Matrix (Not the Movie)

This was the first of two blanks that I purchased a few months ago and finally had the time to build.
Finished this one the other night and i'm happy with the outcome as well as the action.
The cork grip is custom built by gluing different colored pieces of cork together then shaping to form on the lathe with sandpaper. The guides are wrapped in Denim colored thread with some Copper trim bands. Now it needs to find a home.

More info on the rod here Matthews Custom Rods

Big Tuna Kayak (Preview)

I custom ordered a new Big Tuna kayak in a black and orange color pattern. My wait is over, I picked it up today and will get it into the water soon. This kayak is so stable that even with my weight i'm able to walk around in it and throw the fly rod while standing. The seat when put in the upper position allows me to cast the fly rod with ease as well as see obstacles under the water. Will also be able to use it in the tandem setup when my daughter goes fishing with me. Now I just need to get it into the water.

I will put up a review as soon as a few trips are made.

G'morning from the Perdanales

Couldn't believe the alarm was going off this morning, not for work but for a short fishing trip.
Having the day off had me excited for a week about hitting a river i'd never fished before.
Driving thru the Hill Country I was able to see the beauty that people who live in the city only dream of, how I love living outside the city. Where else can you slow the truck to a near stop as a Turkey crosses the road followed by two of her offspring without a care in the world.
Upon arriving in Fredricksburg I turned off the highway and headed to my friends house who had invited me to fish a section of the Perdanales river that was only accessable through private land.

This section runs deep with a nice mixture of grass and reeds lining the bank. Stringing up my new Matthews 5wt and tying on a Zazzy Pop popper, it was time to slide the Coosa into the water.

Paddling over to the far bank I began tossing the popper around the grass line. This was the first time for me to use the new rod and the speed and action of it were great. After a few casts the popper landed in a pocket of grass and after one twitch it disappeared into the depths of the green water. Setting the hook, the bass exploded skyward trying to shake what had just bit back. The fish took me to the reel and after tiring I was able to lip it and take a few pictures before releasing her to fight again.

Paddling to another spot I made a cast alongside a log laying in the water. Upon the fly hitting tha water it was gone, setting the hook I was met with the surprise of a very large perch. This thing filled up my hand and put up a great fight. Another picture taken and another fish released.

The trip then came to an abrubt halt as the phone rang and we were loading up the kayaks to go chase some cows that had got out. Ahhhhh the country life. I will return.

As slick as GLASS

After following The Fiberglass Manifesto for over a year now. Seeing how hard Cam works to get people to try fly fishing with a fiberglass rod, it became apparent that the glass revolution is growing by leaps and bounds and I might be missing something cool. Not being able to hold out any longer, I was able to order two white fiberglass blanks from Kabuto Rods in Japan. Yasuyuki Kabuto is considered by many to be one of the premier glass rod builders around today, so when the opportunity to get a few of these hand crafted blanks came up I pounced on it.

After looking at pictures of rods that other custom builders have done with these blanks, I have decided on taking a classic glass blank and making it a little more modern. It's just what I do.
I will probably not use the traditional cork western grip and instead put a carbon fiber wrapped foam grip on it instead.

In lieu of the traditional snake guides, I am leaning towards putting on Black Pearl Recoil guides.

The hardest decision for me has to do with the reel seat. It has to be spot on to make the whole build come together. I am leaning towards a blued nickel Struble reel seat and just need to decide on what the spacer will look like.

The good thing is i'll have plenty of time to decide since the blanks won't ship until late August.
Can't wait to get these in and get started so I can see what glass is all about.

In search of SOLITUDE ( A Reel Story )

Hard to believe that almost a year ago my fly fishing adventure began. Although I feel like i've learned a lot at this point, there is still more knowledge to gain.
When starting to piece my gear together, a lot of discussion was had on reels. So much is said that a reel is only there to hold your line. That statement might be true when it comes to smaller species of fish but i've had quite a few large bass take me close to the backing before the use of the drag system on the reel tired them out.
When choosing my reel I searched for a quality one made in the USA. My search led me to a small company called Solitude Reels. Located in Seattle, they have been making a quality, proven reel that can withstand the rigors of fighting Steelhead had to be tough enough to handle anything that I could possibly throw at it, and it has.

The smoothness of the drag, which is made of a cork/teflon disk system really comes in handy when playing a large fish. Being type II anodized gives me the comfort of knowing that when I fish in saltwater it will be able to handle the elements. With the capability of changing the spool quickly, you are able to adapt to the conditions on the water easily.

Currently i'm using the Solitude 2 reels on a 4wt and 5wt rod. Soon I hope to add a Solitude 3 to put on an 8wt for use on larger fish as well as at the coast when pursuing redfish.