AGUA FRIA ALCHEMY

door project

2012-01-31T19:22:00.000-08:00

is about half done

or better than half done

driver's side door is giving me fits

reconnecting exterior opener has me vexed

any movement at all causes the rod to fall out of place

what you see above is a far cry better than what we had

I wouldn't even have bothered w/ all this if those got am doors worked the way they should

hopefully tomorrow they will

since I'm talking about my truck

2012-01-30T23:46:00.000-08:00

I love my truck

people like to make fun of it

I don't wash or wax it

maybe every other year I'll hose it down

it looks like shit

*pics tomorrow*

well, fuck that there are pics of the truck below

but I've never hit anything with it

I got tapped hindside one time in the snow in flag

by an asshole grandfather w/ his grandchild(?) beside him
and he drove off
go figure

people in the know love it

it's a '91 toyota pickup

hell you know that if you've been reading here

it looks like shit but runs like a top?

I wanted to say champ 'cept there's just one thing

that needs to be addressed and that's the exhaust leak

that's not my forte

though I think I can deal with it

in time

no ac no music

it's a truck and a tool

a car or truck is a tool used to get from here to there and back

nothing more nothing less

plus I can carry things in it

and people with much nicer cars want to use it

so it's a hunnert years old and other people want to use it

I find that ironic

my truck has relatively little mileage on it

people leave notes nearly weekly asking if I want to sell it

I don't wanna sell it

ever

I like the fact that I've bought two vehicles in my life

and I'd like to see it end that way

I do have plans for another vehicle

but I can wait

forever if I must

my brother told me that no one drives trucks like mine

I like that

and it's one reason I love my truck

I'm thinking of a paint job

we used to paint trucks way back when I was in the army

redo the camo cuz there was nothing else to do

I camouflaged a fta atop my army rig

and no one realized it until I pointed it out to them

I'm considering the same thing w/ afa

agua fria angling - get it?

and a slick sideband along the bedside

like that'll happen

I'd also like ac and a sound system

BUT...

I've gone so long without

that it ain't gonna happen
hey just use the ipod dipshit

there is about 104,000 miles on it

and it's likely good for that again

that's comforting

I paid about 7 grand for it back in the day

'92 to be exact and how much have you spent since than for your rides?

that's why it's a keeper

I have so much more to say

perhaps for another day

door panels con't

2012-01-30T21:28:00.000-08:00

making good progress on this

digital cameras are great fucking tools

after tweaking the working template

we have the finish template

clamped to masonite piece

trace and cut

flip template over and repeat

make cuts and we have the panel foundation

fit and tweak as necessary

I used a rasp to fit the cutouts

cut weather barrier plastic piece

this will need to be sealed prior to installing the panel

as per jeepster's suggestion we'll use duct tape

undercut a piece of batting for each panel

I stuck it to the panel w/ spray adhesive

carefully fit fabric finish layer

somehow or another I picked up the wrong panel when I did this

everything else I did was done off of the passenger door

I picked up the driver door panel

not that it matters...

I screwed it to the door w/ the pull grasp

the fit is nearly perfect

I could tweak things a bit yet

again we'll see about that

I'd have shot a pic but it was dark and I don't like to use flash

it looks a far sight better than the ones I replaced

even when they were new

I'm totally winging this

having never tried to do such a thing before

I'm pretty pleased

state of the craftsmanshit address #10 - early '12

2012-01-30T09:12:00.000-08:00

usually clearing the bench meant something different than it currently does

that doesn't make much sense, but I will try to clarify

what I mean by clearing the bench is getting all the rods in production

off the bench and indoors for wrapping and finish work

this takes place in april normally as soaring temperatures

make it impractical and uncomfortable to work outside in the garage

well, this year I had to clear the bench in january

over the course of building 35 rods I've been using borrowed planing forms

for which I'm eternally grateful as it saved me a considerable chunk of money

well, the owner asked for them back

and I was obliged to return them

thanks matt - I appreciate all your help over the years

and I bit the bullet and dumped nearly a grand into some new forms

and a "back-up" set I don't necessarily need

but the price was right and I wanted to help out a buddy

and I'll be able to pay it forward

again as I feel obligated to

should I get the opportunity to teach someone how to do this

should they be inclined to learn how

I like that

anyways, it's been two weeks now since I ordered

and I'm still awaiting delivery

and anticipating it every week day

perhaps today's the day

which explains why there is no rodbuilding going on around here lately

there are two rods awaiting components

those are ferrules and reel seat hardware

for those of you who do not know that

I guess they'll be included w/ the planing forms

I will not be building anymore rods for myself

at least for a while

and by rods I mean finished rods

I will continue to do what I call the prep work

aka grunt work

to experiment w/ new of different tapers

but when it comes to finishing the rod

it ain't gonna happen

until I can justify spending $200 to finish the rod

for something I simply do not need

I've got two rods to finish for other guys

two unferruled blanks for myself

which won't be finished until who knows when

and a clear bench

get wrecked and wrock on w/ yer badassselves

2012-01-29T18:45:00.000-08:00

about a hundred years ago (piease forgive my tendency for hyperbole)

I became involved w/ an email mailing list

that revolved around a favorite band

and for a good long time that thing fuggin' wrocked

I met (in person) a couple handfuls at least of really cool people

smart and opinionated and willing to talk about anything and everything

and generally speaking agreeing to disagree

w/out scorn or chastisement

new members were always welcomed and encouraged to contribute

though not without a few pokes in the ribs

it was dynamic and thought provoking even intoxicating in a way

lately though it has been dying

I guess as a result of a mass migration to facebook

and perhaps the fact that we all grew up a little bit over time

and have real lives to pursue

nevertheless I miss it and the interaction dearly

most of all I miss all those people

anyways, around Christmas every year we'd make a comp cd for a random member

upon completion, people would offer up they comps to whoever asked for it

I usually asked

and received

in spades

I think that's about 3/4 of them

the rest are in portable cd carrriers

I like to think that the people who put these things together put their hearts and souls into it

and that's why I treasure them and my memories of all the shit we yammered on and on and on about

when you try to explain to others what was so special about this place

you can not do it

if you were there for it you understand

working weekend?

2012-01-28T15:27:00.000-08:00

what I'm working on...

it ain't fishin' tyin' or rod buildin'

it's fixing the doors on my truck

opening/unlocking my doors finally became too much a pain in the ass

so I ripped the old door panels out

fixed the latching/locking mechanisms

now we need to make new panels

kept the old pieces for templates for the new

first template underway

this is gonna take a while

sheesh - good thing I don't have anything else to do

I've been watching the carp mouthing scum from the backyard pond

for the last two daze

working template installed
now we have something to work with

these things

2012-01-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

nearly had a hand in killing me

that was quite a while back...

the tubes

2012-01-26T21:10:00.000-08:00

I'd really like to get silly with this title

remember the tubes?

white punks on dope

don't touch me there

I'll talk to you later

su-su-sushi

and "totally tubular"

wtf is that?

anyways, I'm just getting started w/ the tubes

starting simple

the last hurrah

2012-01-24T22:17:00.000-08:00

visited congress yesterday to say good bye to a very good friend and my mentor

it's nice to have brothers in bamboo around

I will dearly miss bother shay

adios amigo and Godspeed

anyways...perry and mike

one a dose guys snapped a pic of me, but y'all have seen enough of my ugly mug lately

I'll spare ya this time

stop the presses!

2012-01-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

I fished today

it wasn't all that long ago I could say that I had no fiberglass flyrods

that's no longer the case

now I have three...

from front to back

cabela's 50th anniversary model 6ft 8in 4wt

above sila-flex medallion MF90SH-2

heddon pal 9ft 8wt

I cleaned up the grip on that heddon

I haven't really fished the two big rods

as both are relatively recent acquisitions

hell I just got the heddon today

that little one casts and fishes right nicely

unless the wind is blowing

then yer fucked

unless you've got back-up

always carry back-up

kinda like raingear

or a sandwich

it's always nice to have a sandwich in yer gear

playoffs?

2012-01-19T20:42:00.000-08:00

I feel obligated despite my dismal performance this year so far

hey I won my fantasy footballl league

giants beat the niners in a close one

say 24-20 or so.

ravens over the pats in a shocker

30-17

heh heh heh he said shocker

we'll see

I can't wait

holding court

2012-01-17T16:43:00.000-08:00

or talking shit?

hey seuess crisco I'm looking bad

snaggletoof old goat....

notice the uncombed hair

I can't remember the last time I combed my hair

the hair dresser chick combs it

that's when it gets combed

hey I don't have dreadlocks or anything

very cool development

2012-01-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

this handsome fella wandered into california from oregon

looking for love

unlikely he finds it

soon he'll prolly wander back to oregon

if he wants to find a mate

okay...the niners worry me

2012-01-14T17:18:00.000-08:00

they've proved that they can put points on the board like the saints

assuming the pack beat the g men tomorrow

they'll have a handful w/ the niners

so I've been jrinking the tebow kool aid

can he deliver the goods against brady belichek and company?

I don't think so

but I hope so

ravens packers in the super bowl

w/ the trophy staying in titletown

you read it here last

maybe not first, surely last...

*tebow don't slide

gronkowski is the best tight end in football
say it again
and again
yet again (is it over yet?)

look at old man magahee
is it closer than the score? I don't think so*

it would be nice to see the pack whoop the pats in the super bowl again
that would be fun

*...* indicates during game commentary

fishing - a look back and forward

2012-01-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

over the past hundred years or so

I've met and fished w/ an awful lotta people

in an awful lotta places

fallen into a few rivers (yes I have)

frozen my ass off sweated my ass off

I always claimed that the very nature of friendship is transitory

dependent on any number of factors

the fact is, very very few of us have life-long friends

w/ which we continue that relationship

I guess you can judge the strength of a friendship

by whether or not it can weather these differing phases of our lives

this morning I found out that my favorite fishing partner

is going on disability retirement

which is good (and potentially bad - I guess)

and for that I offer congrats

I met steve in the summer of 2003

in the middle of nowhere

the valle vidal wilderness area of new mexico

little did I know I was meeting I guy I'd fish with for the rest of the decade

and hopefully it continues through the next one

though we are both getting old

anyways, anita and I were camped along the stream

steve's truck was a reasonable distance downstream

brooks showed up from albuquerque

there was some guy from georgia of all places fishing w/ his son

and, yes, it was a smallstreams streamside meet

steve shows up at his campsite

he is quiet nearly uncommunicative

very wary leery and canny

kinda like he's sizing us up

so brooks and I head off upstream to stick some tricksy little cutthroats

a half a mile I sit on the bank and say,

"I don't know about you brooks, but I'm gonna sit down and enjoy a cool smoke"

which I did

steve stumbled up and shared

steve and brooks were struggling setting hooks on these insanely quick hitting trout

(my struggles will come later)

at one point we decide to 4 wheel it up to latir lakes

state record trout (species not remembered) taken from up there

it was the longest steepest straight climb I've experienced

butt rough for sure

brooks had to hold onto the radio knobs to keep from being bounced from the truck

anyways, we've been fishing and camping together every year since

well nearly - we missed last year sadly on three different occasions

I'm gonna go through my iphoto library

and share some of my favorite pics of steve

good luck and all the best amigo

let's go fishing!

this is sick

2012-01-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

praline bacon

back in the day

2012-01-10T08:28:00.000-08:00

this book is a treasure assuming you can find a copy

there may be one at the library - the big one downtown

I could tell you a story (or two) about that building but won't

I wanna talk about bill valentine

bill valentine wrote a fishing column for the arizona republic and gazette

from 1962 - 1978

and this is a collection of those columns

he is witty and observant and man oh man does he like to fish

and he enjoys telling fish stories

of which it seems there are hundreds here

in the 630 pages of prose and packed w/ black and white fishing photos

from a bygone time...

plus - he was a pretty ding danged stylish dude...

valentine was also a skilled cartoonist/artist

following all the fish tales (full disclosure - some are rather similar)

are some maps he's drawn of the rocky point/cholla bay area he so loved

there are also several dozen nifty little illustrations for fishing derbies and the like

it sure seems a glorious time to be fishing the salt

apparently he had a love for mermaids as well

who doesn't?

love that he lists the species being 95 - 125 lb
she's a "merrymaid"

I guess that'd be a keeper

the book appears to be self published by the family

p-adams

2012-01-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

I don't like tying parachute flies at all

love to fish them though

so I deconstructed it

and approached it like building a house perhaps

the result is simple to tie and tidy

my very first attempt ever at a step by step photo tutorial...

pinch down hook barb
start thread eye width back from eye
trim tag end after a dozen abutting turns
tie in post w/ half dozen figure eight wraps
wrap post up and down eight turns
tie in prepped hackle feather
advance thread to tie in

dub a thin noodle and wrap a thorax to just behind wingpost

wrap thread back to bend of hook make thread bump
tie in stiff hackle fiber tail nicely slayed
dub a nicely tapered abdomen
add to the thorax if necessary

turn fly in vise as shown above

make four turns of hackle
ti down w/ four wraps
four turn whip finish
trim wing post

finished fly

isn't that nice?

a christmas gift from my wife

2012-01-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

she got me this very nice japsaw

especially for cutting bamboo

are you fucking kidding me?

2012-01-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

fiesta bowl played tonight in glendale

right up the street

oklahoma state cowboys vs the stanford cardinals

I'll take the 'pokes...

parking fees are a pet peeve of mine and I generally do anything I can to avoid them

paying $5 or $10 to park for a concert in some shitty lot in some shitty part of town

makes me want to pull out my hair

so I don't do it

I'll walk two miles before I pay $10 to park my truck

anyways, a single vehicle parking pass for tonight's fiesta bowl is $30

fuck that...

today's other big bowl action is this afternoon

wisconsin badgers over the oregon ducks in the grandaddy

too bad the badgers are no longer in the championship picture

I hate the bcs for any number of reasons

currently because they give us a rematch of the 1-2 game from earlier this season

which was the biggest stinker of a rotten egg of the season

well, other than that fucking hail mary up in lansing...

a new year's gift for you

2012-01-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

this was my favorite musical release of the year

I used to make a top ten list every year

last year two artists tied at the top
(john mellencamp and black dub)

unlikely allies if you will...

http://www.mediafire.com/?5z0co4e0tl7uu46

dig it, eh?

2012

2012-01-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

a new year is upon us

I don't have any idea what's in store

the previous year for me has been mostly marked by hardship

I've managed and will continue to do so

I've spoken in the past about the inanity of making resolutions

especially those of the health and welfare type

which we enter into w/ good and cooperative spirits

until we realize how much got am hard work we've set ourselves up for

and how comfortable it would be and is to relax

that said I have made two minor resolutions this year

health and welfare related

I will not be sharing the resolutions

though I may periodically update you on my progress or lack thereof...

last year I failed in my main goal of lowering my golf handicap to a single digit

I guess we'll have to continue that one...

anyways, at some point in the next two weeks it appears as though I'm gonna lose my planing forms

I guess I just thought they were mine...

and it is frustrating

which means I'll have to figure out the means of procuring a set of bellingers

and rather quickly at that

I am a firm believer that when you replace something anything

you should replace it w/ something BETTER

fortunately all the rods on the bench have all the grunt work done

which I guess means I'll be turning bamboo blanks into fishing rods

as this season progresses

at any rate, we'll manage, it's what we do

"hey, I've got an idea - let's go fishing!"

the holidaze season is over - get yer lazy ass back to work!

surfwear

2011-12-31T20:00:00.000-08:00

the final hoodie I'll look at is made by o'neill

soft warm and cozy

lined w/ sherpa fleece (whatever that is)

cool black white gray plaid

stylish and very warm...
it makes perfect sense to me that surfwear should be warm
it gets cold on the beach when the sun goes down

I've really reluctantly become a fan of the hoodie

I now have five of the damn things

after having spent most of my adult life w/out ever owning one

two others I have but didn't mention recently...

you saw the pic of the schliske bamboo trampstamp

I wore that one everyday working in the shoppe this fall

the other one is a packer football hoodie that's also been pictured here before

I wear that one a lot

especially this time of year eh?

speaking of which, happy new year, all the best, y'know

I doubt that I make it to midnight

I didn't even make it until midnight
and the night was endless...

ballyhoo

2011-12-31T11:53:00.000-08:00

so that hoodie shown below is the first one I had since I was a kid

my father gave it to me as a Christmas present one year

his client was involved somehow w/ eminem's management

this sweatshirt is remarkably well executed and designed

the tag reads...

shady limited

future classic

anyways the cut is generous and comfortable

fabric is very warm and soft

love the kangaroo pocket (the primary reason I give the nod to pullovers)

this one's gotta stash pocket inside the joey pouch

here's another one...

but before we get to that here's a shot and a story

that right there is a 1975 edition of that classic album

I hung it on the wall in the tying den the other day

there's honest too goodness pot dust from back in the day

in the crease of the backside of that gatefold cover

nice detail in this macro shot

unfortunately revealing a bit of sloppiness in technique...oh well

still a pretty damn nice and damned effective fly

look at that flimsy rinky dink drawstring on the hood!

the only flaw in a fine garment

very warm durable piece of outerwear

this one's by carhartt
and is the only gift I requested....

tomorrow's new year's eve

2011-12-30T19:32:00.000-08:00

and I'm gonna talk about the relative merits of hoodies

tomorrow on new year's eve

that's a preview
and a pretty fine hoodie
too bad it's so obnoxious
I don't care but the wife won't be seen with me in it...

at the bench

2011-12-29T16:00:00.000-08:00

so yesterday I spent a goodly number of hours cleaning the tying den

I'm not quite finished but getting there

I really couldn't even walk across the room in any direction

now I can even sit in my papasan chair and relax

the stool is open and the vise available

this really is rather unusual

I may take some pics of the recently cleaned room

I should finish cleaning it though before I do that

just to see how long it lasts...

anyways, today I enjoyed a few hours tying flies

it was pleasant

I opened the blinds for some lovely natural light and noticed a striking shadow...

that's a #16 bwo btw
I was trying to rejuvenate my juju

the importance of my hands

2011-12-29T07:54:00.000-08:00

I was talking w/ an old buddy the other day

he said he never rides his hog around town - too dangerous

I agreed and mentioned how difficult things would be w/ a broken leg

I'd be fucked

couldn't fish golf drive whatever

the good news conceivably is that it would heal in time

as bad as it would be to break (or worse yet - lose) a leg

imagine losing use of one of yer hands or - worse yet - both

and now yer really talking fucked

this time of year my hands are a mess

I've got at least a dozen nicks cuts cracks scrapes and microcuts on my ten fingers

and they hurt

there are simple things my stupid fingers simply struggle to accomplish

it would be worse I suppose if I had arthritis or some other chronic ailment

tough enough as it is

when you think about it yer fingers and hands are as important to yer existence

as yer eyes ears and nose - prolly more important than yer ears or nose

my senses of hearing and smell suck as it is...

fortunately I've discovered a product that takes pretty good care of my hands

despite their shitty shape

it's called "working hands" and you can find it in the solvent section at lowe's

if yer hands suffer you owe it to yourself to try some

meanwhile, next time you find yourself in prayer

thank the good Lord for your hands

year-end photo dump

2011-12-27T08:52:00.000-08:00

just a few shots I cherry-picked

while looking through the iphoto library...

almost always my first selection for fishing...

brother in bamboo mike shay's adventure continues...
hopefully in a better place

you just know that there's a slob in there somewhere

I never did find him

guinness braised short ribs - my word!

a favorite shot of steve - back in the day

beloved wife anita on some of the best water in the west

stacked enchiladas and frijoles

this pic isn't so great, but I do like the texture indicated by the cheese on the beans

that red chile sauce is incendiary

latest

2011-12-27T07:17:00.000-08:00

tied this up after seeing something similar by the beatties in fly tyer mag...

really it's an excuse to check out the macro function

on yet another new camera

I was just puttering around - nothing serious

I just rarely manage to get around to tying flies anymore these daze...

lovely

2011-12-26T08:23:00.000-08:00

this is my favorite shot from Christmas day...

beloved niece lili

a classic beauty

christmas eve

2011-12-25T10:45:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I've mentioned that my sister resembles clay matthews

less so in this pic than another...

I'm pretty sure brianna shot that pic

speak of the devil herself - brianna recently renounced her vegetarian ways

she's got her hands full here

it was delightful to watch her polish off those two for real usinger's hot dogs

are things looking up?

2011-12-24T08:02:00.000-08:00

could they get any worse?

I'm not really talking about anything in particular

my psychological fitness rodbuilding the american economy local politics

and number of things

so I got a rod order recently

w/ one left to finish for the poore girls

two fe thomas tapers for myself

and two possibilities still up in the air

I will order components after the holidaze

and move on from building a blank to finishing some rods

why in the hell am I building myself two more rods?

one of which is a clone of one I already use alladamntime

my mentor is leaving the state

there is oh so much I still need to pick his brains on

and just from a fellowship point of view

I enjoy spending tome w/ him

and he will be long gone

though I get a sneaking suspicion that I may well be fishing for goldens this sunmer

post holiday blues settle in right easily

and they are less easy to shake

I suppose what I'm saying is that if you want a handmade

custom split cane flyrod - now just might be the time to order it

you'll be fishing it this spring

holidaze gift recommendation

2011-12-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

for the angler/flytier/rod builder who has everything

and since no one can afford a bamboo rod these daze...

last year I picked up a print from local artist tim johnson

this one...

this year I'll drop a little Christmas cash on this one...

I really do enjoy his work and so will you

thank you kind neighbors

2011-12-21T07:41:00.000-08:00

those freaking cookies were delicious

the other day my wife took a plate of cookies to the next door neighbor

the favor was returned last night

look at that polish beer!

anyone have any idea how to pronounce those names?

fairly likely that it sounds nothing like it looks...

muchas gracias amigos

ready for glue

2011-12-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

alas it's too cold...
I'll cut ferrule stations instead

catanach sir d

7ft 6in 4wt

well - I made this instead

2011-12-20T07:26:00.000-08:00

deviled eggs

uppity mountain hippy headwear hatband

looks like a corner in a proshop

two of three iron sets I gave a go to this season

the old irons are unwilling to leave or be replaced

they're just too comfortable

that's just ridicurous...

this can only mean one thing...

2011-12-19T07:49:00.000-08:00

more baking!

I don't know if I am excited by this or dreading it...

the good news is I'll only be doing a couple batches of cookies

maybe some deviled eggs...

during this latest baking binge we went through astronomical amounts of butter

"are you trying to turn us into a buncha fatasses sitting around on Christmas day?"

anyways, I've decided too that I will revert back to using labels

indexing just makes good sense to me

especially if I need to find something in the future...

setting the forms

2011-12-18T06:57:00.000-08:00

sir d

bound up...time to set forms for tip strips

three tip strips are planed three remain

will be gluing again soon it seems...

sir d underway

2011-12-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

twelve strips roughed and ready to be planed to butt numbers

six of which already have been taken down

benchtop tools

2011-12-14T19:16:00.000-08:00

you know what this is right?

would you like to see a picture of some cookies?

2011-12-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

fuck no yer thinking me too

I'm thinking that not fuck me

I'm thinking fuck no

I've got three rods in the works stymied awaiting delivery

mostly due to logistical deficiencies on my end

and really we read this to see the rods right?

this cold rainy weather makes me wanna stay inside

and bake cookies

I ate about forty today I'll bet and that's just ridiculous

and these are not dainty little fucking girl scout cookies either

now ya wanna see 'em doncha?

there are some pictured elsewhere hereabouts

these came out lookin more like one batch than another

I think they came out perfect

a substantial four bite cookie

I guess after all that I gotta show ya...

chocolate chips

lemon glazed shortbread

it won't be official until tonight...

2011-12-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

but I won the fantasy football league
oh yeah and the record reads 10-4
w/ > 1700 pts for...

Rank	Team	W-L-T	Pct	Pts For	Pts Against	Streak	Waiver	Moves
1.	hellhounds	9-4-0	.692	1555.09	1509.58	W-1	8	10
2.	bills bums	8-5-0	.615	1557.26	1499.44	W-1	3	44
3.	thuglife	7-6-0	.538	1590.97	1519.93	L-1	6	49
4.	Warpigs	7-6-0	.538	1531.58	1457.93	W-1	5	33
5.	TOO EASY	6-7-0	.462	1473.29	1478.91	L-2	4	24
6.	Blind Picker	5-8-0	.385	1468.45	1503.74	W-2	7	14
7.	the big johnsons	5-8-0	.385	1435.50	1508.91	L-1	1	19
8.	Heap O Trouble	5-8-0	.385	1362.78	1496.48	L-1	2	11

wire to wire

going away

there was never any doubt (kinda like the packers)

meanwhile here's a snack I fixed during yesterdaze packer game...

too bad sparky wasn't here

she loves spaghetti and meatballs

who doesn't?

benchtop tools

2011-12-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

these pairs of fly tying scissors are indispensable

in ye olde rod shoppe

this pair sits atop a magnet near the binder

this pair hangs from the tensioning pegs on the wrapping stand

sandpaper party con't...

2011-12-10T09:52:00.000-08:00

brought another rod outta the glue this morning

the sandpaper party was no slumber party

but it did resume...

2 pics - 3pc 5wt thomas taper

tung oiled

flash photo of cattanach 7ft 6in 4wt

candy

wait there's more!

2011-12-09T16:50:00.000-08:00

it was another fairly productive day

aside from the sandpaper party (which will continue through the night)

I made a quick dash to the dollar store for toothbrushes and plastic spoons

it's glue day again...

ready to take off the apexes

close up

sandpaper party has been on-going...

thomas 8ft 5wt 3pc

another one of these

varnish is going to cure a few daze

then I'll scuff it up nice w/ steel wool

and hit it w/ final coat

I need to order ferrules

sandpaper party

2011-12-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

well I've hit these sticks w/ 80 and 100 grit

so let's see...

only 150, 200 300 and 400 grit left

then teak oil over night - steel wool rubdown to follow the next morning...

striking

2011-12-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

I'm experimenting w/ wrap colors a bit

I don't know what color this is...maybe coffee?
it's either java or chestnut - prolly the latter

anyways it looks quite nice on a flamed rod

looks right nice on a blonde rod as well

and that agate!

first coat of varnish applied

those wraps will look like hard candy when they're done...

next up...

2011-12-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

we started this one yesterday

cattanach sir d 7f t6in 4wt

flamed

split into six strips

each in turn split into four...

staggered and ready for rough cuts

rough cuts completed - time to knock off the nodes

squeezing the nodes is next up

I'd better go get some beer...

c'mon mang!

2011-12-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

are you fucking kidding me?

a sad day indeed

2011-12-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

http://fishbamboo-shay.blogspot.com/2011/12/well-it-had-to-happen.html

I read this today with a heavy heart

what it is I do I owe to this guy

a debt no man can repay

all the best to you and vaya con dios amigo

you will be missed

cheeses I read that and it sounds like he's dead
he's not
just migrating to california
like a grey beard golden trout

yesterdaze pics

2011-12-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

as planned/intended I got a lot done yesterday

rough planing the // strip was gravy

took all of about twenty minutes

I did drop the oven though

fortunately nothing was broken

including the oven

I was gonna snap a pic of the radical angle the oven was canted

to equalize temperatures throughout

it was that crazy angle that forced me to drop it

oh yeah - I left the strip in the oven because of that crazy angle too

removed the tray

then I had to dump the strip out

put the heatgun on cool

chill out relax

plane roughed strip to butt strip size

set forms...

my favorite taper

tools of the trade

0520

three blanks at the end of the day

now we wait out the weather

and today's yet another chilly day

today shall be busy...

2011-12-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

[pics to follow - perhaps]

weather forecast calls for more cool weather

after dissolving my guts w/ acid while awaiting late delivery of glue

(I'm still pissed about it)

before long I'll have yet another rod ready to glue and the weather won't cooperate

rodmaking remains a game of hurry up and wait

as I was piecing together the six strips for the tip of the most recent rod

(7ft 3wt thomas taper)

the // strip didn't fit right

nodes didn't align - one adjacent to another

I remembered I had a blonde strip floating around the shoppe

it had to be the right one and was

today's task - rough out the strip press nodes cook plane to butt specs

reset forms to tip strips and plane tips

at some point (looks like next week) we'll be gluing

and having a sandpaper party

shall we?

2011-12-04T08:43:00.000-08:00

beloved niece brianna and yers truly

presenting the pies for thanksgiving throwdown

can you even believe I wear these?

2011-12-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

very comfortable and oh so stylish!

another day just like yesterday

2011-12-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

except I only roughed out one cooperative strip

time to get cooking...

that is what is going to be a blonde thomas 7032

those roughed out strips bound together resemble old tuna boat roads

set the cooker up like so...thermodynamic thing y'know?

looks about right

time to set the forms

0910

wet cold and rainy

2011-12-01T16:47:00.000-08:00

the view from the shoppe

I roughed 5 strips today every one of them a bear in a way

too tired to do the final strip

it'll be there in the morning

looks like we're in for a cold snap

good thing my glue still isn't here

tracking info shows it out for delivery

5:45 pm and I don't have it

envy

2011-12-01T09:15:00.000-08:00

pics posted for comparison purposes

top photo I ganked from my mentor and guru's blog, mike shay

he runs his strips through a beveler machine to achieve rough 60 degree sides

whereas I do it by hand and it is toilsome at best

a machine would significantly increase my efficiency

as shay can zip 18 strips in less time than it takes me to hand plane one strip

yesterday I rough planed six strips and it took me the better part of a day

as you can see in the picture above I'm looking for three 60 sides and three apexes

finish planing proceeds right quickly from there

so my favorite fishing buddy is a machinist

combine that skill w/ shay's knowledge and we could possibly build a beveler

we would like that

I spent an hour on a devilish strip this morning and I'm headed right back to it

blood will spill

2011-11-30T16:37:00.000-08:00

it's been a while since the last casualty in the rod shoppe

shoved my thumb with force into the sharp end of the froe

six strips rough planed

my arm is sore

and my fingertips nicked and bloody

that's a gel mat on the floor

I've got two - one at each bench

those sanuk shoes?

their soles are like gel pads

this is not my first nor last shout out for sanuk shoes

gruntwork con't

2011-11-30T10:59:00.000-08:00

going from what we have on the left to the hovering equilateral triangle

right now I'm battling a beast of a strip

and it is far from the toughest of the lot

incredible power fibers in these strips

they should prolly be made into a five weight

rather than the intended 3wt

and I believe the strips were roughed out for a 7ft rod...

YIKES!

look at poor p-nutt's teef!

six of them were extracted as they say

recovery was effortless and painless

he had his anal glands expressed as well

pleasant thought that, eh?

better get back to it

2011-11-29T12:01:00.000-08:00

node work is tedious bidness

we call this a schliske bamboo tramp stamp

butt section of the thomas 5wt and maple reel seat insert I'm considering using

it's easy to get distracted while pressing nodes

I made a handful of bodkins

planed the apexes off the rod sections

two rods ready for gluing

while I await delivery of glue

anyways there are more nodes to press

I am half way done though

the bottle is empty

2011-11-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

nightcap

benchside views

2011-11-26T12:33:00.000-08:00

thomas 5wt mentioned below

cattanach sir d pictured alongside

cooking cane

2011-11-26T09:37:00.000-08:00

unfortunately, it's not all that often that I get to cook cane

fortunately, this morning I did just that

note the variable temp heat gun

and dual probe thermometers

insulated steel tube hung from pulleys and adjustable

gloves are necessary when you extract and flip then remove rod sections

they're right hot

rod is blonde thomas 3pc 8ft 5wt
and my suspicion is that this thing will be a cannon

sila-flex medallion rod

2011-11-24T21:25:00.000-08:00

fiberglass rod built in costa mesa california

I need to get this out and play with it but it is a beautiful thing

a couple weeks ago my brother told me that dad stopped by his house and left me a rod

his wife's father's rod

I picked it up today

oh my

this thing looks like it has never been fished

ever

note the rubber o-rings on the ends of the male ferrules

kinda nifty

they're right fuggin' snug

bigass female ferrules

here's what wiki sez...

Medallion Rods, lightweight rods with Foulproof guides and tip-tops, “Armor plated” thread wrapped ferrules, brown spiral wraps with white trim, and a high grade, screw locking, anodized aluminum reelseat with two lock nuts. These rods were packaged with an aluminum case and cloth bag and sold for $60-$75. For the mid 50s, this was a very expensive fly rod - the comparable Phillipson Eponite rods were selling for $40-$50. Apparently, by 1956 the classic Silaflex guide wraps were in place.

happy thanksgiving

2011-11-23T17:31:00.000-08:00

I celebrate with you my favorite holiday

happy thanksgiving one and all

stay safe and share the love

don't forget to thank the Lord for His blessings

the hard work is done
it's all gravy from here on out
*knock on wood*

that's gonna be an 8ft 5wt 3pc rod

thomas taper

surprised?

it's for yours truly

and will likely be the last rod I build for myself

in a long time

I've got more than enough rods

I guess I'm thankful for that

my favorite holiday is tomorrow

2011-11-23T11:40:00.000-08:00

give thanks w/ a gracious heart

oh yeah - sparky says congratulations to ryan braun for winning the NL mvp

gruntwork con't

2011-11-21T10:58:00.000-08:00

roughed out 18 strips today

felt good

my wrist is sore

and fingers cramped

my favorite week of the year began on wednesday...

2011-11-19T07:56:00.000-08:00

with the airing of the president's cup in melbourne australia

yesterday I watched so much golf it was obscene

today will likely see more of the same

as a matter of fact I'm watching some that I'd seen last night

soon though we'll reach the point I quit

disappointing to see my pick for #1 oklahoma state go down on the cyclones

this is starting to look like a fishing pole...

sweet peas are coming up in the backyard garden...

se 'em?

this turkey won't be eaten next week...

I think I'll be baking a few pies this week

every day is like a weekend

pay attention! no one's listening

2011-11-17T07:49:00.000-08:00

finish planing a butt strip

12 strips - half of which are roughed half finished

note the size difference between a finished strip and a roughed strip

checking the fit

a fella stopped by the shoppe for a visit

he had a few interesting flies...

bread fly

right - new left - used

pretty ding donged clever methinks

oyster cracker fly

floats hook up due to a slip of mono and some split shot

hanging off the top side of the fly

he also had another bread imitation I wanted to see

I tie one from spun deer hair - perhaps there is a simpler solution

he had an ingenious corn fly tied of foam w/ a pocket for weight

I don't normally feature anyone else's flies here

(not even the crazy great mini hopper)

but big props to jason jones for thinking outside the box

w/ his fly design

BC

2011-11-11T18:55:00.000-08:00

hog sloppin'

there's a crow needing shooting

crows'll eat the little ckicks

apparently the turkey is slated for a deep fryer in march

the pigs don't know their fate

nothing you haven't seen before

2011-11-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

more rough planing

crunching numbers

bench notes and debris

I'm taking my time

slowing the fuck down and doing it right?

or just lazy

I am plenty lazy

well it's about time

2011-11-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

I made some curls today

my poor little arms aren't used to that type of workout

anyways, rough planed three strips

no hurries

jrank a few beers

listened to the new jayhawks

and broke out an old hated tool

I thought I'd retired

happy birthday to me

2011-11-02T05:30:00.001-07:00

'bout time, hunh?

cause node squishing is like that

2011-11-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

boring

I'm done
see?

still boring

a bunch of nonsense about nippers

2011-10-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

the other day I was putting together my tackle

nippers hemostats and the like

FLOATANT!

I snapped a few pics of my nippers

leatherman micra
handy little tool
when I thought I'd lost a pair I immediately replaced them
then I found the lost set in the pocket of my raincoat
so now I've got two

I've often said that the best nippers I've ever had said orvis on them
here's proof of it
I'll bet I've had those for a dozen years
and still sharp as hell
do yourself a favor and pick up a couple of these
next time you find yourself at the orvis store

those pictured are stuck to magnets on the inside lid of a flypatch

I really like these
mostly on account of the size
they fit and suit my hands well
I'm not sure if they're as sharp as the orvis one
I bought the smaller version of these as well
they just weren't as easy to operate as those shown

just in case you think I haven't been doing anything

2011-10-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't

this one's nearly out the door though

I like these shots

2011-10-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

look like cannon

it is cannon

that is one slick reel seat I'm telling ya

all water rod and overkill for most fishing here

this beast is made for steelheading or salty action

I suppose you could use it for catfishing??

oh yeah it's plastic

a critique

2011-10-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

fisheye!

topside

I don't much care for these pictures

but I'm posting them anyways to point something out

I figured this fly's body was perfectly dubbed

boy was I wrong

note the bulge nearly a bend in the body of both shots above

the question remains...does the trout care?

you saw this coming right?

2011-10-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

olive p adams

enough already w/ the pinche adams!

2011-10-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

I am not gonna tie one today
nor manipulate it...

adams wet

2011-10-19T10:29:00.000-07:00

this morning I was inspired tying yet another adams

a favorite to tie and fish

I recalled how much I enjoyed tying winged wets

so naturally I got buggy w/ it

you've seen this before

2011-10-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

bassbuggin' it

2011-10-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

just gotta say that I love tying gurglers

and...I hate foam

am lit

2011-10-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

when I told my wife her new indian name just might be beer fairy

she asked me if I ever have a mature thought

I told her I was thinking about things I could do to improve my golf game

she said that doesn't count

I clicked off the playoffs swept up the soldiers

threw them in the trash

sat down and wrote a poem about it

playing w/ photo editing...

2011-10-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

the rod formerly known as

2011-10-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

matamoscas

has assumed its working name

bread and butter

yeah it's silly...but it is a better name

especially for such a small and precise stick

from the top...

2011-10-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

shown culm has since been flamed and split

homefield advantage

2011-10-07T21:46:00.001-07:00

BEAST MODE!

nlds

2011-10-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

I expected an electric atmosphere

it only really got loud after marcum walked montero to load the bases

goldschmidt went yard for the grand slam

and that was the extent of that

I've been in beast mode now since the series started

collmenter stymied the brew crew and there were no beast mode antics on display

after the game while walking to the car we talked w/ a couple of brewer fans

the chick was looped lurching down the street singing the blues

"good thing we didn't bring our brooms" she says

"those brooms would have been tucked right into our asses"

a little later "you know what that felt like?"

"that was like getting fucked in the ass FIVE TIMES!"

she cracked me up and was the highlight of the night

at play

2011-10-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

I've always enjoyed tying adams

snapped a pic of one I tied the other day

played w/ it at photobucket

I like the results

back on track?

2011-10-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

a tip wrap needed a redo...

literally two minutes worth of work

I had this idea

does this mean d-backs v brew crew goes five games?

yeah yeah yeah get on with it she says

2011-10-03T23:37:00.000-07:00

and it's a beautiful fucking thing

fear the beer

2011-10-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

we'll be there tuesday evening

sporting brooms

BEAST MODE!

rain

2011-10-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

spent yesterday in the high country

late in the afternoon fishing in the rain

the temp was right cool

nearing the soaking stage we called it quits

the weather was delightful

a lightning strike?

fished a dandy little 3pc 3 wt

caught a lotta fish...

beautiful or what?

for reference

my middle finger

yes that one...

is three and one half inches bottom knuckle to tip

stuck a bunch of these little launchers

sports talk!

2011-10-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

what an exciting weekend this is

most exciting since well college football opening weekend

and the nfl opener...

first up - I didn't play golf this week and that sucks

second - hometown playoff series

brew crew (hometown) vs d-backs (adopted hometown)

feel free to guess who I'm rooting for...

note: harvey's wallbangers/bambi's bombers tribute mustache

all I can say at this point is that regardless of the outcome

(I hate five game series)

I'll be somewhat disappointed AND I'll be pulling for the winner to advance

finally - 5pm local time the badgers square up against the cornhuskers!

fucking a - first test in a national title run...
are you ready to jump around?

'bout time

2011-09-29T16:54:00.001-07:00

kiddy meal

2011-09-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

sparky's lunch on a football sunday afternoon

photo dump con't - I just like this shot

2011-09-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

implied dynamics?

perhaps a repeat offender - nevertheless it's photo dump time...

2011-09-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

ain't that purty?

recycled agate stripper

who is that guy?

2011-09-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

two years ago yesterday this guy had a helluva lotta hair