A little while back, I received an email about an old Winston rod bag and a hopeful update. I immediately felt a surge of excitement, followed closely by panic. What if the original bag was so old manipulating it would damage it beyond repair? What if I ripped the label, this piece of history? There's no fixing a satin label. I agreed to take on the project, hoping that everything was well preserved and malleable.
Once the bag arrived, I quickly matched the fabric and found a suitable thread; naturally, the most straightforward part.
I sat in my little office, Ben Howard playing in the background, holding this little rod bag in my hands. I wondered what it was that had me so intimidated. Then it hit me, the hands that made this bag made it possible for me to do what I do. This little piece of history was, in a way, my history. This project daunted me so because I didn't want to 'let down' those who had come before me. And so, I acknowledged it and got to work.
With the help of some Umpqua fly tying scissors, the label was safely off the original bag. And soon, the new bag was assembled, complete with an unharmed original label.
To date, this has been one of my favorite rod bag projets! I'm honored to have been a part of bringing this piece of history back to life, housing a different Winston rod, hopefully for years to come!
If you're interested in a custom rod bag project or you've got your own little piece of history, please check out my Rod Bag Page or feel free to shoot me an email!