Jaws at Lockhart

This shot reminds me of when I was a kid; I thought the gill rakers looked like a bear trap ready to spring. Hey, is that a hair bug in there? Watch out little guy! (By the way, did everyone know that if you click the image, you open the full size file?).

I was sure to thank HG Lehman for inviting me out to the lake this week. I needed to wet a line badly. It's an addiction I'm told. I hooked HG up with a "fire sale" on bait casting rods a few months ago, and even though I got some dear sausage out of that visit, I was hopping he would call me sometime with an invite to the lake. It was overcast and windy this particular day, but I was able to do the job with my custom 6wt GLX. The only deer hair flies I seem to be throwing these days are from my buddy Chip, naturally. I went with a popper, over the vast diver selection I've acquired lately. I know I keep saying this, but I can't wait to throw these new bugs at redfish. I will try to make a saltwater trip happen soon. It has been way too long. The weather is looking "ify" for next week.

FFF Gulf Coast Expo

Clint Jackson gave fly tying instruction in a different light, on the stage of the New Braunfels Civic Center. This weekend was the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) Gulf Coast Expo. There were dozens of programs and workshops, which included presentations by featured guest Chico Fernandez. It was like a family reunion. We saw friends from the Texas fly fishing community that we had not seen in a while. We made some new friends as well.

Our friend Rus Schwausch was at the expo. He had nearly as many new guide prospects as client prospects. His remote tent camp on the Alaska Peninsula is one of the most attractive destinations for guides, anglers, and adventurists. We speak from experience; the location there in Nakalilok Bay is EPIC in every way.

Rod Building, Part 8

I love the way a newly epoxy rod looks. Unfortunately, they loose their luster like a pair of running shoes. Solution: Own more running shoes (rods) and they'll all look good longer!
The inscriptions turned out well on this rod. I have not sought the approval to share this customer's name; therefore we won't be showing that part of the inscription.
The thread looks almost black in this image, even though it is the same as olive green color as the St. Croix rod blank. It will look good in the morning sun!

In the very first rod building post, we showed a black rubber Fuji butt cap like this. We ended up not using it for this rod, but we're using it for another similar rod. This image shows the few steps to acquire this cap. First, we put it on the lathe. The inside diameter on the smallest Fuji rubber butt cap is .75". While the large cap is turning, cut the end off with a razor, and we have our new cap. The way I was taught this method, the texture was sanded off the rubber butt cap when the cork was shapped. This causes a lot of heat on the rubber, breaks down the adhesive bond, and often causes the cap to fall off during sanding or during fishing. Solution: Sand and shape the cap on the lathe before cutting with the razor (cap on the far right). To center it on the rod butt, use 1/4" masking take to build a shim. The rest is easy.

We dig the St. Croix Rods because they are what G. Loomis was 15 years ago. 1) They are the highest rated manufacturer of spinning, casting, and fly rod blanks, 2) they're customer service and warranty programs are competitive, 3) and their top of the line graphite blanks are fairly priced. I'm most impressed with their light weight and overall performance.
G. Loomis blanks are harder to get today, but there are still a good number of them floating around. Just don't expect to get any from the G. Loomis company. Let me clarify that, because you can get great rod blanks from "Gary" Loomis. North Fork Composites is Gary's new venture and he has an interesting marketing plan for rod builders and rod customers. Visit his web site for details.