A few hours out last October

[Vagabond]

if you'd like a change of pace, Bobbi & I will be doing our annual week of fishing the inshore waters of Florida's mosquito lagoon this November and the boat easily holds 4 anglers so there would be room for the pair of you.

Hi Newt, and thanks for your good wishes.

That is a very kind offer, but may I postpone acceptance until we know what sort of improvement the procedure I am undergoing on 3rd April will bring ?

At the moment anything more energetic than walking a few steps brings on an attack and the need for nitroglycerine - over the last twelve years I must have used enough to blow up the Houses of Parliament -

 

who said that would have been a preferred option ? take his name !

Edited March 19, 2017 by Vagabond

[Steve Walker]

Best of luck, Dave, and hope to see you back on the bank before too long.

[Vagabond]

Best of luck, Dave, and hope to see you back on the bank before too long.

Thanks Steve, How is that little split-baboo getting on? Ready for the "off" in a fortnight ?

[Steve Walker]

 

Thanks Steve, How is that little split-baboo getting on? Ready for the "off" in a fortnight ?

 

The eyes are whipped on, but need a dab of varnish. The colour match isn't perfect, but I will see how they look after varnishing. I might get round to whipping the other eyes in the same thread if the colour is too far out, but of course the fish can't see the whippings!

 

I did mean to put it through its paces for winter grayling, but I haven't had a single grayling session this winter.

 

I have paid for a London Angling Association game ticket, so am hoping to give it a first outing here;

 

http://www.londonanglers.co.uk/avon.html

[Martin56]

 

The eyes are whipped on, but need a dab of varnish. The colour match isn't perfect, but I will see how they look after varnishing. I might get round to whipping the other eyes in the same thread if the colour is too far out, but of course the fish can't see the whippings!

 

I did mean to put it through its paces for winter grayling, but I haven't had a single grayling session this winter.

 

I have paid for a London Angling Association game ticket, so am hoping to give it a first outing here;

 

http://www.londonanglers.co.uk/avon.html

 

Hi Steve I've looked online for coloured varnish for rod whippings & can't see any.

 

If you haven't done anything too fancy re the whippings (ie bands in different coloured threads) maybe could first go over them with a similar (slightlydarker) coloured felt tip pen, then just use the clear varnish??

 

The Sharpie felt tips are very good, rather than the kids cheapo's.

Edited March 22, 2017 by Martin56

[Martin56]

Hi Steve, if you haven't done anything too fancy re the whippings, (like bands of different threads) could maybe go over them with a similar (slightly darker) coloured felt tip pen??

 

Then just use the clear varnish.

 

The Sharpie felt tips are very good quality - rather than the kids cheapo's.

[chesters1]

Crayon is waterproof ,my letters rarely get washed off the paper ,my mrs puts them on the fridge as i am a good boy.

 

I thought everyone used two part nowadays and humble vanish obselete except for a few stuck in the mud old people like myself

Edited March 22, 2017 by chesters1

[Steve Walker]

Martin - the varnish is clear, but thread always looks different after varnishing - difference between how it looks wet and dry.

[Vagabond]

the varnish is clear, but thread always looks different after varnishing - difference between how it looks wet and dry.

Yep, I have lost count of how many whippings I have tied and varnished in 75 years of making my own rods, and never, never, have I been satisfied with the matching of different shades of whipping.

 

True, the fish can't see them, but I can, and it gets on my wick !

 

I did solve it for a few years by laying in a "lifetime's" supply of thread in just two colours - cherry red for split-bamboo and green for greenheart, hickory and native woods. That was fine, but having a lot of rods to refurbish, I ran out of those threads about ten years ago. Now the problem is solved for me - age tremor means I can't do a neat whipping any longer, so when a rod needs refurbishing I give it away. Cant tie flies any more either, but I have enough rods and flies to last me (until that 100th birthday trip Ajay )

[Steve Walker]

It's come out fairly close - it helps that the new whipping is all on the butt section, so the rod has to be taken apart to directly compare!

 

Chesters, I've used epoxy rather than varnish before, but I'm always worried that it will be a swine to remove if I have to re-ring again. Not a problem I want on a rod I can't just replace!