Back In The Game!
By Staff |
Fri, 21 Dec 2007
In each newsletter, we will be featuring a fishing story that has been submitted by a Kistler customer or pro staff member. This month’s story was submitted by Billy Kistler. Billy is the father of the president of Kistler Rods, Trey Kistler.
December 14, 1998, was a day I thought to be one of my worst, other than the day I watched my son leave for war (Desert Storm). Only if you are a father who has experienced that, can you understand the emotional aspects of such an event in one’s life. On that day, the fishing industry and I parted ways in an unpleasant, almost devastating way.
Now that 9 years have passed, there is a whole new way to consider what really happened. What really happened was my exitement from something that was becoming less and less of what had been a plan for being in an industry (fishing) that was fun and rewarding. In a nutshell, large corporate attitudes and policies were becoming too dominant. The business became less accepting of anything that was down to earth and considerate to the backbone of our industry, the fisherman!
My position was too subordinate to the wrong attitudes towards people and a high quality product rather than a reasonable level of compassion to employees and people in general. Thanks to the unreasonable egos of the non-fishing, big corporate impersonal mentality, I can now say “thank you” to those who saw fit to assume my position at the company.
Now, because my son, Trey, has been able to take a lot of what he learned and use it to create a quality company, comprised of quality people, producing the highest quality product, I get the opportunity to re-enter the fishing industry. Thank GOD!
There are many old friends still around the industry that I cannot wait to visit, as well as, meet new friends.
It is unbelievable how the technology has changed in 9 years. This past Friday, (12/14/07), was my first field test and our product passed my test. My pride in the product and my son, for building it, was justified.
It is really great to be back in the industry and I look forward to telling you about our rods.
Thanks,
Billy Kistler
If you have a fishing story about using Kistler Rods, please send it to us and maybe your story will be in our next Kistler Newsletter.
