In my mind I’m listening to the power chords and Steve Marriot’s voice singing those words to the tune of the Humble Pie classic “Thirty Days In The Hole”, while my ears hear the gusty winter winds rattle the siding here at Crooked Eddy. Welcome to Day 90 on my own countdown to a hoped for Catskill spring.
Though I have yet to tie any flies this morning, I have some sense of accomplishment. I took care of my secretarial duties for the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild and made myself a schedule to follow up on a possible new location for our Saturday winter fly tying gatherings. The flies will come later.
At last, the journey toward making my first split bamboo fly rod has become a reality. Last Saturday the work began with sanding the cane before splitting it into six wide working strips. These were moved to the band saw jig where they were cut into more than two dozen 1/4-inch-wide rod strips. Twenty-four finished strips are required to complete my three-piece rod with extra tip, so there are enough, along with a handful of spares to accommodate the expected mischief of the Red Gods.
My friend JA guided me through these first processes, also mentoring our friend and Catskill Legend Dave Catizone whose quest is to build himself a rod from Jim Payne’s classic Model 100 taper. Dave is one of the gentlemen I look to as true scholars of Catskill fly fishing and fly tying, having known and worked beside most of the greats in our region’s considerable history. His knowledge and personality are wonderful assets to the Guild as well as the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum.
My next stage of rod work will be the initial beveling of those quarter inch rod strips to produce the 60-degree triangular strips that will be bound into four different rod sections: butt, mid-section, and a pair of tips. Once beveled and bound, all strips will be heat treated before the long hours of hand planing may begin.
I have found a reel to complement my rod, increasing my urgency to move along with the rod making process. That won’t cause spring to arrive any sooner of course, but it does stoke the fires of anticipation that carry me through the long months of ice and snow.
Bright Waters Catskill 