Ok JC you’re on.
I broke my favorite 3 wt. a week ago and the new blank is due this week. It was the first rod I built and was butt ugly, it could throw some line though!! When it’s ready to fish I’ll take your dare!! 
I have a technical question regarding JC’s challenge…What happens if you don’t catch anything the first time you take the rod out? Could the rod already be cursed? Must I abide by the challenge if there’s a scoreless inning…no hits, no strikes, no errors? BTW…I may or may not have a new (used only once, no fish slime on cork) 4 wt. Z-Axis for sale depending on the outcome of my quandry. 
Nope not gonna do it.
I know with so much at stake I’d get too nervous and flub it. Besides although my new rod has yet to see water I have at least 10 hours of lawn practice with it. ( OK so it was the tarmac on the back alley not an actual lawn ) It has already become a good friend . I love how it casts. Also its my only 6wt. If I sold it then dropped the jinx bomb on the new owner… well that would just be wrong.
Besides that the Terrible Toober lives 1/2 way cross the continent and probably already read JC’s article and would be on the alert. ( keep alert, everyone should have a pet )
Not to mention that In the selling and re purchase of a replacement I would lose valuable dinero which goes against my Scottish ancestry.
So… Nice try JC but … Nope not gonna do it. Uh UH!
Ummm … wait a minute. Let me get this straight. People go fishing and don’t catch fish? That what you’re saying? Gawd! I can’t imagine that!:rolleyes:
The odds of my having a new rod around are pretty slim, unless Scott decides to replace my recently broken SAS 905 with a new Scott A2 905.
Since my stated preference is for the “hunt” and “take” and to not land fish in most circumstances, it would require too big an attitude adjustment to take up J.C.'s challenge.
Okay, JC! I’m DONE!
I grabbed my brand new Powell 4-pc 9’ x 6wt. that had never been out of the tube and walked across the street, to the lake.
Using a WF/6/F line and a fly pattern I copied from Skip48’s ties, he’s shown on here, I cast it out. Nothing. Next, cast I plopped it onto a large lily pad and let it sit to the count of ten, and then for the rings to dissipate from around the pad.
When all was quiet, I pulled the fly off the lily pad and as it landed in the water, I fair sized LMB struck.(14" by my net measurer).
Yes, I brought the fish to the net and then released it.
So… of course my next question IS…do you need my home address, in order to ship me my new fly rod now? Wasn’t that part of the “challenge”!?
After, ALL, wasn’t “the deal”, that if I DIDN’T catch a fish, I had to SELL my rod? There wasn’t much said, JC, about what happened if you DID catch a fish, so I naturally assumed… “Geeeee, wilikers…JCs an honest man, so he’ll no doubt give out a free rod in return to the challenge!”
Now you know the rod is not jinxed. Raises the resale value a lot. I figure you have profited by my suggestions, therefore, send me the rod and for even a few dollars more I will ‘bless’ the rod, raising it even farther in value. (postage is your responsibility)
Oh…WOWZERS!!! IMAGINE!!! (((ME)))))!!!
The CHANCE to own a real, official, true to the making… “J.Castwell Blessed Fly Rod”!!! That’s almost, MORE, than my already weakened heart can STAND, JC!
But, there’s NO WAY I’d “risk” such a religiously blessed artifact to be trusted in the hands of any common shipper, or, mail carrier.
So, perhaps this “blessing” could be done, this year at the Idaho Fish In? Do you charge EXTRA if your blessings are done “stream side”!?? Is it MORE, if… when blessing the rod…you also wear your Superman outfit?
Will, Linda and I, be required to attend X-amount of counseling classes, etc. BEFORE the rod is blessed and BEFORE I’m again, allowed to handle it?
Does it HELP at all, that when looking in the newest addition of Webster’s World Dictionary, that under the term “Choir Boy”, my picture is located, directly below that of Joe V.'s!?
Gads, so MANY important things to consider and SO LITTLE time left!?!
I can see it now…John the Baptist Castwell… standing in the middle of the river in a Superman outfit …dunking fly rods:rolleyes:
Can you just see it on Sunday at the fish-in wrap up out in the Lochsa River in front of the Cabins? There in mid stream bended down on their knees, are sixty or more flyfishers each with their favorite flyrod clasped in both hands Held high in the air, Heads bowed down in supplication. Before them a white robed figure is seen arms outstreched reaching skyward. A huge hatch of October caddis glistening in the fading sunlight, glowing like some cosmic halo circling his head . The multitude chanting over and over the mantra… catch and release, barbless hooks… catch and release, barbless hooks…catch and release … His words ring out above noise of the crowd . Lord we humbly ask thy blessing upon these fly rods…
Give me chills just thinking about it.
Websters New World Dictionary
Choir Boy:
Joe V the Choir Boy
St. Paul the Confused
Well…the first mistake was to tell the spousal unit that this was going to be a great challenge…it was ‘bout this time that I was forcefully reminded that the cost of the Winston BII MX 9’ 9wt rod put a serious dent in the hardwood floor fund…so after much groveling and beggin’, I can go fish with it, just not take the chance of not landing the first one and losing it…sorry, JC…but I eventuallly have to sleep with her…and I believe that she smells better and is MUCH softer…
beigefoot…(aka the broken man…)
Well, JC, it’s quite obvious, that between NOW and the IFI… you’d better start on growing that “flowing white beard”!?! NOT to mention, practicing your official genuflecting.(that just CAN’T be easy, in chest highs?)
GNU-Bee, I’m STILL “ROFLMAO” over your posted comments, thank you!! I needed that!
Do ya’ think, that he’ll have his “flowing white robes”, done in a breathable fabric?
Does one; "Hold the reel seat, in one’s palm, lowering it backwards, into the water as you recite the prayer? Or, are they done “tip first”? Jointed? Or, taken apart first?
Should we begin, now, a collection to pay the 66 member choir or do they even accept such payment?
If I have this Powell rod, “blessed by JC”, (which got this whole sub-thread, started to begin with)… then, does that mean that my Boo sticks are going to be forced to follow in the Powell’s religious footsteps? Or, can they at least wait, until they’re old enough to choose for themselves, which faith to follow?
Has anyone asked JC, if there’s like a “two-fer deal”, where we can get our reels blessed, along with our rods,IF we mount them on the rods ourselves, before the blessing?
Since other religious followings have already pretty well cornered the “wafer and wine” deal, is it TRUE what Joe V, said… “As your rod is blessed, you’ll be required to place a slice of SPAM on your tongue, as you also sip from a bottle of Barques!” ??
Sorry, for all the questions Gnu-Bee, but you seem to be the man that’s “up” on all of these things!!??!!
JOE… thank you, for posting those wonderful and very AUTHENTIC PICTURES!! I’m sure it will put to rest a lot of disbelief and falsehoods that especially our newer members must be asking themselves.
beigefoot, your last sentence, is going to give me nightmares for at least the next 3 months, if not longer.
But, my friend, please don’t feel that you’re alone in your pain…
Last week and again, today, Linda and I received several checks from both, FEMA and our home owner’s insurance, for all the damage done to our home and ranch, during the early December hurricane we had here.
Naturally,… being very mature, upstanding, forthright, a GREAT husband, father and grandfather, NOT to mention a VERY trustworthy and HONEST home owner…
I looked at the total of these checks.
I looked at 19 of the closest at hand, fly fishing catalogs I have.
I added together, the total of these checks.
I, again, looked at the fly fishing catalogs.
I flipped through the fly rods and fly reels sections of 19 catalogs.
I looked at the checks and re-added their totals.
I suddenly realized, that “I could not only BUY ANY REEL on any of these pages…”
"I could now afford to buy not ONLY the reels, but even buy ALL the reels on any given page, PLUS enough extra spools,to fulfill any fly fisher’s dreams.
I was proud of myself, for being VERY conservative, by only picking out 21 rods at random. I, already, own 23 so I didn’t want to appear I was “greedy”.
When I looked at the checks, a final time, to make sure I’d added them up correctly… they were gone off my desk. Looking up, from my desk, my eyes met those of my bride’s. She didn’t say, a single word. She didn’t HAVE TO.
She merely LOOKED at me. She smiled, the checks in her hand, and turned and left my tying room.
In the seat of my leather chair, where I always keep at least a dozen fly tying books, fly fishing catalogs, etc. when I went to set down this evening… in their place were numerous catalogs full of “windows”, “doors”, (exterior and interior), “molding”, “Hardy Plank”, “sheet rock tools”, “wall paper samples and carpet samples”.
TWO THINGS, have been said to me, since Linda took the checks from me…
“LOOK at the pages in those catalogs that I’ve bookmarked, please!” and
“If you didn’t watch the news, tonight, it’s supposed to be down near freezing, OUTSIDE, again!”
If any of you own this Rod & Reel><> http://dsp.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p2743483p275w.jpg
It’s already been blessed ahead of time!
Doug :rolleyes:
You win that one Doug, If those were fly rods I would love to get a few…
Doug,
I bought that very same rod outfit for my son this past season in Sonora, CA. He actually caught a trout with it trolling with a Ford Fender. I thought for sure the rod would break, but no it held and we landed a nice 9~10 inch rainbow. 
The look on a 3 year old face is priceless when he heard fish-on!
Sounds like a great challenge.
I will be the first to offer myself up as a sacrifice to the fishing gods and take those “cursed” rods off of your hands folks. As soon as you realize that your rod is cursed/jinxed/worth nothing more than a flimsy walking stick send me a PM and I will even pay for the shipping for you to send it to. Of course I won’t be fishing with these evil rods–I probably won’t even touch them without gloves on. But I know a great place to retire these rods that is safe and will ensure that no other anglers ever have to fish with these “Voodoo-fied” rods (yes that is a technical term )
Just let me know when you’re ready to rid yourself of these rods.
Not sure if this applies but, http://www.flyanglersonline.com/cst/cst080204.html
Wowzers, J.C… nice article and VERY, VERY, kindhearted of you to even MAKE such an offer!! I’m SURE you’ll be virtually FLOODED with rods being shipped into you!
However, since I personally “train” my own rods, (an advantage of being that dog breeder, you mention in your column), I won’t need your services. Well, NOT for my fly rods, anyway. BUT!! Since your “self taught high technology” would obviously work on ANYTHING… I AM, going to be sending you an EX WIFE I’ve had some trouble with, in the past!! Yeah, that’s okay, no “thanks” needed my friend!! Nope! None at all!
Just like the rods… “Keep her a season and work the kinks and troubles out of her”. Sure, like you requested she’s also come along with one of HER OWN “blank, signed, checks” for you to fill out, too!
No, no, PLEASE, J.C. you’re too kind!! No thanks needed, I said!
You are equating ex-wives and fine cane rods at a par? Surely my friend you jest. The audacity of such is not lost on the receptor. Good one!