BlueHalo Jade

This is a color Cort chose for the blanks. It is a very unique color. Deciding thread colors could have been hard, but not for this one. Cort's favorite color is purple, there done. I went back and forth on reel seat spacer. Maybe all metal from Joel. Then I remembered, a friend had given me a bunch of purpleheart. That would be perfect. As I am mainly a bamboo fisher, I find this rod close to my comfort zone. A blast to cast.

Shop Time

Working in the shop on a rod for Cam at The Fiberglass Manifesto. Just started varnishing it yesterday. Those pics will be coming soon.

Blue Halo Build

Built this rod out on a 8' 5/6 wt Blue Halo Sundrop blank. I've finished out a few of these blanks and really enjoy dry fly fishing with them. I also use a lot of streamers and it performs very well. This is strong quick blank, with alot of good reviews. Check out www.bluehalogear.com for pricing on blanks. Also alot of reels for sale.

Raw Glass

I have been planning this build for a little while. I knew I wanted to do something I hadn't seen before, but still look good and not too crazy. Also I tried a few new techniques on this rod with varnishing, with great results. Raw fiberglass blank, light blue wraps and poplar burl reelseat. This is gonna be a fun one.

Alaska

Beginning of June found me heading to Alaska to do some granite countertops in a cabin on a roadless shoreline of the Icy Straight. After being picked up on a fishing boat out of Juneau we started the 2 hr boat ride to the cabin. 3/4 of the wat there the captain stopped the boat and said " It's high tide, I think this will be a good spot". 20 minutes later I had my first Halibut. The biggest of the day. Ty caught a flounder and a smaller halibut. With only one other fisherman on the boat we limited out in no time. The cabin we worked in was right next to a stream that at high tide brought in a bunch of Dolly Vardens. Ty had his first experience with flyfishing. We were getting fish almost every cast. While most weren't of any size, we did land some nice 18 to 20 inchers. One of the highlights for me was taking off in the little plane from the dirt runway swarmed with pine trees. Getting the birdseye view of the area was awesome.

White Bass Blue Rod

Took the demo rod I have been workin on out fishin. Cort and I hit the lake and caught a few white bass. Clouser minnow did it for me and Cort got some top action frog popper. To bad we couldnt have stayed out longer. I freakin love how this rod handles. The way it loads is amazing, transfers the energy right to you.

New Fiberglass Build

Finished wrapping a rod I got in a few weeks ago. Very pleased with it. It is a very smooth and quick 8' 5wt. I lawn cast it for about a hour and a half. Can't wait to get her on the water. The signature wrap on this one is my interpretation of a Brown Trout. I think it looks great and really livens up the rod.

On Her Way Home

Finished Shane's rod and got it in the mail today. She is on her way back to Michigan. Hopefully she will be a good companion for Shane. I have to say this is probably my most favorite rod that I have built. Shane and I started talking two months ago about fiberglass, he asked me if I had time to finish a rod for him. A few days later I recieved a blank in the mail and I got started. This was a great project and I had fun.

Rod Specs:
7'6" 4wt 2/2 Swelled Butt Shane Gray blank
Joel Lemke Reel Seat
Custom Bamboo Ferrules made by Me
Charcol main wraps, tipped w/ sunburst, med brown.
Dipped Man-O-War Spar Varnish

Wrapped

Ferrules wrapped and ready for finishing.

Shane Grip

The grip is now shaped for Shane. Will be mounting the grip and seet soon. Then build some bamboo ferrules.