I'm not sure who decided flannel was a good idea, but it was probably Jacob, those Scottish genes. I can remember haphazardly putting together my original line up of rod bags. Near the top of the list was Flannel Lined Bags. It was the first or second order I received. It's still the most popular bag.
Read moreGood Things Come In Threes... Right?
Good things come in threes, right?
This past fall, Jacob returned home from a day on the river to excitedly announce the sale of three identical custom bamboo builds. I'll repeat that in case you didn't catch it, three identical (if this were Facebook, I might have used all caps) custom bamboo rods. It's quite easy at the moment to become overly excited about the prospect of work during what is sure to be a slow winter. Don't get me wrong; work is excellent; work is especially useful when it's rod building. But, there's that word again, identical.
If you know Jacob, you know that he is particular. And, if you know him really well, you know that particular is a bit of an understatement. So, let the record show, I was a little skeptical about how this undertaking was going to turn out.
Still Here
There’s a chile roaster in a just about every grocery store parking lot. The aspen trees are changing from green to bright yellow and orange. All of the trout have decked themselves out in their best fall colors. Mornings are brisk, usually in the 40s; afternoons are full-on summer. For me, this is the most magical time of the year and usually one of the hardest.
In years past, this is the week that Jacob and I would pack up our little Subaru, full of beer that we couldn’t find back East and goodies that we couldn’t live without, usually a collection of rocks and other treasures found along trout streams. It’s the time of year that we say “see ya’ later” to the place we love so much, but not this year.
Read moreA Little Piece of History
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.
Read moreDiscovering Cutthroat and A Little More
If you drive around in the mountains a bit from our house, follow a Forest Service road for a few miles, you end up in a canyon with a perfect little river flowing through it. It's mostly become our 'go-to' escape, given its closeness and exceptional beauty. But, who am I kidding, almost everything here is perfectly splendid.
We decided on a quick trip in the middle of the day right when the temperature had gotten too hot to work anymore, and a little extra elevation was necessary. We hit the river just as the afternoon rainstorm did it is monsoon season after all.
If you've been a follower of this little blog of ours, you've probably noticed that I've misplaced my enthusiasm for it. Maybe it's the adjustment to a new place, lack of motivation, too many rod bags, too little adventure, or perhaps basic laziness. I'm still trying to figure it out.
Read moreThe Year That Was {2018}
Thanks for following along with all our adventures this year, we hope you’ve enjoyed being a part of them. We’re sure glad to have you here!
Happy New Year to you all! Treasure what has passed and look forward to the adventure ahead.
I have a feeling 2019 is going to be one hell of a year!
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