New Rod

Here is a couple of pics of a rod that I sent out this week. Its an 8' 3/4 weight. I have made several of these recently in a beautiful natural blonde color. I am currently making myself one since I sold mine at the Henry's Fork rod gathering this summer. This rod has a 13 cork grip. I go back and forth about whether I prefer a 12 ring or 13 ring grip. This month its 13 rings! I am trying a new process on my rods in order for the blueing to last longer. I hope to get some good reports from customers about this process and how its holding up. My goal is that the blueing will look brand new 10 years from now no matter how much you fish the rod.

New Strip Saw!

Well, it was Christmas in October today. My new strip saw arrived. I wasn't really sure what to expect since Bellinger hadn't been marketing them, but I love it! I would say it is easier to use than the gangsaw. Two reasons why I think this; the first is its lighter and the other is it is much shorter. It doesn't take up half of the workshop with the long runners that the gangsaw had. Another bonus is that its a lot quieter than the gangsaw. I had to wear ear protection with the older version, but the strip saw is  pretty quiet.

New Reel Seats

The pictures below are of some up locking reel seats I am now offering on my rods. They are beautiful burls that have cork centers. The main thing I like about these seats, besides their looks, is there weight. Normally when you talk about burls they are usually pretty heavy. These seats actually have a cedar/cork center which brings the weight down considerably. The one downside to these is the cost. I have to charge an extra $125 for these. There is a lot of time put into these seats, but I think they are worth it.

Flaming and Sanding

The temperature's finally come down below 100 degrees so I have been out flaming and sanding. I am getting it all ready for my new strip sander that is coming. I currently use the Bellinger Gang Saw. This is a new tool that is replacing their Gang Saw and is called their "Strip Saw". This will cut the bamboo into perfectly straight strips and then can be milled down to the 60 degree angle pieces needed to fit the plane.

This fall and winter I will be making rods that are lightly flamed and blond.

On a different note I have some new reel seats that are available for my rods. I will take some pics in the next few days and post them.

My current wait time for a rod is 1 year. Thanks to all of those who have put orders in lately.

Hariki Ferrules

I am excited to announce that I have received my first shipment of Hariki extra short ferrules. They are slightly longer than the CSE micro ferrules, but almost exactly the same weight. There are several very well known builders that use these ferrules and feel they are the best in the world. I plan on using them exclusively for the next year to see if they live up to all the hype. Due to the cost of getting these ferrules and several other improvements I will be raising my prices. The price increase only reflects the increase in cost of materials. I strive the make the best fly rods out there and these things will only continue to help me do this.

Customer Pic

Here is a pic from a good customer in Alabama. I even like him after his football team kicks the crap out of our football team here in Missouri. Thanks Page!

Henry's Fork Gathering part II

As many of you know I have small children so making it to rod gatherings are few and far between. However, the one event that I try to make it to each year is the gathering on the Henry's Fork. I always learn so much from the other builders that it has progressed my rod design by years. One of the highlights of this years gathering was listening to Glenn Brackett and Tom Morgan talk about Winston. There is so much history there I truly enjoy listening about it. Here is a couple of picks of Glenn talking about Winston.