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.