NEW CataBlog

This is at your own risk. CataBlog is an online Catalog with all my available Rod Series, with pictures, length and lines options, waiting list times, prices and how to order.
You have there at the archive, all Series rods available, you can use it as a Navigator to open any of them.
I'll add some comments about each Rod Series shortly, but I prefer to talk about this by mail or phone, because I can't explain it in two lines and also I like to know about you and your own preferences. I will also add every month, "demo or New" rods ready for immediate delivery.

New CataBlog

Enjoy and thanks for looking!!!

Saturday's Rod in action sequences

This is a sequence that I always enjoy. Again Jorge Trucco taking his rod to its limit. This was during a trip to one of the world fishing paradises "Los Roques" Venezuela. The rod a CFH806 8' #6 Hollow Build Series.
Bamboo Rods in salt water? Why not?









Our rods are made for fishing and Jorge has this very clear. "Take your rods fishing whenever you can".

Rodmaking I

Working on nodes

I remember that when I started with my rodmaking adventure, I use to hate this stage of the process. It was so tedious, so slow... only with time I have learned that "a slow work is a good work".
Now I really enjoy working on nodes because the results are just as I wanted to be always.
Mr. Martin J Keane talking about one of my rods told me in one of its letters:

"I take particular note by the way, of how much work was done to press down the nodes; I don't know that I have seen nodes this small in a rod in years, and any that I would have seen would have been quite rare. Old-timers at Leonard, Thomas, Payne, and Hawes etc. always took a lot of time pressing down the nodes but the effect was never quite as perfect, nor so small an area as you have achieved. I salute you for your great patience and dedication in this area which I consider to be one of the most important and critical elements in fine rod design."

After this praise, working on nodes become one of my favorite tasks. Any 2/2 rod because of my native cane have around of 72 to be transformed so... that's work.

Filling the nodes

Simple tools, two limes in two different thickness and shapes and two C clamps.
Another important thing that you have to take care is the place to work. Personally I like to do it outside, where my mind is more suitable to make a relaxed work. I found into my house gallery a handrail that give me a firmly ground and a nice garden looking. Also "the boss" (wife) don't get angry because of the dirt involved into this work.



I support the strip with the C clamps and start working with the big file in the pit side of the node. I liked that this job finish with a plane surface. (see pictures)



Them I attack the upside of the node. I work first with the big file and them I get the work finished with the little one, at the point that I get a polished surface. In the upside of the nodes I'll try to continue the round form of the strip and leave any node a little over-measure. This will disappear at the pressing stage.



Pressing the nodes

Tools involved, a variable heat gun and a vice.
From those tools that I was able to choose I had tested many, and selected the Metabo Heat Gun and the Record Vice (mod. 50 / 51) no commercial interest just the ones I think are the best.
I bought the two models of vices, one is fixed on my workbench and the other one follows me wherever I go.
Steps in the pressing nodes stage.
a. heat the node sides.
b. press the node sides.
c. heat the node faces.
d. press the node faces.
When I heat the nodes I always take care that they don't get burned time and patience will tell us when it is too much.





This is how the node look at their different stages: before & after.



And these are how they look at four different finished rods.

Tubes

Transport protection, quality, design, beauty, durability... all this thoughts come to mind when I think how important they are for our rods. Not considered as a part of a rod, this piece of hardware is going to be the house of our canes during most of it existence.



When was time to design Calviello Tubes, first I thought about noble materials like aluminum, bronze and wood. And them I design them looking for a mix of functionality and beauty.



They are gone a be the "keepers" for our treasures and they must look like them.



Glass polished aluminum, antique polished bronze and a native high figured native wood are the materials selected to protect my rods. I made them by hand, one by one like my rods, to be it's better company.

Patagonia, by Mr. Mel Krieger

Mr. Krieger hope you some day can fish your mermaid... Thank you for your love to our country.
This little video shows all the magic that I tried to show in the previous article.