Just before we left for Colorado, Jacob finished up two fiberglass builds that have just hit the shop! Here are a few photos and a little information on them.
Read moreA Rainbow and A Pot of Gold
The parking lot was full. We walked by all the cars, searching for fishy stickers or rod tubes in backseats. Determining that this was a big river, we'd just driven all the way out here, and the ratio of anglers to cars was not that high, we geared up. I swapped out my trusty hip pack for the daypack, as I do on most 'hike' trips. It was filled to the brim with snacks, rain jackets, and water, with all fishing essentials pinned here and there.
Jacob doesn't hike unless there's the return of fishing, a guaranteed pot of gold at the end of a rainbow if you will. Which is why these are my favorite kind of fishing trips, I get to hike with Jacob because the bribe of trout always works.
Read moreFrom Cutthroat to Rod Bags
After a few days on the road, and a quick stop in Kentucky for some bourbon to help soothe our transition back to the East Coast, we've made it back to North Carolina. And, back to work.
Jacob has been busy with trips and I've put in some long hours with a sewing machine, we're both thankful for work after our month of playing in the mountains with cutthroat.
Read moreFishing Bamboo
Years ago, for Christmas, I gifted Jacob his first bamboo rod. Ever since then it's been a steady stream of learning to build and gathering all he could find. He completely immersed himself in the art of bamboo.
Since then, I've learned more about 'boo' than I ever thought I would, but it was still his. I've cast a bamboo rod from time to time, gave them the 'wiggle test', and admired from afar. I've got my glass rods, they catch fish just fine. I figured bamboo would be a world in which I was always an outsider and even a 'boo widow.'
Read moreWay On Up
I've always considered myself to be a mountain person. I live, play, survive in the mountains, define myself by it. I've never been so wrong about anything. At best, I'm a hill person.
Last week, Jacob and I made plans to meet up with a fellow bamboo rod maker and one of my first rod bag customers, Dave Sornborger - Animas Rods. After all, we're are in his backyard, who better to show us around. "You're good with 2.5 miles, right?" Jacob asked me. I didn't give it a second thought. Two miles, seriously, that's a quick hike for me. It wasn't until the night before that I was informed that over the course of two-miles we'd be gaining 2,000 ft in elevation and starting off at 10,000 ft.
Read moreRod Bags + 416 Fire
Today, while standing in the middle of the grocery store, I started to dance a little jig and let out a "whoop" at the top of my lungs! Why all this craziness in public? Because San Juan National Forest is set to reopen tomorrow!
For the few weeks, Jacob and I have been trying to decide how to proceed with our Colorado trip. Should we move it back? How much? Should we even go at all? Maybe wait until August or Septemeber? Just last night we firmly decided that it would probably be best to push it back just a bit a couple of weeks.