Jim Caron

Hi...My name is Jim, and I have been hooked since around
the turn of the century. I got started by deciding that
the bamboo rod from the 40's that I had inherited from my
granddad deserved to be refinished. I then started buying
old 9 footers on e-bay, converting them to 6 footers
suited to the mountain stream fishing here in Virginia.
Close to home I have a cabin on a little brook trout
stream where it flows out of the National Park. Next came
a couple of blanks on e-bay. Then I realized that I HAD
to start planing cane, and I am on Rod #18, a Garrison
193. I started acquiring the books, and pretty much
settled on Wayne's as my "bible". Then I found this list,
which continues to be invaluable. And I love it just the
way it is, grits and all. Next came the inevitable
plethora of tools, some made, some purchased, but all
"needed". (And that beat goes on and on) The biggest
step forward for me was my first gathering in the
Catskills. Would hate to miss one now. Not only for the
hands on and the technical, but especially for the people.
Putting faces to the names from the list, getting the
books autographed (Hoagy, Kat, George Barnes, Harms and
Whittle, Kim, Rolf) has been special. I'm 67, like Peter,
and aware of the limitations. So as I continue to
extricate myself from my business as owner of a Mfg.Rep
agency selling industrial valves, I will keep
building...so many tapers,so little time. Just finished a
Chris Bogart Blue Ridge Banty, love my Garrison 212, next
will be a Dickerson 6611.................Thanks to all of
you, and I hope to meet a lot of you