting Penny.

 

[Bill McElroy]

Howdy Folks,...just got home myself!! It sure was a pleasure to meet Mo and Scott,...two very nice gents i might add!! We talked for quite awhile, in between my rods and hat jobs, etc..etc...sure love doing that,..the customers seem to like it even more than me and that's hard to do!!..LOL I was a little dissapointed at the turn-out over the last 3 days though,....but the stores sales numbers were up, so that;'s GREAT!! It just seemed like I've been busier at some of the other shows but today was no slouch!! Did more rods and hats today than I did on friday,..that was unusual!! Anyway, it was cool to see another BPS store and to meet so many great people...Scott's right,..as soon as I saw him I recognized him,...but I can't say the same for MO,..maybe it was because he didn't have his red shoes on!!..LOL...after he introduced himself, that was one of the first things I said to him!!..ahahah,.."Where's the red shoes?!!"......He was incognito,..You Sly dog!! BTW,..the BIG surprise I was going to tell you about,...I don't have the .jpg's yet from the guy who took the pix's, but I was asked by BPS Mgt to do two VERY SPECIAL rod handles on two rods that Johnny Morris is giving to former President Bush!! They turned out great, and I was very pleased with them, as was the 2 corporate managers that will deliver them to JLM monday!!

Awesome aye?? Man, I NEVER thought I'd be doing a rod handle for a President!! That ROCKS!!! Anyway,..as soon as I get the .jpg's, I'll post them here..they're sweeet!!

Gota hit the rack now,..back to the daily grind tomorrow!!

Take care and thanks again Scott and MO for the kind words,..it was a pleasure to meet BOTH of you!! Take care!

Mac

 

[Sam Elkins]

Wow Mac.....you keep gettin' famouser and famouser (more famous). Did you get nervous doin' those presidential handles?? Pretty soon you'll be so famous you'll have a team of underlings doing the paintings for you. LOL Out of all the fishing stuff George H has he doesn't have anything like that. Really neat!!!

 

[Bill McElroy]

Hi Sam,...Actually it wasn't too bad doing those handles,...I picked them up at the store thursday night when i got there and just took them back to my room and did them there,...away from the crowds, where I could concentrate and take my time. I spent a little over an hour and had them both done,..vs. the 5-10mins it takes to do a fish or a bait on a regular rod. I knew I couldn't make any major errors, so I just had to take my time and do a good job......i just got an email this a.m. from BPS mgt and they were geeked,.....said they looked GREAT!!....Mission accomplished!.LOL (Whew,..that's cool)

Mac

 

[Staci Matheis]

Come on now, Mac! Tell the WHOLE story!



The three of us are standing there and I ask Mac if he'll give Mark and I a preview of what his "Big Announcement" is going to be.... His face lights up with Pride! He tells us he's just completed two rod handles for the President! WOW!! Mark and I are impressed!!



He tells us that it took him quite some time and many, many preliminary drawings to come up with EXACTLY the right images..... He can't show us the final piece of work because the rods are back in his room - but he does have his final sketches..... He proudly reveals a small piece of paper with two Fantastic renditions of Bald Eagles and bass and the Presidential Shield - underneath, the President's name is on a banner.....



"Uh, Mac....." Says Mark sheepishly. "There's no 'C' in 'Bush'....."



Mac goes white. His mouth drops open. Chin falls to his knees..... "I musta been thinking of 'Anheuser'."



He rushes off to the back of the store, buys two rods identical to those given to him by Johnny Morris and disappears back to his room. We never saw him again that morning.



The artwork was GREAT, Mac!!



:^)

me!

 

[Bill McElroy]

You sure know how to ruin an otherwise stellar reputation!!.....Isn't ANYTHING sacred anymore??!!..Dayum!!????? LOL

 

[Rob LaMoy]

ROFLMBHO!!! Only you Mac! Congrats! See, you're a shoe in for the oval office. Geroge must have heard and is prepping you!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

ROFLMBHO!!! Only you Mac! Congrats! See, you're a shoe in for the oval office. Geroge must have heard and is prepping you!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

GEORGE, no "C"! LOL

 

[Craig Roberts]

Geewiz Mac, where's this gonna end? Drawing for The Prez?!?! Does this mean you too "big time" to take a lowly parts guy fishin now?

 

[Bill McElroy]

R U KIDDIN me Craig??!!!....You don't know how bad I wana go fishin' right now!!...LOL And I'd rather go with you vs. some President,....atleast we could go jiggin' without secret service frogmen showing up as "Blips" on my LCR's!!

hahahaha

 

[Ken Neeley]

I hope that doesn't include the future Prez, Mac....

 

[Bill McElroy]

Not to be confused Big Dog,........Your security detail will be FUN to hang out with!! LOL