Gone But Not Forgotten

Sometimes it’s hard to believe I have been publishing RodMaker for nearly 14 years. And it’s difficult to remember all the fine rod builders that the magazine has brought me into contact with during that time. A few seemed to come out of nowhere, shine brightly and then drop out of sight. I wonder where some of them are today.

At the first or second National Rod Builder’s Show in Charlotte, NC, I met a rod builder named Joe Emig. He’d been a subscriber but I’d not yet met him in person. Joe was wandering the aisles with some sample sticks holding the most beautiful reel seat inserts I’d ever seen. All sorts of stuff – abalone inlays, multi-segmented pieces with ebony outlining, and a host of other stuff almost too beautiful to believe. I know a craftsman when I meet one. In the next few years Joe wrote many wonderful articles for RodMaker, including pieces on working with snake skins, casting inserts with polyester resin, laser engraving, powder coating and much more. I sometimes wonder how many folks currently engaged in these rod building techniques have any idea that Joe was the guy who developed and first wrote about them.

After the first ICRBE in High Point, Joe visited the RodMaker shop along with Billy Vivona and David Boyle (VisualWrap and VisualWeave). Joe had been working on a new method for making EVA inlays where he cut the material in thin slices to accurately mimic the scale patterns found on fish.  To this day I still haven’t seen anything to rival it.

Shortly after, Joe informed me that a flood had damaged his home and said he’d have to take a break and deal with the repair work. I haven’t heard from him since. Nor has anyone else that I know of. Hoping he’s okay, I can only say that I rate him as perhaps the top overall craftsman I’ve yet to meet in the custom rod building field.  No kidding – he was/is that good.

Lloyd Starrush wrote several interesting things for us early on. He was another master with EVA inlays and was writing an article on the topic  when he passed on. I didn’t learn of this until two years after I had last heard from him. Ray Jergensen was doing intricate and “elliptical” things with wood long before it became popular in rod building.  He’s still around I’m told, restoring homes and pursuing woodworking, but he’s no longer in the eye of the rod building craft. Too bad for us – he was extremely talented and a real asset to the craft.

Back in 2000 a Georgia rod builder named Steve Hudson wrote a nice article for us on building a spine finder. A year later I was in the audience when he gave a presentation on organizing and teaching rod building classes. It was truly outstanding – during those 35 to 40 minutes not a word was spoken in the audience. He held the attention of the crowd like no other speaker I’ve heard.  To this day I consider it the best prepared and presented seminar I’ve ever witnessed. I have no idea where he is now or what he’s doing today.

Rod builders come and go. I suppose it should be no surprise that people with so much creativity continue to seek out new outlets in which to express themselves. I’d like to think that’s what happened to these and others like them – they just moved on and into other crafts which have allowed them to continue the personal evolution of their wonderful abilities.

Tom Kirkman

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