Willi, requested photo

here is a shot of two of the handles I modified ... probably the nicest
looking and the worst looking, the others are somewhere between ( doh)

NEITHER is finished and they have a lot of material to still be removed ...
after I've actually fished them and can tell better what to remove. Both
are obviously a little "too fat" now though

The finish sanding should remove most of the rough pitted look look, even to
the back rod ( a 6 wt Steffen I use for nymphing ... being a nymph rod, it
already has very little class, so I worry little about how it looks :-)

The BIG difference is the line where new and old meet and the top rod is
very old, the bottom nearly new .. the area at the back of the stock handle
was very rounded, worn, and dirty from use on the Steffen

Not counting glue setting time, each handle probably took me 10 minutes ...
someone more concerned about looks could do a far better job and still have
it be a very short project. In particular the glue squeezed out when I
clamped the cork in place and could have been easily removed with a q-tip
and solvent before it set, but I didn't bother

I have some fine modeling/ carving tools from my fatuous " I only hunt over
hand made decoys" days that I will use to finish the area where the
extension meets the reel seat, and remove oozed glue AFTER the finished
shape is complete and if I actually give a damn by then ..... my vest has a
couple square feet of real ugly shoe- goo smeared repairs in areas that have
worn out, I love "the look" and I'll admit to a silly snob appeal that I
find in hard used equipment ... an appeal that the new and shiny just never
has

http://www.kimshew.com/flyfish/photos/4Willi.jpg

Larry L wrote:

here is a shot of two of the handles I modified ... probably the nicest
looking and the worst looking, the others are somewhere between ( doh)

Thanks Larry. Even not completely finished, they look kinda cool - like
those big fins they put on cars in the sixties!

You must have liked how they fished or you wouldn't have
done over so many rods.

I think I'll give it try.


. my vest has a
couple square feet of real ugly shoe- goo smeared repairs in areas that have
worn out, I love "the look" and I'll admit to a silly snob appeal that I
find in hard used equipment ... an appeal that the new and shiny just never
has


I also like the comfort and wear my gear takes on from use. The patina
that well made stuff takes on is attractive to me, but I don't know
where Shoo goo fits in!

Willi