Update on Rod #421602

      Progress As Of Today

Here is a photo of a couple of  rods after three coats of varnish. Deciding now whether or not to add a fourth. I'll give a couple days to tighten up and then decide if I like the look. Keep in mind that the gloss has not been rubbed out. My rods don't have this much shine to them when complete. There is a polishing process that takes a lot of the plastic look out of the finish. Not quite a matte finish but not this much shine. The tips have one coat each and will be done this week. After that, it has to dry pretty good before it can be rubbed out.

These rods will be available when complete.

Rod #421602

This rod is being made to order. It is based on a Payne 98. Same rod that I showed being started in the last post. Today the strips were heat treated. I use a heat gun oven for this. This step helps remove moisture from the bamboo as well straightening the strips and evening out the color.

Here are the strips after the enamel was removed and they have been heat treated. The piece of Spanish Cedar will be the reel seat spacer for this rod as requested.

The reel seat spacer was also turned today. The mortise has been cut into it to fit the reel seat. It has its first of several coats of finish. 

Still working on My 7' 10" Four weight. Need that done next not only for spring hatches, but for a demo rod. I believe this will be very popular. I do have other versions of this rod, although the changes on the latest version make this the one I want people to cast.

Thanks for looking as always.

New Year Update

     It has been hard to get a lot done during the holidays. It is also Great Lakes Steelhead time so I have been doing a little fishing up there also. As well as some local small stream wild trout stuff. The weather was just too good to not to get out. Getting it back together now though and in the shop a lot. I have the next three rods wrapped with one coat of varnish on the thread. The wraps don't look very smooth right now with just one coat. Hope to be dipping two of them next week sometime.

They are a 6' #3 weight, a 6'3" #4, and a rod that I am finally finishing for My own personal use. it is a taper that I have been tweaking and changing over the last couple years. A hollow built 7' 10" #4 weight. Great spring creek rod and I think I got it right where I want it to be now.

The wraps are 2/0 Black vintage Gudebrod thread tipped in Orange Gossamer silk on the two of the rods. The other is wrapped in Naples Antique Gold silk tipped with Gossamer Claret silk. Two of these rods will be available for sale when complete.  The 6' and the 6'3"

Progress of the 7' #4 Weight.

I have some progress photos of the 7' #4 weight for the customer that ordered it. 

The strips have been straightened and the nodes are pressed.

They have been beveled into rough triangles and are now ready for heat treat. After that its time to plane them to final taper and get them glued up.

The reel seat timber has also been roughed out. It is Spanish Cedar by request. This will take on an almost reddish hue once it is varnished. Shown oversized with the slide band before bluing.

I will update the next steps in the process as it comes along.

New rod wrapping station.

I thought I would show off My new rod wrapping stand just because. This thing is great. Holds lots of threads and has plenty of adjustments for tension and the stand itself. Made by Eco Wrapper.

Last fish of the year.

Went fishing on the day before New Years Eve. Hoping to get into some of the bigger browns in My local stream. It had rained good for a couple days during the week and I figured the flows would be good. I missed it by about a day. The small stream drained out quicker than i thought it would, and I  hit it with clear water. Still a nice day out, and even got into some of the smaller resident Browns. Anyone who fishes small mountain freestone streams for Brown Trout knows that if you hit it right its great. If you hit bad flows it would seem as there are no trout at all.

Last Browns of the year. Hope 2016 brings good flows and good fishing.

A couple of stream photos.

Thanks for looking and have a great new year.