Just like turning on a switch.

Even if the ice disappeared on the lakes for nearly a month ago, there is not much going on before you get to the last half of this month. So after several trips without much result on the lakes around Oslo, it was finally time for the first trip to a small trout stream that is known to have a really nice and early hatch of the mayfly Baetis Rhodani. And since this Mayfly is known to like really shitty weather, and the weather forcast says heavy rain the next day- it was time to prepare for the first trip to a trout river.

 Baetis Rhodani.

Previous experience with this Mayfly is that it is approximately around half past twelve (noon) it starts to happen, especially if it starts to rain. So when the whole morning had passed without any insects on the river, and the clock approached 12 .... it started to rain. And belive it or not, it started to popp up Baetis in large numbers. And when the sun reappeared, there were several fish that were busy eating  Mayflies.

The fish was eating mayflies just outside the large tree on the otherside.

Allways something special with the first decent fish in the beginning of the season.

A little skinny maybe, but nice colors.

Nice little river, perfect for  using a small bamboo flyrod.

 

Not just rodbuilding parts.

For me, nickel silver ferrules and agate stripping guides are like beautiful jewelry on a bamboorod.

Ferrules from GW and Tony Larson, agate guides from GW.

The real thing for the guides, Gossamer Pearsall's silk.

The new binder.

Well the new binder from J.D.Wagner came and it was time for testing and fine tuning the binder before gluing and binding the strips. Now it was just trying to find the right tension on the tensioning disc's. After some test binding without glue - it was time to just go for it with the glue. And I must say the binder did the job, the blanks came out pretty much strait with almost no twist's and bends.

The binder setup for Degere-Style, endless belt binding.

The blanks after some days in the drying cabinet, ready for sanding away the glue.

The binding tread removed and it's time to get a closer look at the blanks.

The first sanding.....nice feeling.

Binders and Reel seats.

Well it's about time to wake up from winter hibernation and be a bit active on the blog again. Back from a wonderful holiday in Thailand, it's time to continue working on the rod's. Have two rods waiting to be glued but have played with the idea to build a new binder inspired on the Garrison model. I have used two different binders until now, the first a very simple binder, where you use a cradle to lay the rod in and do the wrapping by hand. But with this method you easily become tired in the hands not to mention the twist that can appear in the rod.  When the glue is dry, I do not want to use too much heat to straighten out the twist in the rod. Titebond is a good adhesive but I do not think it is so fond of too much heat. The other is a model based on Bob Milward's binder using four threads in equal & opposite directions works great when tuned right. But I'm ready to try out something new, so to make it easy for myself, I ordered a brand new J.D. Wagner binder from the USA. I am very excited about this as it may be used in three different ways. So in the meantime I'm working on with rod number three, a 7' 4wt Eustis W. Edward's taper. Parts for the Rod's has also started to show up, first out three beautiful reel seat's and bronze snake guides from Mike McCoy and Snake Brand.

The first binder. Wrapping by hand.

Boo Brother Geir's binder. B. Milward's model.

Reel seat's, maple burl and spalted maple...beautiful.

Tiny strips and a Happy New Year.

Finally one can breathe out after a long Christmas celebration. It was not so much rod building as I had planned. But now it's the start of the new year and the plane blades are razor sharp and ready for action. I managed to get some hours in the workshop, so the tip section for the 7' 3 wt rod is finally ready for gluing. The planingform are set and ready for the but section. So now it's just to get started with the planing.

The tiny strips for the tip section.

Always a good feeling when control measurements show that the taper is correct.

Setting the planing form.

The Morgan but section ready for the planing form.

Slovely the bamboo start's look like rod sections.

The form is set for the first stage of the final planing.

The old Stanley plane has quickly become a favorite.

Preliminary form.

Finally it was time to start planing the strips in the preliminary form. Although all stages of building a splitcane rod is interesting and satisfying, it is when I begin to use the block plane the best part of the building starts.

Removing the outer layer of the enamel gives me more control over the taper measurement's when planing the strips, not everybody does it, but it works best for me that way.

  
It's nice to hear the sound of a razor sharp blade when you are planing the strip.....zzzziip.
Just like music, lovely.

The strip on it's way to the 60 degree angle.