"L'acqua si toccano in un fiume è
l'ultimo di ciò che è passato, e la prima di quella che viene; quindi è con il
tempo." ("The water you
touch in a river is the last of that which has passed, and the first of that
which is coming; thus it is with time.") Leonardo DaVinci
An icy
morning a week or so after my return from Nazareth gives me a chance to finish
my report on rod building. Last Tuesday, the string was removed from the rod
blank, the last of the glue sanded away, and final adjustments to the rod taper
made with gentle sanding and frequent tests with the micrometer. The ferrules
were fitted and glued, and the rod butt lathed down to size to accept the
reelseat. A bit of minor straightening, and voila’: a completed blank!
The
application of finish, the reelseat and handle, guides and, eventually, a
second tip, await me over the coming months, but the real heart of the matter,
the rod blank itself, is complete. That would not have happened without George
Maxwell. George is the kind of teacher we all wish we had. Practical, honest,
and adaptable, he was a boundless source of hard-earned advice, and was as
friendly and encouraging a mentor as a person could hope for. You can find a
link to George’s website in my links column, and if you’re looking for a
beautiful and functional fly rod, or for instruction in building them, I can’t
recommend him too highly.
Before I
forget: a big shout out to the lovely and historic old Hotel Bethlehem. I could
have stayed closer to Nazareth, but not in such a historic, comfortable and
clean room. Since it's in the heart of Bethlehem's historic district, there are many great places to eat, drink, and shop in walking distance, and Bethlehem is one of Pennsylvania's hippest historic towns. As it happened, I wound up
only spending maybe ten more bucks a night than I would have at the Holiday
Inn. It was well worth the money. I've
linked to them as well!
Pics of the
last day are below…
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| Final sanding |
 |
| Turning the ferrule station |
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| Male ferrule installed |
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| Pilgrims Progress: A finished blank! |
What rod did you build?
ReplyDeleteIt's an 8'#6, Payne taper (an Osprey). I cast a three piece version, and it's a sweet rod.
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