Monday, January 14, 2013

Leiderman Rods "Hex Special" Build

If there is something that can haunt the winter dreams and dark thoughts of a Michigan angler then it's Hexagenia limbata.  These two inch dark of night mayflies are at times elusive and other times they are trout manna in the dark falling from the sky.  It leaves thoughts rolling over and over through the brain of when will they show up?  Where at?  When should I put a vacation request in?  Maybe take a month off to chase the Hex every night?  Would I stay married if I did?  Would work keep me around?  Would anyone miss me?  Would I miss them?  Thought sequence repeat.

Matt Leiderman of Leiderman Rods recently finished a Steffen Brothers 7'9" 6/7 weight weight that I bet will be perfect for casting hex flies in the dark on a couple of those slender and windy northern Michigan rivers.  I would also bet that this stick could double for swinging mouse patterns in the dark as well.


Matt wrote...  "A client of mine had this blank custom made from by Mark Steffen for tossing Hex flies in Michigan at night.  He requested a fighting butt and full wells grip.  I decided to fancy up the butt a bit with some walnut and blued nickel silver.  I dig the cap and ring reel seat with fighting butt as I really don't like screw lock seats.  I think issues with cap and ring reel seats usually result from poor fitting which is something I have control over in making a reel seat.  This was a fun project and something a bit different.  I'll be starting up a big batch of Steffen blank builds this week so it may be a while before any new builds are posted."







Hopefully whoever will be receiving this "Hex Special" build will share a few photos of big browns on big flies in the dark later this summer.

Check out the Leiderman Rods website and Facebook page to see more of his work.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Been chasing it for 7 years, took a month to do it this year, see ya next summer!

Cameron Mortenson said...

beertrout.com...a month? Damn. Lucky dog.

Anonymous said...

Yeah a month. Took the summer off to travel and fish, best decision of my life.