This year's version of the Long Beach Fred Hall Show is off and running, on a pleasant note, as yesterday in that city proved to be sunny and warm. The nice weather may have kept a few beach-goers away, but the crowd seemed happy, vendors were at work and the displays were fun for all. I haven't had time to walk the entire show yet, as I spent the first day working in the first booth I've ever had at the show. It was fun, and a learning experience. Thank you to all who stopped to say hello, remember the many trips we've shared on San Diego's long range boats, and to pick up a copy of our new book, At The Rail.

Something new for assistant Paul Sweeney and myself was starting a special copy of ATR, one signed by almost all of the major figures who appear in the book, like Frank LoPreste, Tim Ekstrom, Jack Nilsen, Mark Pisano and dozens of other skippers, crewmen, tackle-makers, sponsors and famous anglers like Mike Livingston, who is scheduled to get his official award from the IGFA today at four PM at the show. Stop by the Vagabond booth to see that event. The book, after everyone we can locate has signed it, will go to John Rowe for a special prize for Friends of Rollo, the west coast"s greatest program to take kids fishing.

Right across the aisle from our booth (number 827), is the big Accurate display that folks are used to seeing in the central portion of the main building in the Long Beach Convention Center. During a quiet moment before the doors opened at two PM yesterday, I slipped over to see what's new. As usual, the fast-rising company has stacks of T-shirts at blowout prices, but this year they've added a whole new line of Dickies clothing, Ben Secrest told me.

Accurate also has a new line of jigging rods, those new-style rods that look impossibly skinny. They come in 250, 350 and 450-gram sizes, with Fuji guides and a gimbal The heaviest one is meant to take up to 80 to 100-pound braid and a 600-series reel. Secrest said they were already being used on bluefin tuna up to 200 pounds, and showed me how much pressure you could put on a fish with one of them. I was impressed. It's hard to believe how much pull those little rods can muster. Another item is rod holder meant for rail attachment, innovated by Jack Nilsen.

There's a new lubrication point coming now on all new Accurate reels, said company principal David Nilsen. He and Secrest showed me where it was. It's called an AccuPort, they said, and will allow some light lubricant to take care of the reel's guts, in particular the gears and anti-reverse mechanism. There'll be fewer failures with proper use.

"They'll just about make our reels maintenance-free," said David.

The big show opens again today at two PM.