Back to Even Keel -

If you remember, a couple of rod/reels got stolen out of the back of my truck this past summer while we were staying at the Mayport RV Park. It just so happened that one of the rods was a custom built 6 weight flyrod that I considered to be one of the finest of all fish catching tools built by man. I have been slowly replacing the pieces of equipment that got stolen - and yesterday, one of the last items came in the mail - the Abel Super 5N. This replacement is even better than the one that got stolen - it has a 'click out' that my other one didn't. Now I can get that sweet sound when a fish is taking line... I posted on this earlier, but I bought a kit to build out the same blank that got stolen. The Epic 686 is such an awesome rod - you can feel the cast with the slower taper, but it still has the power to handle big wrestlers - the best of both worlds. I've got a couple of 6 weight lines from Orvis that I will meet up with in Hawaii - looking forward to casting and fishing this setup and getting "back on even keel"

Lots of Stuff Happening

We've been pretty busy with our transition. I accepted an offer from a small company in Honolulu and will start in early January - unfortunately, the family will not be coming for maybe a year. Despite that fact, we are all excited about the direction we now have and have been busy lining up all that needs to happen. I drove the minivan and ALL our boards up to Seattle - made the almost 4000 mile trip in just over 4 days. I think my real calling was to be a semi-truck driver... I finished up building a replacement 6 weight rod (for the one that got stolen). I think it came out perfect!!! The funny thing is I built it in the small confines of our travel trailer. We said our goodbyes to the beach at Mayport, Florida - it's been awesome collecting shells, surfing waves, catching fish and sharks, and just listening to the waves crash on the shore. Thanks for the memories! And just today, we were able to sell our beloved TrailManor Travel Trailer. We were fortunate to have spent a large part of our transition from Naval Service in our small house - THANK YOU Mayport RV Parks for accommodating us (we couldn't have done it without you). We had TONS of adventures and have learned so much from our time in the camper - lessons we will never forget. Driving and backing a trailer. How to truly live simply. Getting what food you need and not wasting. How to weather the storms. Loving your family. Appreciating life more and things less. Thank you TM 2720QB for being our shelter - we will miss you and we hope your new family has as much fun with you as we did!

All Pau Brah!!!

I finished wrapping the Epic 480 kit rod!!! Actually, as I write this at 2101 Sunday evening, I finished putting on the second coat of epoxy and will have the rod rotate overnight as the top coat cures. This build was not nearly as hard or complex as I initially thought it would be. It was totally satisfying and I look forward to fishing this rod a lot. As the close cousin to the Epic 686 I raved about in yesterday's post, I have huge expectations for this rod and knowing the details behind the construction, I will use it both in freshwater and in the salt!!! There are a lot of memories to be made with this rod and I can't wait! Well - I have to at least wait 24 hours for the top coat. I'll post pictures of the completed rod tomorrow.

More Wrapping on the Epic 480

I got the wraps done on the butt and middle sections of the Epic 480. The tip section has a lot of wrapping associated with it (tiptop + 6 snake guides). Hopefully I can get it done this weekend so I can epoxy the whole rod shortly thereafter. Oh - then I can FISH IT!!! Yeehaw!!!

Epic 480 Rod Build - Handle and Reel Seat

I started building the Epic 480 Rod Kit that I purchased just a bit ago. Got the handle and reel seat epoxied on last night. This evening I started trying to develop a technique for making thread wraps. If I had a third hand to put a finger on the thread crossover (first turn), this would be easy. Unfortunately I wasn't born with a third hand so I will have to resort to practice. Wrapping the threads has the same allure as mowing foam - mind numbingly calm, yet critical. I think with a higher workspace, better lighting and getting a better feel for how the wraps should work, this could become addictive (although tying flies is way more affordable - and just how many rods does one need.... who am I kidding...)

Look What I Got in the Mail...

This is going to be EPIC (pun intended)!!! La let me order this build it yourself kit as a "I'm Done with the Navy" present. It came in the mail on Friday and I have been slowly looking at the components and reading the instructions. I hope to have this 8'0" 4 wt built and completed in the next couple of weekends (as long as I don't get distracted by shad fishing). I'll post more pictures as this rod starts coming together in the next couple of weeks. I am looking forward to building a great rod.