Andros 3 - gearing up

I already have a few 8 weights which doesn't explain why, when Shocks called and said he got a 5pc 8wt St Croix Legend Elite blank the last time he stopped by the factory in Park Falls, I decided that he was onto something. See, my problem is luggage. A standard 4pc 9' rod just barely squeezes into my largest checked luggage bag and changes the bag's shape from a rectangle to a parallelogram. Now a 5 pc...

You get my point.

So, calls were made, the brown truck pulled up with a few boxes followed by a few evenings sniffing cork dust and epoxy, squinting one eye and lining up guides with the other. That kind of stuff.

The rod is currently downstairs turning and drying. Whoever coined the phrase "like watching paint dry" didn't say "like watching epoxy dry". I've spent a great deal of time watching those 5 sections spin on the drying rack while the epoxy hardens. If you angle the light right you can inspect each guide to see if there are any aberrations or flaws in the finish by gazing deeply at the line of reflected light on the epoxy. Really fascinating stuff and not at all boring...like paint.

So Andros, I've tied my flies, bought my ticket and now I've even added a rod...if you don't give freely of your bonefish, it's not going to be for lack of preparation.

BEC Early Season

JP and I ripped out to the "crick" last Sunday and attended service. We found ourselves in the midst of a stunning 60 some degree day with good flow and better than normal visibility. I decided to go big or go home and although the flies and tippet size were in the big category, the fish were "just" nice. I think we managed 7 or 8 fish between us. All healthy 11"-13" (Maaaaybeeee 14"?) fish. I will say that John outfished me. Not that it matters or that I'm keeping score. I just know he did and I'm saying so. We pounded the banks and likely runs, through high sun, thankful that the snow shovel kept our casting arms in shape this winter.

The T-shirts are in...

...and already smell pretty bad.