2012 Mudhole Calendar Contest

It's official!!  Mudhole's 2012 Calendar Photo Contest is in the books, and Cody and I are winners!  Originally, they said winners would be notified on the 12th, but the notifications came in yesterday.  I was kind of bummed when we didn't receive the notification, because I thought the photo was great. 

Mudhole is where Cody and I shop for 97% of our rod-building supplies.  Last year, while the rod-building gang was into building a completely black rod, I changed my scheme a little.  I built a TFO Professional 6# rod whose name is Checkmate! (yes, all of my rods that I build are named), so obviously its color scheme is black and white.  Cody builds my handles making them perfectly sized for my hand, smoothe, and unique--for this rod I wanted a checkerboard handle.

I did not get the fancy butt-section wrap completed before we left (because I had changed it three times), but the reel seat section looked wonderful.  Checkmate!'s maiden voyage was on the North River, just off the Unalakleet River.  Its first fish was a Coho Salmon; its second was a Chum.  We had moved in to Butch's Cove, and were fishing for Grayling and Dolly Vardens, so Checkmate! was taking a rest.  Cody snapped its photo, I submitted Cody's photo to Mudhole way back in May, and the rest is history!  Can't wait to see where the photo ends up in the calendar!

One of 12 2012 Mudhole Calendar Winning Photos!