New Sub Forum!!

[Mike Hill]

I knew a guy years ago who built fly rods, he used to spend hours walking around in his yard turning rods around in his fingers waiting for some kind of glue to dry. I guess the turning was too make it dry evenly and the walking around was too fight boredom . He tried to make a living doing it while his wife supported him, she eventually tired of it and he went out of business. People who knew about fly rods said his rods were excellent quality but much too expensive for most people. This was back before Al Gore invented the Internet, perhaps in today's world he would have been successful. Anyway I think it will be fun watching this forum, I'm probably not going to be making fly rods but I'm somewhat interested in learning to make wooden lures.

Never heard of the twisting and walking - but hey - if it works don't fix it!

Now to lures. I'm totally fascinated with wooden lures and their making. And to a lesser extent, fish decoys. Been collecting smaller pieces of nice wood to make lures from. After I get two carving projects done for my wife, I am going to start with their shaping. I just haven't decided whether I'll just make clear finished lures or whether I will trot out the air brush and paint and paint some. Likely most will be clear finished. Not trying to make working lures - but wall-hangers! There are some people out there making lures that are works of art or at least showing great craftsmanship and talent.! Truth be told, I will probably use one or more and try to catch something with it.

As far as the decoys - I have no idea why the fascination. In Texas, there ain't no such thing! But I've seen many, many at antique shows - with a lot being awful looking, but probably effective. I think I'll make some purdy ones!

 

[DLJeffs]

Heh heh, I've not heard of anyone who walks around rotating a fishing rod waiting for the epoxy to dry. I did know a guy who cut V notches in a cardboard box. He'd lay his rods in those notches and apply epoxy to the thread wraps. Then he'd sit there and give it a quarter turn every few minutes until the epoxy set up. That's where that old BBQ rotisserie motor I got from Earl ( @Greenacres2 ) comes into play.

 

[sprucegum]

As far as the decoys - I have no idea why the fascination. In Texas, there ain't no such thing! But I've seen many, many at antique shows - with a lot being awful looking, but probably effective. I think I'll make some purdy ones!

Fish decoys are new to me, but what do I know? I grew up fishing small streams for brookies with a stick, a piece of line and a hook baited with a .

 

[SENC]

Fish decoys are new to me, but what do I know? I grew up fishing small streams for brookies with a stick, a piece of line and a hook baited with a .

Seems to me a fish decoy is just a lure with no hooks. Something only someone in Tennessee might want.

 

[sprucegum]

Seems to me a fish decoy is just a lure with no hooks. Something only someone in Tennessee might want.

I wonder if they also use calls?

 

[SENC]

I wonder if they also use calls?

Pretty sure @Tclem makes them... says Tennesseeans snap them right up.

 

[Mike Hill]

Doug, do you have a dip tank or do you brush on? Wait, I think you said you don't do 'boo - so you would only be brushing the wrappings?

 

[Mike Hill]

I wonder if they also use calls?

Works better in an aluminum boat ------ Cup your hands around your mouth, and let it go ----- Here fishie, fishie, fishie......... Here fishie, fishie, fishie! If you first pass gas while sitting on the aluminum seat in the aluminum boat - that really gets their attention. But you really don't need a call when you throw corn or catfood over the side to bait them!!! Is that how they do it in Missys.......Mes.......Siss......dang it...... that state on the other side of the Big River from Arkansas and Louisiana!

 

[Nature Man]

Works better in an aluminum boat ------ Here fishie, fishie, fishie......... Here fishie, fishie, fishie! If you first pass gas while sitting on the aluminum seat in the aluminum boat - that really gets their attention. But you really don't need a call when you throw corn or catfood over the side to bait them!!!

Cat food? For cat fish?

 

[Mike Hill]

Is there a problem with that? A little dipping in corn meal and frying in a pan of lard (rather have tallow but much harder to get......) and no one will ever know you use catfood! Easier to get than dynamite!

 

[Mike Hill]

Pretty sure @Tclem makes them... says Tennesseeans snap them right up.

Hey Frank, Karl, Curt, etc...... - he's talking about us again!

 

[sprucegum]

Is there a problem with that? A little dipping in corn meal and frying in a pan of lard (rather have tallow but much harder to get......) and no one will ever know you use catfood! Easier to get than dynamite!

When I was a kid brook trout had to be 6" to be legal and the limit was 12. The little streams within walking distance just didn't have many legal fish. We used to bring a little camping cooking kit, a stick of butter, and a can of beans. After we caught a good mess of short fish we would build a little fire and have a gormet meal. Nothing better than fresh caught native brookies. The length requirement was removed several years ago, sometime I am going to show my grandson how it's done.

 

[DLJeffs]

Doug, do you have a dip tank or do you brush on? Wait, I think you said you don't do 'boo - so you would only be brushing the wrappings?

Yes, when I finish wrapping guides and ferrules and butt wraps, I mix up rod wrap epoxy. It's thinner viscosity than normal 2 part epoxy so it flows better. On a 4 piece fly rod I usually do 2 sections at a time just so I don't feel rushed. Plus, it's tough for me finding a clear space on my bench for a 9 foot rod. Sometimes I go ahead and start the rod turning on the rotater, sometimes I leave it free wheeling and turn it by hand until I get the epoxy on - done it both ways. I think it's faster to rotate it by hand until the epoxy is applied, since I don't have to wait for the rod to turn to a new area. I use a small brush to apply a fairly heavy coat, making sure to extend the epoxy off the edge of the thread wrap so it contacts the rod blank. If the epoxy stops right at the edge of thread, you risk allowing water to get under the threads and the potential for wear on the threads is there. The epoxy acts as both an adhesive and a protective sealer for the thread wraps. The thread will absorb some of the epoxy so a little extra is okay. Once I have all the wraps coated, I flick on a lighter (or candle or alcohol lamp) and wave it two or three times beneath each wrap, careful to not let the flame contact the epoxy. That's usually enough to slightly warm the epoxy which does several things: (1) makes the epoxy thinner so it flows and soaks into the threads fully; (2) releases any bubbles easier; (3) makes the curing time faster, especially helpful in a cooler room like my garage. Sometimes when I warm the epoxy it'll start to form a drip on the under side of the rod. If it looks like it's going to actually drip I'll take the brush and remove a little epoxy. Otherwise, I just let it go and the rotation of the rod will force the epoxy to level right around. I'll check the epoxy after 10 - 15 minutes or so to see if there are any areas in which the threads are showing. especially around bigger wraps like stripping guides and butt wraps with multiple layers of thread. If there are, using the brush I dab on a tiny bit of epoxy in those areas. Do this earlier enough in the curing time so the new stuff has time to level out with the earlier applied stuff.

Note: some builders like to apply epoxy in 2 sessions. The first application is just enough to cover and soak into the threads, so you'll see thread patterns and stuff. While that's still tacky, they'll go back and apply a second coat, just enough to cover the wraps. Supposedly this prevents uneven epoxy. In my experience, if I am careful with the amount I apply (and check it after warming) I haven't found any problems with lumpy or thin epoxy wraps.

 

[DLJeffs]

When I was a kid brook trout had to be 6" to be legal and the limit was 12. The little streams within walking distance just didn't have many legal fish. We used to bring a little camping cooking kit, a stick of butter, and a can of beans. After we caught a good mess of short fish we would build a little fire and have a gormet meal. Nothing better than fresh caught native brookies. The length requirement was removed several years ago, sometime I am going to show my grandson how it's done.

I used to bring a ziplok baggy with cornmeal with a little salt & pepper, and a couple strips of bacon. Get the bacon rendering to get the grease, clean the trout, dredge in cornmeal, then fry them in the bacon fat. Best camp meal ever.

 

[Tclem]

Pretty sure @Tclem makes them... says Tennesseeans snap them right up.

We have made a few but need to get back on it. We bought some stuff from a guy. Lures, hooks, rotating thing a ma bob for drying

 

[sprucegum]

I used to bring a ziplok baggy with cornmeal with a little salt & pepper, and a couple strips of bacon. Get the bacon rendering to get the grease, clean the trout, dredge in cornmeal, then fry them in the bacon fat. Best camp meal ever.

We always cooked them at home with cornmeal but we probably would have somehow gotten it wet fishing. I don't even think they had zip lock bags in the early 60's, not in our house for sure. My grandfather smoked Prince Albert tobacco, we used the cans to put worms in. I think of that every time I see a tabacco tin in a antique shop .

 

[vegas urban lumber]

Like chicken?

well sorta, significantly better than texas brisket i assure you

 

[Mike Hill]

When I was a kid brook trout had to be 6" to be legal and the limit was 12. The little streams within walking distance just didn't have many legal fish. We used to bring a little camping cooking kit, a stick of butter, and a can of beans. After we caught a good mess of short fish we would build a little fire and have a gormet meal. Nothing better than fresh caught native brookies. The length requirement was removed several years ago, sometime I am going to show my grandson how it's done.

Caught my first trout sometime in between 65 and 69 (between getting the Mustang and moving to Seguin) on one of our trips up to northern New Mexico. Little bitty streams up in higher elevations. No room to cast, so just dappled. Caught skinny little cutthroats. Mom fried them up - and boy were they good.