ejtaylor822

Congratulations!!!!!!! You are in for the best time of your life.

Hey Flechero, I made a rod with one for my wife. It was a 16 on a 5'-6" Shikarii. She likes it and I have fished it several times and like it as well. However - I am not looking to make another with them. I ordered another one for my Dad's I built for Father's day. Using an 18 on a Lamiglas XMG50. I could not for the life of me get the "window" to look right. So, I ordered a 16 and still could not get it the way I wanted. I guess it's OK to have have the blank much narrower than the hole (large gap) but I just like to have a smaller gap. I am sold on the TCSD's. But then again, I am a total newb. Eddie

2x, 3x, 4x, 5x...... Want to know why I am not on the boards much anymore? Down in "the room" building rods. Been working outside all day today and just too tired to work on them - yes THEM - tonight. I actaully heard my wife gasp when she opened the credit card statement this month.... It is addicting.

I prefer FOX as well. TNT's coverage is just too disruptive with the in race commerncials and regualr commercials. I really do enjoy Kyle Petty though.

WOW!!!! Awesome pics. ! NEeD T o c1eAN m y k ey b0A.RD BEfore +he DrOoL .. rUInS i+.

Thanks, guys. Appreciate the kind words and feedback. Flechero, is right - great satisfaction in catching one on a rod made by yourself. It also means a lot to have kind words and encouragement from you guys who know. Thanks. IB/Alex, will be happy to help anyway that I can. I can give you a newbie/beginner's perspective how not to do things - ie, when creating decorative wraps be sure to trim by cutting AWAY from the wrap ;^). Happy too help anyway, anytime I can, just let me know. But, you also need to talk to some of the more seasoned guys like Alpster and Flechero. Also David G's (reelmech) website and information in the sticky's above is among the best there is. However, I will give you the same warning I was given IT IS ADDICTING! (and a blast!) Ronnie, so true. I just love being down in my room working on my rods. As I tell people: no computer, no boss, no deadlines, no meetings. Just me and the rod, some string and a little glue my happy place. Rod making reminds me of what I heard John Montgomery (a world class violin craftsman here in Raleigh) said once. Went something like you spend hours and hours pouring your heart and soul into a violin but you never know how it will sound until the first time you pull the bow across the strings. Rod making is a lot like that too. Just never know until that first cast is made. Flechero, it's a standard wrap. Going to give spirals a try one day, but just sticking with the regular for now. Thanks again, guys.

Alpster, You rock!!!! I bet the only one smiling bigger than those kids was you. Great job!!! Thanks for sharing - not only the pics but your time with the kids. Eddie

I've got a Pflueger UL combo that I bought at Dick's. Think it was $59 and it was on sale $39. Used a discount and GC I had and think I ended up paying around $9 for it. I love that little set up.

Oh yes, sorry, it was a Bluegill. My wife just walked by and saw I had posted this. She wanted me to make sure that everyone knew she dressed herself that day (my little girl, not the wife ;D ) - shoes on the wrong feet, color mismatch and the shirt is on inside out. Some battles just aren't worth fighting - clothes to go fishing in, at this point in life, is not one of them. But, like I told my wife, we fisherman don't pay too much attention to the clothes.

Happened a couple of weeks ago.... Had been refinishing my FIL's old trout rod - new guides and cleaned/refinished the cork. Was finishing up the sanding of the cork when my daughter walked up said that I was wokring on her rod - had been working on my wife's new one for a while and guess my little girl was feeling left out. Anyway, she announced to my wife and I that it was her fishing rod and that she wanted to go fishing. Not missing an opportunity to fish, we took off down to the pond. Well, I thought we should target the Bluegill but I guess she has bass fishing in her as she kept wanting to cast and retrieve - wouldn't let it sit still for anything. She actually did good for a while - can't sit still for anything - then she lost interest and started throwing stuff in the pond. I just sat there until I got a little nibble. Set the hook and called her over. She reeled it in and was thrilled to have caught her first fish. She had to pet it - even tried to kiss it. She wanted to take it home and play with it in the bath tub when she took her bath. Had to tell her that was probably not a good idea as fish did not need a bath. The cool thing is that my wife used this same exact rod and reel when she was a little girl to fish with her Dad. Was a great day. Eddie

Took my new rod out yesterday afternoon to try it out. Was a 100 deg. so didn't expect much. On the fourth cast caught a small one, probably about a pound or so that threw the hook when I got him close to the bank. Two casts later, I reeled this one in. The skunk is gone. Eddie

Awesome! THAT is a good day!

Ahhhhh, the Black Forest. Wife and I had many a good meal there. Not too many though as it was expensive. They had the best deserts in all of Asheville.

Congratulations! Hope you guys got lots of sleep.....

Sorry, Burley - I hear ya. Second day of 100 degrees here in central NC - along with the humidity - and its only the first of June > Tomorrow and Tuesday are not supopse to be any better and my AC is out in the car..... Isn't all this heat Al Gore's fault?

It is addicting...... Been away for a while - work and spending my evenings trying to satisfy my addiction. After PM'ing and discussing with flechero and Alpster decided to give rod making a shot. The one on the right (above) was built on a Shikari II blank for the wife. It's a 5'6" blank. Know that the split grip is not that practical, but just love the way split grips look. Also, I was using this as one as practice -- for the one on the left. I built the one on the left for me. The blank is a 7'0" Lamiglass CCB 854 MF that I picked up at the Rod expo along with a custom fuji reel seat. The guides are Fuji titanium. Finished the rod two weeks ago but had yet to make the first cast with it. Had some time yesterday afternoon, and even though it was100 deg. here, tied on my favorite Rattlin' Rapala baby bass and headed down to the pond. It absolutely casts a mile and I love the feel of this rod - it is now my favorite and will get a lot of use. And, here is the end result of this rod..... Hooked a small one on the 4th cast that threw the hook and pulled this one in two casts later. Working on another right now for my Dad for Father's day. Using a Lamiglass blank to make him a 6'0" lite setup. Got a few more in the pipe after that. Yes, I am now hopelessly addicted. Eddie

Hey, Ronnie, like you, I have a lot of good memories. Most recently I spent some time as part of a "traveling" praise and worship band doing music festivals and conferences. Tried to make a run at Nashville as a Christian session bassist but that dream passed me by. Play at Church once in a while and an occasional gig/album. I miss playing tremendously, as I am sure you do. My wife will tell you music is my first love. But, my time now is spent at home with her and my little girl. Like you said, LIFE IS GOOD. Eddie

Alpster, so very cool you are a clasical guitarist. To me classical guitar is one of the hardest techniques to master. I had no idea. Sorry to hear of your arthiritus - nothing cuts a career shorter than that and tendonitis. Me, I was once a semi-professional bassist. Played about everything from Classical to classic rock and theater to thrash (early years) and all in between. My Guitarsenal. The upright is a 3/4 Czech carved top. But, my pride and joy is my custom made Rocsoe 5-string in the middle. The first time I saw that "bass" it was a chunk of wood with the bark still on it. Keith Roscoe makes and awesome bass!!!! Exclusive SWR user.

Family was in town this weekend. My Dad, Brother and I head down to the pond Saturday morning. My Dad and I love to fish. My Brother does not care for fishing. The last time he fished was a couple of summers ago on the pond. Well, I give him my spinning set up (that I was going to use) rigged weightless with watermelon Strike King zero and show him where to fish it. On his third or fourth cast he pulls in a 4 1/2 lbr - the largest I know of that has come out of the pond. Looked post spawn and believe it would have went 5 lbs. My Dad was absolutely slaying the bluegills, along with a few bass, on night crawlers. He caught over a dozen within an hour - having himslef a great time. My brother caught a few more - around a couple pounds or so. Me? I was skunked. My brother pointed out that I was to busy helping him and my Dad, but, that was being kind. I was tossing all kinds of stuff - swimbaits, spinners, slow/shallow cranks, top waters, etc. But, sometimes nothing beats a worm - plastic or live.

Very, very nice! Love the colors and layout. Let us know how it does.

Found this on Kansas. Very cool. 8-) http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5821

I like the album - not one of my favs from them but is a very good album. With that said though, Lars' snare drum sounds like he was using an aluminum trash can. Its horrible. Very hard for me to listen too and truly enjoy with that "dead clank" for a snare drum - especially on St. Anger, Some Kind of Monster, and, Invisible Kid. Just my $0.02.

Very nice. Really digging that pattern - that looks like it would catch some fish. Of course, I am partial to traps.

Very nice!!! You lure guys with these killer paint schemes are amazing.

I agree!!!!! I thought I had missed it - thanks Frogtog. I saw the "best of season X" the other night flipping through the guide and got excited thinking the new season was starting this week. Checked to make sure the DVR was ready and went on. When I checked the DVR last night - nothing. Got a little concerned and made a mental note to 2x check the repeat for next week. Glad I didn't miss it after all. I love that show (and dirty jobs as well). Deadliest catch is about the only "fishing show" my wife will watch with me. Watching that show makes me appreciate my office job. We should start a poll/pool to see who has the biggest catch this year - from first to last. My $$$ is on Capt. Sig followed by Harris.