Thanks, Larry, for posting the link to the Whatley articles. I read them over and over again as a beginning hybridizer back in the early 1990's. They contain so much "no nonsense" wisdom and I will always be indebted to Oscie Whatley for sharing his thoughts and providing me with guidelines that have served me well.
I love what he had to say about competition:
"Competition. If a contestant wants to win a race he should be the best in that race. A beginner would be wise to find a unique, less competitive race and learn some techniques before tackling the heavily populated treasure hunts."
And his "how to" on how to build a line without breaking the bank was spot on. I enjoyed reading the articles again after so many years and would recommend that every beginner read every word multiple times!
