Building

Some of you probably don't think so, but if I can't get out and do some fishing the next best thing is working on rods or tying flies (and daydreaming about fishing). I've built a couple lately so I thought I'd show you what I've been up to.

The first build actually happened because my wife saw a post on facebook from a guy asking if anyone could fix a rod. She tagged me and luckily enough I could fix it for him. He must've liked what I did because he asked that I build him a rod. Not just the cheapest rod he could find, mind you, he wanted a Blue Halo fiberglass rod. Between the two of us we got all the components ordered and I put the rod together as quickly (and as good) as I could. He seemed happy, even mentioned another build in the future, and I watched this beauty leave.

Beauty

The most nerve-racking part is the epoxy

Really happy with the way it all came out

If you follow me on Instagram you've probably already seen the Blue Halo build and you're not alone. Soon after I finished that rod I was contacted about another build, this time on a matte gray Hook & Hackle blank that I've been holding onto for awhile. The customer wanted a 'one of a kind' rod that she could give her husband for their anniversary. Other than that I could pretty much build whatever I thought would be best. I decided a custom handle, maple insert, some decorative wraps were in order. The thing was a ton of work in a short period (the anniversary was coming quick) but I got the rod done and she picked it up almost the minute it came off the dryer. When I talked to her a few days later she said that her husband was really excited about the rod and wanted to go fishing with me as soon as the weather improved. 

Laying out the materials and trying to figure it out 

It turned out pretty enough, and it felt great in the hand

Things got a little crazy

But it turned out alright!

This decorative wrap on each guide was cool, but a huge pain

 I wish I would've taken more pics of this rod after it was done, but like I said, it was out the door right as it came off the dryer. I've got another rod that I'm just starting tonight, another fiberglass rod but this one is a bit more old school in feel and aesthetic. Well, until I do something crazy... Hope you're having a wonderful holiday season, and Merry Christmas.

Hope you're as lucky,

Kidder

* If you're interested in my rods and/or nets just message me!

A Bit Cold Out

Every trip begins at the vice trying to anticipate what flies will work and tying up some other patterns just in case the first bit of inspiration doesn't pan out. The trip in question was going to be an over-nighter for the two days after Thanksgiving. I think about a lot of different things when I tie flies and since this session was heavy on Simi-Seal Leeches and a little soft hackle pattern I've been tying for the past 20 years, so I could afford to let my mind wander. Obviously, I have much to be thankful for including the most wonderful wife a guy could ever hope for, two amazing kids, and a life we've created that allows me to run off and spend a couple of days fishing with my Dad and brothers whenever we can wangle it.

Once the flies were tied and the equipment packed I received the call that I was dreading. My dad was on the line explaining how if we went tomorrow my brother Jeff wouldn't be able to come with us. Being the generous types that we undoubtedly are, we decided to postpone for a day so that Jeff would be available. So black Friday saw me hanging around the house until mid-day when I finally headed up to my Dad's for the short night on the couch. Before I turned in I tied everyone up a new leader and replaced a couple of fly lines for my Dad. Of course Jeff texted us in the morning letting us know that he was sick and wouldn't be coming.

Lots of deer acting dumb during the rut

It was a long drive, but with an early start and no surprises we made it just after first light. Getting out of the truck brought the reality of how cold it was. With quickly numbing hands and iced up guides we brought the first fish to hand (which of course made them colder). Whenever we come fishing here it seems like all we catch are rainbows, but once we made that comment the tigers came out in force to prove us wrong. I love catching rainbows, but having another fish in the mix definitely keeps things interesting.

Awesome color on one of Weston's many fish

Cool hooked jaw on this one

Tigers sure can be pretty

After fishing for a short while my Dad told me he was having some trouble with his 5 wt. I built this rod for him a few years ago (looking at it shows how far I've come) so I'm a little protective. Turns out part of the reel seat came off of the main part of the rod. I'm not sure if this has more to do with the weight of the automatic reel he insists on using, the cold, or if I did something wrong on the initial build (I'll let you know how the repair goes). Luckily, this was to be the maiden voyage for the 8 wt I built for him over the summer (check it out here). On only the 2nd cast he'd ever made with the rod he pulled in a decent tiger, talk about a good start.

Should be an easy fix, just wondering why it happened

Pretty good way to break in a new rod

Seems like everywhere we wet a line there were fish willing to eat. At one spot my brother Weston and I probably caught twenty or more small fish before something larger came to play. I instantly knew that the fish that had taken my Simi-Seal Leech was quite a bit bigger than anything else I'd caught that day. After a quick fight I brought the hog to the net for a quick pic and release.

She's a chunk

The cold followed us all day, but the last spot we fished seemed to be slightly warmer and we spotted several nicer fish out cruising. I tried adding a soft-hackle behind my leech but continued to only attract the attention of the smaller fish. On went a chironomid under an indicator which brought some looks and close calls but no better fish. The day was starting to run out and Weston wanted to look for some coyotes before we had to head back home so we packed it up long before I was ready to call it quits. I was sure glad to make it back home the next day but the fish that got away are still keeping me awake at night! Hope you can get out, be safe, and enjoy nature.

- Kidder

Undoing

So, I broke my 4wt over the weekend, 'cause I'm smart like that. Luckily, I had an extra tip section that I could wrap, but I'd need to reuse the guides and tiptop. So, I broke down the old rod section with some heat and a razor blade to salvage the hardware I needed. After some quick work with the thread, I was epoxying my wraps and getting excited for this weekend. 

I think this makes me look a little crazy

Sometimes I think the best part of wrapping rods, and tying flies, is the anticipation to put them to good use (whether they're for me or someone else). Hope you can get out and enjoy the water.

What you can get.

The work week

Earlier in the week I was able to get out and fish a small pond near my work. It's good to live and work here.

This fish looks better when you
realize it's 5min. from work.

And there are other perks...

This weekend

Anytime you get to go fishing to a new place, it's going to be a fun day. When the guy that you're going with asks that you wear camouflage...well, it makes it a bit more intriguing. 

But lets back up to how this all came about. Just over a year ago I was talking to a friend of mine about a certain pond that he knew of where some large trout lived. No particulars were given, and it was understood that this was his honey hole. Fine. Really, not a big deal. We all have those places that we don't want to give up for one reason or another. 

Anyway, a few weeks ago we got to talking about what we've been up to and I told him about the Cutthroat lake I'd found. I hesitated. Then I told him where it was. Just like that. He returned the favor and gave me directions to his pond. Then yesterday we decided to head there to do some fishing together. 

I honestly figured the camouflage thing to be overkill, but I did it anyway. When someone says to wear camouflage  you just do it. Then we got there and started seeing the fish, and they saw us, then I believed. I tried everything but couldn't seem to buy a fish. I had strikes, and was seeing fish, but I just couldn't seem to put it all together. Breaking my rod was just adding injury to insult, but that was the kind of day it was.

I hate it when this happens

My buddy had his best day yet at this pond, landing three. None of them were the monsters he described, but I saw enough to make me want to go back. 

After our patience ran out, we hit a small stream where we caught several on dries till dark. Sometimes you just gotta take what you can get.

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