It's Coming Together

This is just a quick post to give you an update on the quest I’m on to develop my own line of fly rods.

Things are beginning to come together. The first run of prototype blanks are due to be delivered tomorrow. I’m very excited about this. Hopefully I’ll be able to work with the blank supplier to tweak the blanks and give the fly caster the feel I’m looking for.

Another development is that I got a wood turning lathe for Christmas. I’m going to turn my own reel seat inserts. Maybe with the help of Mark Malczynski, I’ll get it figured out in time to include them on my first builds.

Stay tuned as I post further developments on the birth of D.F. Fly Rods.

Christmas Lists

This holiday season I’ve been surfing the net, doing some blog reading and have noticed a lot of them are putting out gear lists trying to give folks ideas of what to get the fly fisherman in their life. There is a lot of cool gear out there but I’m not going to sit here and give you a list of neat gadgets, reels, or rods. I figure if you’re reading a fly fishing blog then you know what’s out there and a pretty good idea of what gift you intend to purchase.

What I’d like to do is give you a list of fly fishing destinations. This won’t be your ordinary garden variety destination list though. This one is strictly for warm water species and some of them may not be locations that you’ve heard of.

South Llano River State Park This State Park is just south of Junction, TX. It’s a great river to float or wade and it’s where I caught my first Rio Grande Cichlid.

Brazos River Below Lake Whitney There are several access points to the river below the dam near Hillsboro, TX. This fishery provides chances for both small mouth and large mouth bass, white bass, bluegill and carp. It’s also a great river to float or wade. But, if you hear the horn at the dam signal an immanent water release, get out of the river. The water comes up quicker than you think.

If white bass are what you long for; this spring don’t overlook the Nolan River in Hill County, TX. It boasts an awesome springtime white bass run. It’s known by most Texas fly fishermen and nearly every spin caster so it gets a lot of pressure. But, there’s not very many things are as fun as tossing a Clouser at schooling sandies.

Most everyone knows that crappie make some of the best table fare. If you have a boat, Miller Creek Lake near Munday, TX is a great place to go. Bring at least a sink tip along and hit the brush piles.

I saved my favorite place for last. Caddo Lake in far East Texas is warm water heaven. All I can say about this fishery is I love it. Give Billy Carter a yell and he will put you on the fish. If you find yourself in Uncertain, TX (yes there is such a place) check out Johnson’s Ranch. It’s the epitome of a fish camp; nothing fancy but hey, you’re there to fish right?

Oh by the way, Merry Christmas.


d

Sharing a Cold and Wet Day of Fishing

The alarm clock rang out, my wife gently touched my shoulder and I raised myself to a sitting position. After convincing my arthritic knees and ankles they could once again support my weight, I staggered off to the bathroom. It was 2:30 in the morning and I was happy. I was going fishing. 245 miles later, Doug Hollen, Carl Sims, and I were fishing the Blue River in Oklahoma. It was cold and wet but we managed a few rainbows.

Doug struck first taking this nice one on a midge.

Carl answered with this chunk taken on a jitterbee of all things.

I have been determined to take a trout on a briminator. I began the day using them and promptly got broken off twice after vicious hits. Now that I know they’ll work, all I have to do is bring a trout to hand and get a photo of it with the triumphant briminator planted firmly in its lip. Then I’ll be satisfied. I did get on the board though with this guy who fell to another Doug Hollen tied midge.

Carl ended the day with this toad. It was the fish of the day and gave Carl and his little 4wt a run for their money.

At the end of the day, we were standing around saying our goodbye’s, when Doug commented on how it’s always fun to go fishing but it’s infinitely more fun when a day of fishing is spent with the camaraderie of good friends. He was absolutely right. I mean, come on getting up at 2:30 and driving over 200 miles to stand in bone numbing cold water waving a stick in the air is fun; getting to share it with a couple of buddies makes it special…

d

Insight

In the last post, I showed you guys a rod that I rebuilt a few years ago. Since then I’ve rebuilt several more as well as built up several on various blanks. It didn’t take long for me to recognize that I have a passion for building fly rods but, I wanted to do more than just wrap guides and turn cork.

I began researching ways to bring my own line of fly rods to the public. It took a couple years but I’m happy to announce that I’ve found a company to build fly rods to my specifications. It will be a time consuming process of test, tweak and retest, but it is happening. In fact, the first batch of prototype rods are en route to my front door as we speak.

This is just a little insight into what’s coming up in the next few months. Keep checking T.D.F. for updates. I’ll post build information and pictures of the whole process.

How It All Started Part 3...

A few years ago a couple good friends of mine named Gene Bethea & Barry Evans convinced me to try rod building. I was reluctant at first because I didn't want to totally screw up a high dollar rod blank. Gene sent me a book and told me that I'd never find out if I could do it unless I tried.

I had an old fly rod that was more of a broomstick than anything else. I decided I'd turn it into a crappie rod for my Father-in-Law. It turned out okay and would up being one of his favorite rods.

Since I developed a love for fiberglass rods, I began picking up old worn out rods on eBay and rebuilding them. That's when my Father-in-Law stepped back into the picture. He told his Brother-in-Law about what I had been doing. It so happened that he had an old Sila-flex bait caster that he wanted rebuilt.

After getting the rod, I was shocked to see the shape it was in. I did some research into the original color of the wraps and thread size and dove right in. The following are a few before and after photos.

I knew I wanted to save the old Sila-flex label. Fortunately, I was able to do so.

The old rod had definitely seen better days.

I used Gudebrod brown and gold thread in size B. I think it matched up pretty well.

All in all I was pretty pleased with the outcome; thankfully, so was my first customer.

A Few Things...

The holidays are here! I never do get ready in time and have had a lot going on these past few months. Here are a few things that might be of interest to you.

Fishy Kid is wrapping up their first contest and about to begin the judging. There are TONS of The Fiberglass Manifesto is now taking T-Shirt orders for the 2010 model. They are cool and priced right. Go over there and dig around in his blog if you want to see some awesome looking fly rods and great interviews of some of the fly fishing industry's leaders.

Speaking of leaders... If you're tired of going through smooth tapered leaders like you know what through a goose, and you're tired of knotted leaders hinging or pulling in more weeds than fish; check out DF Furled Leaders. I guarantee they will turn over a fly better than any smooth taper or knotted leader you've ever tried.

I've been working on a few things and have a surprise that, hopefully will be ready to unveil early in the Spring so stay tuned!!!!

Varying Levels of Stupidity (Another Non-Fly Fishing Post)

Somewhere I'm sure, there is a law of quantum biophysics that states (I paraphrase): The male human being shall commit acts that vary in level of stupidity, and such level is, as odd as it seems, directly proportional to the age of said male human being. It all starts with something like sticking a bobby pin into a light socket at the tender age of 3. Then one may graduate to jumping one's bicycle off of ramps to see who can fly the farthest. Later on, these stupid acts often involve motor vehicles.

About a month ago a guy reached a somewhat "rare air" level of stupidity. He tried to drive his pickup across the Red River about 10 miles from my house.

The pickup remains there today as it was walked away from a month ago. I assume as a testament, or an omen maybe, to those that are beckoned to the river with the same intentions. I understand it; really I do. I mean what guy hasn't thought he could take his 2 wheel drive 1992 Ford Ranger across the Red River?

However, sometimes the testing reaches a level of stupidity never before heard of. I'm talking something beyond the realm of semi-intelligent reasoning. Today as I crossed the very same bridge, I saw what has to be the stupid act of all stupid acts. On the other side, not the other end, but the other side of the bridge I saw this:

Yes, that is the river bottom. Yes, that is a pop-up camper and a very nice travel trailer. Yes, that is flowing water on the left of the photo. And, yes that is the very apex level of stupidity.

On This Date... (A Non-Fly Fishing Post)

On this date 23 years ago I boarded a bus in Galveston, Tx bound for the Military Entrance Processing Station in Houston; 4 hours later, I was officially in the Navy. From there it was to Waukegan, IL and Recruit Training Center Great Lakes for boot camp and then across the street to Naval Training Center for a little over a year of schooling in electronics. Then I was off to Naval Station Norfolk, VA for more training. After that, I was sent to Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, CA where I spent the next four and a half years stationed at Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobil Unit-3. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Navy. But, I had a family, which doesn't mix with deployments very well, and 14 more years seemed like an eternity so I got out. I had no idea what life after the Navy had in store for me. For the most part, it has been a blast and, looking back, I wouldn't change a thing really. The only shock has been how quickly these 23 years have passed.

One of my fondest memories from my time in the Navy came on Christmas day in 1986. I was still in boot camp and obviously none of us could spend the day with family. The USO stepped in and organized a day where recruit trainees could spend the day with families in the area. I didn't get to spend the day with a family in the literal sense. I was lucky enough to spend the day at the Oak Park, IL Fire House with the firefighters on duty. Never before or since have I seen such a close knit group. Never before or since have I been treated so well by strangers. Not only is it one of my fondest memories, it was one of my favorite Christmas days. I'll never forget those guys.

I know it's about a week early for Veteran's Day, but I want to thank all those that served this great country before me, with me, and after me. If it weren't for you, the past 23 years may not have gone by so easily nor quickly. I also want to thank those that support the military. You make the hardships that go along with serving our nation feel more worthy.


D.

"I can't complain but sometimes I still do"

I was driving to work the other morning leaned over and propped up on the arm rest because my back had gone out…again. Along with the back spasms came a grumpy mood and I began to wish I was driving to work somewhere up in the mountains. Then I started wishing I had a different job. Then I started wishing I was rich enough that I didn’t have to work. But, I figured I’d get even more bored not working than I was at that moment with my current job. So, then I wished I had my own rod shop where I built custom rods for people and repaired those that were put together by inferior hands. Then I wondered what would be the use, there isn’t much water around here to fish. The only option I had was to punt my job and move somewhere that cool mountain streams defined the landscape. Then I realized that I couldn’t move because my wife loves it here and my mom would be left here without any help. I gave up and resigned myself to the fact that I was stuck here for life; and it sucked. It was shaping up to be a lousy day.

About 5 miles before I got to work I began to think about how good it made me feel when Howard called to tell me how much he loved the fly rod I built him. Then I thought about the fishing trip to Colorado I got to take this past summer. It sure was a nice respite from the oppressive heat of Texas. Then I began to think about all the friends I have made over the years at various fly fishing events and the awesome fishing trips I’ve had with them. I looked out to the west and saw a couple of does and fawns grazing in a wheat field with a crop so lush and green it looked like carpet. I began to think about how these morning drives to work are really nice. The allow me to plan my day and be ready to face the day’s challenges when I walk through the office door. I reached over to adjust the temperature of the defroster. It reminded me that the overtime and bonus’ I got while out of town last year helped me pay cash for nearly the full amount of the pickup I was sitting in. I began thinking about my family. I’ve got a wonderful wife. She takes care of me and the house. Her worst darkest moods are better than most women’s good ones. And, she understands that sometimes a guy just needs a fishing trip. We aren’t rich but have all that we need. Our house is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. All of my kids are either in college or working, being productive citizens. Two of them are married and have wonderful wives of their own. By the time I got to work I realized I'm a blessed man. It was shaping up to be a good day.

Joe Walsh was right. “Life’s been good to me so far.”

D

How It All Started Part 2...

The other day a friend of mine told me I had an artist’s heart, or soul, or something or other. I’m not too sure about that. All I know is I like to write and I feel the need to create. And, like most people I know, if I’m going to do something, then I owe it to myself to put out the best work I am capable of.

Last week, I posted the story of how and why I started fly fishing. This week I’m writing about how I got started tying flies.

Soon after I began fly fishing joined one of the zillions of fly fishing websites. Some of those cyber places can be full of snooty tweed wearing people that I affectionately refer to as “trout weenies”. This site was different. It was full of good ol’ boys that loved to fly fish. Everybody was friendly and eager to help newbies. I was full of questions and these guys were full of answers.

It wasn’t long before I struck up a friendship with a retired football coach and school administrator. His name is Gene but he’s better know by the screen name of Pearow. He’s exactly as you’d imagine a retired football coach; gruff, sarcastic, & quick witted. But, spend a little time with him and the reason why he spent all those years teaching & coaching comes to light; he loved it. Every time I’ve gotten to fish with him, I’ve come away knowing something I didn’t before the trip.

Enough of the back story. As I was saying, it wasn’t long after I started fly fishing that I realized I wanted to tie flies. I began asking questions about tying vises and materials. I was interested in what types of materials and vise features but mostly what the cost would be. I didn’t want to jump in with both feet and wallet only to find I couldn’t learn how to tie or didn’t like it. I voiced my concerns and that’s when Pearow stepped in. He sent me an email asking what my mailing address was. This was before we had met face to face and I wasn’t too sure about giving my mailing address to a guy I had only met in cyber space.

After 2 or 3 email volleys of me asking why he wanted my address and him telling me not to worry about it, he finally told me what he had up his sleeve. He had an old tying vise and a box full of materials that he wanted to send me. That was followed by several more emails of how much I owed him for the stuff. Pearow would not take a dime for any of it. His only requirement was that I send the vise along with a box full of tying materials on to someone that wanted to learn how to tie.

I tied those materials onto hooks held in that vise for several years before I upgraded to a better vise and had acquired mountains of materials of my own. One day, on that same website, there was a young man that began asking questions not unlike the ones I had years before. I began the same email chain that Pearow had begun with me. I finally convinced him to take the vise and box of materials on the same condition I took them.

After I sent them I called my now fishing buddy Pearow and told him I no longer had the old vise. Only then did I learn that I had sent the old vise to hold hooks for the 11th person wanting to learn how to tie flies. Since then that website had been shut down and I no longer have any contact with the guy that I sent the old vise to, but I’d bet money he’s sent it to number 12.

How It All Started...

“Dad, my leg’s broke.” Those were the first words out of my mouth after being body slammed off the back of a green broke colt I’d been gathering cattle on that day. It wasn’t the first time I’d been dumped but it was the worst and, as it turned out, it would be the last. The good news was, my leg was not broken. The bad news was that I had herniated a disc in my lower back and it pinched a nerve so bad that I couldn’t move my leg for a while. That was close to 20 years ago.

Fast forward 10 years and, uh several pounds. I had officially joined the ranks of the Fat Kids. My back had gotten so bad that if an activity involved just about anything other than sitting or lying flat on my back I was unable to do it. I finally had enough and went under the knife. While I was recovering from that, my doc told me that I needed to do 3 things to help me heal up. They were: walk, walk, and walk.

Like I said, I had already joined the ranks of the Fat Kids and walking with no objective other than to get from Point A to Point B is strictly prohibited in our bylaws. A very good and true friend of mine, Trey Morgan, suggested that I take up the sport of fly fishing as a way to give me an objective for my walks. I resisted at first but the walking just for the sake of walking was threatening my “Member in Good Standing” status with the Fat Kids. I finally gave in though and, as they say, the rest is history. Here is a little narrative I wrote quite a few years ago of my first fly fishing trip. I hope you enjoy…

After years of watching fly fishermen on TV and wondering if it would be worth my time, I broke down a few weeks ago and bought a fly rod set up. Since I live in Popcornfarte, TX casting instructors are like hens teeth, non-existent. So, I did what any self respecting goofball would do. I spent the next few days out in the yard waving a stick in the air trying to teach myself how to cast. Finally, the day came when I’d taught myself all I knew (nothing). It was time. I was ready to try for the mighty blue gill in the local park lake.

Armed with a poorly tied black fly of mass production & questionable lineage, I made my way to the water's edge and went for it. With the wind quartering from behind me I began my presentation of the not so tasty looking feathered lure. Again and again I deftly placed the little thing beyond a downed tree limb and stripped it back along side.

Suddenly, without warning, the lure disappeared from the surface in the midst of a swirl that had to be at least the size of a Suzan B. Anthony dollar. I held the fly line with my index and middle finger against the rod and raised the rod tip. The fight was on! Stumbling and thrashing around on the bank I pulled in the line with my left hand looking, in my mind's eye, as if I needed to be on an episode of Walker's Cay Chronicles.
After, what seemed to be at least three, maybe even four seconds, I had the beast landed. It was the fattest, palm sized blue gill I had ever seen.

It didn't last very long and there wasn't much to it, but it made a fly fisherman for life out of me. Undaunted by the size of my first fish on the fly, I vowed to return. Thus ended my first fly fishing trip; it was one to remember.


D

The Cool Air Goodness of the Colorado Rockies

Well, the fishing trip to Colorado was time and money well spent. Let me tell you, it was hard to see it come to an end. The place where we stayed was for sale and I almost had my wife convinced that I had made an offer and the present owners accepted. She hates cold weather and wasn’t happy at all about my supposed purchase. Common sense took over and I had to come clean. I’m sure the decision to not make an offer will be one of those “What if’s?” that seem to plague me every few years.

With a view like this, you can see how the anti-decision will come back to haunt me.

The Rio Grande was running low and wasn’t in the mood to give up many of her inhabitants. A few brownies this size decided that our offerings were close enough to the real thing though.

We fished hard every day but didn’t have a great average daily catch. My fishing buddy Doug told his wife one night that the fishing was great but, the catching was a different story. It was pretty tough sledding. Here’s Doug releasing a well deserved brown.

One morning we drove up the hill and fished this little slice of Heaven. It’s called Park Creek and I took this guy on a dry fly with my little Fenwick ff605. He only went about 12 inches but wild trout sure know how to put a bend in a fly rod.

You guys know from my earlier posts that I’m not a respecter of high priced fishing gear. Here’s a couple shots of the little Fenwick 5wt. I’ve got less than $150 in the entire rig, and that includes the fly line. All you quick stick guys just keep fishing graphite. I’ll stand pat with fiberglass. Thank you very much.

Most of my fishing was done with this outfit:

It’s the Kettle Creek Riffle Glass rod that I finished building just a few days before we took off. It’s rated as a 4/5 wt but I absolutely loved it with a WF6F. It took a couple outings but I finally figured out that even though this rod performed well at close range, it really craves line. I pushed it hard, I mean real hard, and never found it’s top end. The more I fished it, the more I fell in love with it. If you’re into building your own, give one of these a try. It’s a true powerhouse of a rod.

So there you have it. I waited a long hot summer to get up to the mountains I love. Once again, they kept their promise of cool air goodness.

Don't Let the Gray Hair Fool You; I'm Still Just a Kid

Some of the best memories I have of my childhood are opening day bird hunts with my Dad. He started taking me dove hunting with him when I was around 3. I couldn’t keep up with him walking so sitting on a tank dam on warm evenings waiting on the dove to fly were just perfect. He’d shoot a bird and I’d run and get it. The running joke was he didn’t need a retriever, he had me. By the time I was 5 or 6, I could keep up, and he began taking me on quail hunts. I thought I was big when Mom gathered up and safety pinned the neck of his game vest enough that I could wear the thing without it dropping off my shoulders. There’s no telling how many shells I lost out of the pockets of that old vest as it would bounce off my shins and hang up in the brush. He didn’t care though. After going thru the same ritual with my son, I realized he was probably just as happy to have me tag along as I was for mine to be there.
When I was 9, I came home from school one day and found an old Savage single shot 20 gauge lying in the floor next to his Franchi 12. I remember wanting it so bad but I was afraid to ask because of the devastation I’d feel if the answer were to be no. So I did the next best thing and asked if he’d bought himself a new shotgun. He said that he had but was afraid it was too short for him and asked me to try it out. I made sure it was empty and shouldered the well worn stock. He said he thought it would fit me better and asked if I thought I could hit a bird with it. I can't remember my reply but I'm sure it included a grin.
I took 4 birds the next day with that old Savage. I have no idea how because I bet I didn't sleep 15 minutes the night before. In fact, for several nights before every opening day, I would have trouble sleeping. I was just too excited. I would be tired and try to sleep but my mind, even at that age, wouldn't shut up. Visions of the coming hunt would swirl around in my brain until the wee hours of the morning before I'd drift off to sleep. I don't hunt much anymore, instead I fish. In a few days I'm leaving on a fishing trip to Colorado and guess what; I'm having trouble sleeping. Long gone are the opening days with Dad, but I still get excited just like I did back then. I can't help it. I'm still just a kid.

D

The Briminator

This past week, I've been working on a new fly rod and have neglected T.D.F. It's not something I'm proud of and hope it won't happen again. That being said, with my mind wrapped up in silk guide wraps, I haven't been able to come up with a post; until today.
Some of you may have wondered what fly that is in the picture at the top of the home page. It's a Briminator. Funny name huh? I tell you what, you won't be laughing at the name if you try one. You'll be giggling about all the fish you're catching.
This little fly is amazing. It's my go-to fly and will catch fish when nothing else is working. Bluegill absolutely cannot resist the thing; hence the name. But, it seems that other species can't resist it either. I've been fishing this fly for going on 4 years now and it consistantly catches bass, crappie, and catfish.
Next week, I'm heading to Colorado to do a little trout fishing and I'm taking a handfull of these little guys with me. Normally I tie it on a size 10 hook but I've got a little sump'n sump'n for Mr. Finicky B. Trout. I whipped up a few of them on size 16 & 18 hooks. In fact, the one in the pic is a size 16. I'll be sure to let you know when I get back if the Briminator can also be known as the Troutinator.
If you tie flies and want to catch some warm water species, here is how I tie it:
Hook - Mustad 3366 #10
Eyes - Gold Beadchain
Collar - Pheasant
Body - Dark Brown Dubbing
Tail - Marabou from bottom of Pheasant Feather
1.) Build up a small amount of thread about 1 bead width behind hook eye.
2.) Attach beadchain using figure 8 wraps & secure with a drop of glue & wrap thread to hook bend.
3.) Remove marabou from the bottom of the Pheasant feather and attach to top of hook at the bend.
4.) Twist the dubbing onto thread and wrap foward, over the top & between the eyes returning the thread to just behind the eyes.
5.) Attach the remainder of the feather just behind the eyes.
6.) Wrap (not palmer) the feather forward toward to the eyes, making sure to pull feather fibers back towards hook bend after each wrap.
7.) Once you have the collar on the way you want it, add a little more dubbing & wrap back to just in front of the eyes.
8.) Whip finish, add a drop of superglue & you're done... Good luck!

D

David Lewis 1943 - 2009

Last week I lost a friend and the world lost a master rod builder. Dave Lewis of Performance Fly Rods passed away after battling pancreatic cancer at the age of 66. He will be missed by many.


About a year and a half ago, I began emailing Dave asking questions about choosing wrap colors, finishing techniques, components, and just about every other aspect of rod building that I could think of. I’m sure he was a busy man but he took the time to return each and every email with answers to all of my questions. Soon, it turned into me sending him pictures of rods that I built and he would critique them. He was very open about things I did on a build that he liked and never hesitated to point out the things that he didn’t care for. We had different tastes but that was okay with both of us. Even though I had just begun building rods, he respected my opinion and never tried to force his on me.


His rods are as pretty as they come. His writing and photos are awesome. Even though I never got to look the man in the eye or shake his hand, I counted him as a friend. I only wish I had known him longer.

Fishy Kid

Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know about a new website and program that Cameron Mortenson of The Fiberglass Manifesto and Kevin Powell of Red Dirt Studio have launched. It's called Fishy Kid and was put together to give children that love to fish another way to have fun with the sport while helping parents teach their kids respect for nature and conservation. Currently they are holding a coloring contest for youngsters with a coloring book that was illustrated by some of today's hottest angling artists. All kids have to do is log on and register, then download the coloring book and get busy. They have tons of sponsors on board that have donated prizes (and I don't mean toy prizes either) for the winners. If you are interested, they even have a way for you to donate to help keep this thing going and growing. Stop by and check it out.

Interview with Mark Malczynski of Gypsy Rod Works

In the opening post of this blog, I mentioned that from time to time I’d be talking to/interviewing people that build rods, tie flies and catch fish. Today’s post is TDF’s first attempt at just that. I emailed Mark Malczynski of Gypsy Rod Works and asked if he’d be willing to answer a few questions. Thankfully he agreed and this is the result:

TDF: Mark thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions. Let’s start with a little bit of background.

Q: Are you originally from Maine?

Mark: No, I guess you could say I'm originally from Virginia because I lived the 1st four years of my life there but we lived in Connecticut until I was a freshman in High school and then upstate New York until my early twenties. I then moved out West and worked on boats in Alaska until I eventually got married and our first daughter was born. After we had our second daughter we wanted to live closer to my family on the East Coast so we packed everything up and moved to Maine. If you like the outdoors and fishing Maine is a great place to live and raise a family.

TDF: My earliest memories of fishing are with my Grandpa going after bass with minnows dangling below cork bobbers.

Q: What is your earliest memory of fishing?

Mark: My earliest fishing memory is fishing Burke Lake in Fairfax county Virginia when I was 3 with my father...bobber and worm fishing for Crappie.

TDF: I didn’t start fly fishing until I was in my 30’s. But, it quickly became an obsession.
Q: How long have you been fly fishing and why?

Mark: I've been using a fly rod to fish for brook trout and bass for as long as I can remember but as a kid I mostly used the long rod to fish live grasshoppers and pan fish poppers on farm ponds and cool brook trout streams in the NW corner of Connecticut. The Captain of a boat I was working on in Alaska was an avid fly fisherman; his stories of dry fly fishing for trout in Idaho got me interested in fly fishing the traditional way. So to answer your question I've been a serious fly fisherman since my mid-twenties.

TDF: Here in Texas, trout fishing is a fairly rare pursuit. Most of us target warmwater species much of the time.

Q: What is your favorite species to target?

Mark: When we lived in Oregon my passion was fishing for steelhead. We were fortunate enough to live close to a good steelhead river and I could fish for an hour or two before going to work. Here in Maine fly fishing for native brook trout is what I like best; they are great fun to catch on dries. If God made a prettier fish he kept it for himself.

TDF: Okay, now for the meat of this Q & A session.
Q: How long have you been building rods?
Mark: I started building rods for myself shortly after out 1st daughter was born, my wife wasn't hip to me buying expensive fly rods anymore.

Q: When did you decide to start a custom rod business and why?
Mark: I suppose my entry into the rod building business was similar to a lot of other rod builders. I started building rods for myself then friends and family, then friends of friends. After a few years of doing that I figured I would do the right thing and become legal and start paying taxes on the rods I was selling.

TDF: You build stunning fly rods that have an artistic flare. To a lot of us, you are one of the masters of the craft.

Q: I get the sense that you think of your fly rods as fishing tools first. Am I correct?

Mark: Thanks. Making a better fishing rod than what can be bought from the factories is what rod building is all about to me.

TDF: Your attention to detail is amazing and your choice of materials make your builds look as if they were made specifically for each other.

Q: Is there any process you go thru when choosing hardware and guide wrap colors?

Mark: LOL, yeah trial and error. I've re-built/wrapped more rods than I care admit in my quest to find thread colors, grip shapes and hardware that go well with the blank.

Q: Do you have a vision of the completed product before you begin?
Mark: Usually I have a pretty good idea of how I want the rod to look when I'm done. Certain colors will work with a blank and some colors won't. So first I rule out the colors that won't work and then I experiment with color combinations that will work. This is the creative side of rod building that I really enjoy. I like to try something different on every rod I build. Most times the changes are so small that the rod buyer will never notice the difference. But, when I see a pic of a rod built I'll think to myself; “That's the rod I tucked the tag ends under the guide feet so they wouldn't be visible." or some other small change I made to my normal rod building procedure. It keeps the process interesting.

TDF: Of the rods of yours I’ve see, my favorite has to be the build you did on a McFarland blank that was showcased on The Fiberglass Manifesto.

Q: Out of all the rods you’ve built, do you have a favorite?
Mark: The McFarland I built turned out nice, not exactly what I had envisioned but pretty close. It sounds like a copout but my favorite rod is the one I'm working on at the time. I just wrapped a Steffen with Antique Gold silk and it turned out really nice; nicer than I had hoped for. But what's really cool is while wrapping the blank I stumbled upon a couple of tricks that will improve the way the guide wraps look. So next time I wrap a brown blank with silk the guide wraps will look even better.

Q: What is your favorite blank to work with and why? Mark: The Lamiglas "honeys" are my favorite to wrap because so many thread colors look great on that blank. They also make a pretty good dry fly rod in the 3 & 4 wt sizes.

TDF: I’ve got one final question for you. We both love to fish with fiberglass fly rods and we’ve come to know each other thru The Fiberglass Flyrodders message board. Q: What is it about fiberglass that makes it so special? Mark: I think Mark Liu/Yuhina said it best "when you hook a fish on a fiberglass rod the fun has just begun".

Mark thanks again for taking the time to answer these questions. You’ve had an interesting life and build some great rods. I am already thinking of a follow-up to learn more about your time in Alaska. If you’d like to see more of Mark’s amazing work, go to Gypsy Rod Works or click the permanent link I’ve installed on the left of the screen.

D

Cool Drink of Water

I can't remember, have I mentioned it's been hot around here lately? Sunday evening, this little scene unfolded right outside my back door; a testament to the conditions.

This little doe was thirsty.

I thought it was odd that a grown doe didn't have a fawn at her side this time of year. Ah, here comes Junior.

After drinking what the birds drink, they decided to come on up to within 20 feet of the back door to sample what the birds eat.Mom wasn't too impressed, but behind the tree, Junior found something to his liking. After a couple minutes, Mom walked off back into the woods and Junior looked up to find Mom gone.When all else fails; go back from whence you came.

Thirteen years ago, before my wife and I got married, I'd have never given a second thought about keeping water and bird feed out. Thanks Bec for helping me to think in different ways...

D

Phil Baldacchino at Kettle Creek Tackle Shop

I orderd a 8' 4/5wt Riffle Glass blank from Phil at his Kettle Creek Tackle shop last week. It arrived at my doorstep yesterday busted up pretty bad. I was sick. I'd been thinking about building a rod on one of his blanks for nearly a year now and was super stoked that I pulled the trigger and it came in. I'd heard some folks had some bad experiences with Phil and I was worried about how the situation would turn out.

I called Phil this morning and he sounded as sick as I was about the blank being broken. I told him I had taken pictures of it and asked if he wanted them as proof that I wasn't trying to run a scam. He instantly declined and said that a new blank was on its way. Customer service goes a long way with me. I'll be back for sure.

The Snoopy Rod, Spinner Bait, and a Big Bass

A few years ago I was down at the city park lake wasting a few hours swinging a fly rod. The wind was not blowing, the bluegills were biting, and I was in a groove. The whole world had disappeared behind me and I was lost in the rhythm of the cast.

My Nirvana crashed down around me and I was jerked back to reality by the shrill voice that can only come from a young child. All I heard was “DAD, DAD!” The training I had gone through while raising my own children kicked in. I spun around, fearing some sort of catastrophe and looking for the source of the commotion. Relief washed over me when I heard “DAD, LOOK WHAT I CAUGHT!” The moment of dread had been caused by a small boy about 5 years old. He was in his own Nirvana and was racing to share it with his Dad.

As he drew near, I could see the excitement in his blue eyes and joy on his face. In his right hand was a little fishing rod of the Snoopy variety. In his left, was the fishing line; attached to the line was a big ol' spinner bait. And, dangling from the spinner bait was a bass that clearly outmatched the rig but, evidently not the angler. I congratulated him on his catch and bragged about its size. A bit out of breath, he politely thanked me and continued on with his search.

I’ve never put much stock in the belief that you’ve got to have the very best and most costly equipment to catch fish. My view is that if you put what fish want in front of them, no matter what you use to get it there, it’ll get bit. Now, when I hear some puffy chested bird crow about his $600 this or $1200 that, I think of that little boy and what he was able to do with the tools he had. So go ahead, toss that spinner bait with a Snoopy rod if you want to. The fish couldn’t care less.

D

Hoodies in July

July 4th, 2009 - It was a banner day. Not because it was Independence Day although that certainly should qualify it as one…no matter what your political views are. No, that day is permanently burned into my feeble memory for one reason and one reason alone. At 9:00 a.m. it was already 95 degrees. Are you kidding me!? Nothing good can happen when the temperature goes above 80.

Five mornings out of seven, I slip out of the house around daybreak and saunter over to the pickup. Saunter? Hey, I’m a fatkid. Fatkids never walk with a purpose if they can help it, they saunter. Anyway, I fire up the Chevy, roll the window down, and head for work. The window is down, not because I’m too cheap to run the A/C, but because I want to soak up all the fresh air and goodness that can only come from temps below 80 degrees.

This morning was especially nice. The breeze coming in from the intentionally gaping hole in my door was almost cool. It resurrected memories of a wonderful trip with great friends to NE New Mexico and the fishing we did on a mountain lake. Memories like this:

And this:

That trip was special. Not because we caught a lot of fish, which we did. Or, that I’m a purist who thinks fly rods are to be used only to flick dry flies to rising trout. In fact, I’m quite the opposite. If it swims in fresh water, I want to catch it on a fly rod…period. I loved that trip for the simple fact that it was cool enough to need hoodies in July.

D

Semi-muted Thoughts...Geographically Challenged?

What in the heck am I talking about? If you have an over-active mind, as I do, you’ll figure it out pretty quick. If not, please allow me to explain. My brain never shuts up. From the minute I wake up to the minute I go to sleep, I’m constantly thinking about things that may, or may not have anything whatsoever to do with the task at hand. Like just then; as I was typing this first paragraph, I was thinking about a book I read several weeks ago. They, the thoughts, are constantly running around in the back of my mind reminding me of the semi-muted sounds of a radio emanating from another room. That’s how I landed upon the term semi-muted thoughts.

Each day, like most of you, I commute to and from work. It’s not your every day garden variety commute though. It is 65 miles round trip and goes through some of the least inhabited country in Texas. Due to the lack of traffic, my morning and afternoon drives allow me the opportunity to let my restless mind drift. Nine trips out of ten, it drifts to fly fishing. As you can imagine, this part of the world doesn’t lend itself well to the sport for several reasons. The first reason, and only one I will expound upon at this time, is water, or the lack thereof. There is a small park lake not far from my house and a few stock tanks in the county that I frequent. (That's right, I said stock tanks. They’re not ponds down here, they’re stock tanks. One does not have cows or horses in these parts. One has stock. And a tank, if not too leaky, can hold water no matter what matter it’s made of. Therefore, one waters one’s stock at a stock tank.) Other than that, I have at least a hundred miles to drive if I want to fish. With all that being said, I truly hope you can grasp the definition of a geographically challenged fly fisherman.

So now you have it; the gist of this blog. I’ll probably ramble. I know it will be about something related to fly fishing, or gripe about why living here sucks for a fly fisherman. But, from time to time I’ll try to drop something worthy in here about flies, fly rods, & fish; who tied 'em, who built 'em & who caught 'em. Who knows, I might even get good at it and actually have a following…

D