doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What is for dinner?

Gil, I like the invisible wraps and the reel seat with the Half Wells grip. Did you use silk thread? I usually tip my wraps with another color. I used marine spar varnish with a camel brush for non impregnated rods.
I haven't made a rod in years, but I used to buy the bamboo blanks when they were reasonable. I found it hard to find the best cork to make the grips and can't remember the grade but it might have been A. Still have quite a few components but would need a magnifier to wrap and smooth finger tips for using silk.

David,
The thread I used was white silk which became clear when the coating was applied. I had wrapped rods in the past (glass and graphite) with heavier nylon but never with silk. Despite being thinner it was strong with no breaks. The big advantage of invisible wraps is not just the thread is invisible, but any gaps and overlaps between windings are also invisible. I did my best, avoided gaps and over wraps and also burnished which really wasn't necessary. About half the class opted for the single foot as opposed to the snake guides. Those that chose snakes were grumbling at their choice two hours into the step. Having wrapped rods before I knew what we were up against as it is tedious and precise and we had to get through the task by 4 pm that day so that the wraps could be coated. I've never wrapped a rod completely in one day as I always gave it a break and spread it out over a few days. The true colors of personalities surfaced as the air turned blue with curses, mutters and groans as the frustrations of rod wrapping, especially the snake wrappers and those who chose colors, became apparent, such as pulling the loop without the winding thread, cutting the windings instead of the tag, etc. Gil

I'll post another meal, not from last night but 10 days ago. Pheasant with chestnuts from our Japanese chestnut tree. French - "Faisan aux marrons". with stewed apple and potatoes roasted with the pheasant. Squirrels have made off with most of the chestnuts now. Gene

Chestnut fed squirrels would likely be the bomb-just sayin'.

Best,
Ted

I never had the privilege of eating a Chesnut fed squirrel. I have eaten them fed on hickory nuts, acorns, beechnuts, dogwood berries, poplar mast & I can't really recall what else. A young frying size squirrel was always high on my preference of game to eat though, so there is little doubt in my mind a Chesnut fed one would be delicious.

Gene the food looks amazing! Gil I'm really jealous and want to hear more about the spot oyster has at blue ridge please sir

Genevieve doesn't cook as much as she did - claims she got burned out making diplomatic dinners. But tonight she made Maigret de Canard al orange (duck breast with an orange sauce).

Argo, Could you post a recipe for that? I'll be ducking in the rain tomorrow morning. Who knows, I might even get lucky!

Don't know about Argo's recipe, but the easiest glaze for duck breasts is probably a few spoons of orange marmalade and some chardonnay in a sauce pan, reduce it slowly until it begins to thicken and then throw a big pat of real butter into it. The butter enriches the flavor and gives it a very nice sheen.

My favorite is Smucker's apricot preserves reduced with Jack Daniel's and the big butter pat. Dead nuts simple to execute and it will amaze your friends.

I asked for the recipe but there's something about the French; they'll almost never give you the whole recipe on anything...they'll always leave something out. Her response...."Next time I make it, you can do it and write it down."