clayton86

Almost done few more trim bands and it's done other then waiting for the decal to come in. Sorry the pic quality isn't the greatest. This is finally done so

I understand the fish in the dirt thing but it's about the only way to take the pic alone and there's not much flat ground with grass. I release everything by the way bass are C&R only right now anyways besides that. I take em out in hook snap a pic and release all under a minute if that even.

Ok not a PB over all but PB with a fly rod. I've had this set up for almost 5 years and never used it didn't know how and honestly a little intimidated by it. My buddy has been sending me pics of smallies he's catching by fly for a few weeks now so today I said the heck with it I'm grabbing the fly rod and going. Each fish got bigger as I kept catching them. Had 5 on landed 4 one broke off as it got in some rocks and cut the leader. We even got a double I'm hooked now bout to order a 6wt blank for a build just for smallmouth fly fishing.

He's my shadow kinda a pain sometimes but I don't mind he hunts like me he fishes like me just smaller. He asked to help so once I got it started I handed the burnishing tool to him and had him help.

Very sharp

Yeah above the hook keeper that I just added is abalone then the split grip section is a holographic tiger wrap

Added this tonight while bored. I put CP on the wraps to try and keep the brightness of the red inlay so it doesn't bleed out.

Been on a bling out my rod craze this weekend decided to add some abalone to my rod and my oldest boy asked to help. He's a natural lol

Ok used denatured alcohol and got the handles mounted on the one build and then set my tiger wrap in epoxy.

That's awesome congrats

Dang I just left Wally World to

Why not acetone? It's what I've been using to clean up with a little on s rag or q tip. I ask cuz I get acetone free at work they let me refill my little jug of it.

They did fit and were a little big till this last coat of epoxy I just did now they don't fit so they need to be reamed out a little. Next I gotta figure out how I'm going to epoxy them on without getting it smeared over the hole. I was thinking put it on the bottom only and spin it only like half way around not all the way if that makes any sense. Or just clean it up with acetone and a q tip and hope it doesn't make the rest milky looking cuz it's nice and shiny now

Day two update: Did some wraps of tiger thread on the butt and front grip last night at work. Started the tiger wrap on my rod also finally since I knew I wasn't fishing till atleast Sunday I had the time to take it out of action. With the grips on it will look like this after a few coats of epoxy. A side shot to see the color in the reel seat matching the tiger thread wrap(they won't be mounted this way only doing it to show the port holes) Start of the tiger wrap on my rod. Kinda nervous how it will look. And then there is this issue I'm trying to figure out as well. One of the grips the little slot was tiny like I'm talking 1/8" little dot of a hole the other was like nice clean cut 1/2"ish hole. So I took my exacto knife and made the small one bigger and now it looks like crap around the edges. I tried sanding it with some rolled up 220 sand paper that didn't work next I'm thinking maybe the dremel or maybe heat up a screwdriver red hot and melt the foam back a tad. Not sure how to clean this up any ideas.

Been playing this a lot lately can't get it out of my head no clue why either just catchy and wayyyyyyy before my time. Ottis redding- sitting on the dock of the bay

I'm actually kinda disappointed it's a Muskie because I've never caught one and it was one of the last "game fish" NY offers that I haven't caught yet and once I do it was a baby. All I have left now is hybrid bass and lake trout.

That's it I'm going Sunday or Monday hope the weather is good

Had a guy fall inlove with the rod I built my self for the trout derby and offered to buy it off me. After refusing he handed me some cash and said " build me one this should get you started" he pawed threw my mudhole catalog picked out a different reel seat then mine and said do gold/yellow and black. So this is what I came up with. Going to do a wrap of the yellow/black tiger thread under the front grip and butt so that its visible threw the window. It's built on a MHX S842-2 blank and then microwave guides with Tigold hook keeper. Time to stop fishing everyday and work on this rod considering I'm getting paid for this one.....

My kayak(Johns old kayak) is a beast but wind does suck.

Here in WNY smallies are sitting on beds right now but I'm hammering them in tubes, grubs, flukes, jerk baits. Fishing has slowed down a little already considering they just came into the river two weeks ago and now they are spawning already.

Might have to make a trip either Sunday or Monday out there then. I've never fished Erie other then the bank near tift preserve. I just hope it's not windy it's a hike to go out there and spend the day battling wind in a kayak.

Any tips for going on Erie via kayak

I wanna get out to erie this year I might leave early Monday morning and go since I don't have to be to work till 730pm on Mondays.

Thanks I'm checking out them now.

I got a rod I'm doing for a buddy and today he asked if I can put his name on it I said I wasn't sure how. So how do I is there a decal I can print off my computer with special paper or order some where. I'd say I could use a paint pen but my hand righting is atrocious.