A lot of good that is

This is my second net built. It still needs the net sewn in. I wanted to get some pics taken of it with my new camera. The hoop is out of walnut and maple and the grip is a nice piece of box elder burl I found next to the stream. The inset is chokecherry burl, which I like alot. I need to find a bigger piece to do the main part out of chokecherry. I tried making the grip a little more grippier. I used a rotory tool to give it some character. I love how it turned out and am starting to work on a third. Plus I am really wanting to build another rod. I also took a few random pics with my new camera to test it out. It is the gopro camera, set to take apic every 2 seconds.

Someday

Found this pic in one of my folders that I had not looked at in some time. This was taken in my Bamboo Room, or the room I build rods in. I am from Idaho and I love it. Someday I want a VW bus painted with the Idaho license plate scene all the way around. That would be nice. It would have a fly tying desk in it and a place to dry my waders.

Brown Trout

I finally found some time to get to the river and fish. I only landed one, but had lots of strikers.

My Net

I just finished my net last night. I am happy with the way it turned out. I learned alot about steaming wood and form design. I am excited to build another one. I can build them alot faster than a bamboo rod, so there is a little faster gratification. I used Walnut, Maple and Chokecherry burl in the construction of this net. It requires you to mill out 1\8 inch strips of wood and then steam it. You then bend the strips around a form. Design a handle and glue the strips up. Then lots and lots of filing and sanding to shape it. I finished it up with some teak oil. Went to the river today to see if there was a fish willing to pose with my net for a few snap shots.

Never Disappoints

I fished one of my favorite streams today. It never disappoints me. For the first time ever I caught a brown on it. It usaually homes brooks and cutts. This brown makes the sixth species I have caught on this little stream. Brook, Cutt, Rainbow, Brown, Tiger and Whitefish.

My Own Private Idaho

Last weekend I went to Idaho to fish with my dad and brother. We had talked about it for years and we finally did it. We rode horses in for the day and did a little fishin. It was a pretty slow day. The biggest fish was a 14 inch Cutt. Beautiful fish, with a nice red gill plate. I was hoping to find a grayling but no sucsess. I cant wait to take my boy up there on a horse and set up camp and fish.

Casting for Trout

A little casting sequence. I love photos with the line in the air. photos by Roberta Boice

My Brown

Here are a few more pics of our South Fork trip. I think about this brown trout everyday. Just about finished with another rod. I am starting to build my first net too. Mostly just researching and getting ideas, and in a few years I want to build a drift boat. I have to save money for that though.

Casting

This photo is one of my favorites. Cort and I on the South Fork. It was taken by his mother. Awesome day of fishin.

South Fork

I had the chance to go to Idaho this weekend with Cort. We delivered a bamboo rod I built for his brother Shawn, and of course we fished. I would first like to thank our wives for letting us have this time to be boys again. Second I would like to thank all of Cort's Idaho family. They all took such good care of us with meals and a place to sleep and really nice company. And a special thanks to Shawn. Shawn woke up at 5:30 in the morning to row for us as we drifted the South Fork. He has years and years of experience floating rivers. He took us to some really awesome spots, on a pretty dangerous river. Then he took us the rest of the day and all of the next jet boating. We would hit these gravel bars loaded with fish. We all landed lots of fish. Two of my favorite came from the same hole. One is the 19 inch Brown that I landed with my 4wt bamboo rod. I felt really lucky to get him in. He fought like a monster. the second was a nice Cutt, really really colorful. Trip of a lifetime. Hopefully we can get back there again. Thank you so much Shawn and Cort for hooking me up.