Serious work in RJ Martin's shop

Matthew Gregory

Matthew Gregory

Chief Executive in charge of Entertainment
Joined
Jan 12, 2005
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Last week I had to attend a very intense training seminar for work, which brought me out to Osterville, MA on Cape Cod. Rather than just return home immediately following training, I contacted my "brothers-from-other-mothers" Mike Spangler, Paul LeTourneau, and RJ to see what kind of mayhem I could involve them in.
RJ volunteered to drive from his house to Osterville when Spangler dropped the ball (even with two months of forward planning and notice), and from there3 we plotted our course.
After some time in the shop gathering a grinding lesson, we ate approximately 40 pounds of fresh scallops which RJ cooked up and enjoyed a cigar on the back deck, relaxing with RJ's beautiful bride Kathy and his youngest son Matt. Matt & I started fooling around with the new lens for my camera, and he snapped these wicked cool pics of the chiminea:

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Then discussion began for the big task we faced for the next morning...
 
...next thing I know, it's 6AM and I've got an espresso stuffed in my hand, and I'm being guided out of the house to an already loaded truck towing a boat. In next to no time, I'm faced with the Atlantic ocean!

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The sky offered a perfect point of delineation, showing that it may be overcast in a bit, but with any luck it would remain dry and calm...

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After a bit of surveying...

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...it's determined where we'll begin. The riptides have begun to form, and that's usually the hotspot for our quarry: stripers!

To make certain that I can find my way around in an emergency, my instructions were as follows-

This way is Nantucket-

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This way is Europe-

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Comforting, let me tell ya!
 
It takes just a few casts before I land my first saltwater fish- a bluefish. These lil' bastards have a set of teeth that'll clean the flesh from your digits in one chomp! Nasty lil' buggers! Darn good thing I've got my trusty hat and tactical paracord bracelet with glow-in-the-dark thread on... if things got ugly, I was prepared.

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It slowed down for a long pause, with next to no action, and I think RJ was starting to worry that he was taking me out to be skunked, when I landed this one on a sinking squid bait:

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We released every fish we caught... plus, if gave me a chance to get some closeup pics of these beautiful fish! The iridescence and wonderful olive colorations are too cool:

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Once again the action died, so we headed toward a sandy point on the cape, and fished in toward the surf. BAM! Little stripers kept hitting our lures. After another quick survey of the area, RJ saw that the surf was at the very edge of a new rip forming. We swung the boat out and sat right at the edge of it, casting two waves in, and for the next two hours had to take turns landing fish and driving the boat! Over and over again, until we simply lost count of how many we had brought in.

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This was a great one that RJ landed using his flyrod setup:

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...then it was my turn. I've never even held a flyrod, much less landed a fish with one. RJ spared me the indignity of learning to cast the infernal contraption, leading it out into that magical second wave in the rip, and before long my tugging at the line produced a striper:

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The rush of the fishing finally over, we headed in just as the wind picked up. By the time we hit the mouth of the inlet, the chop was up and it was raining, with 20mph winds. JUST in time!
 
Back to the shop, where my PLB Mikey Spangler and (the most handsome knifemaker in the world) Paul LeTourneau met us to share stories, smoke cigars, and watch RJ work on a few knives that he had in progress.

Mikey:

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Paul:

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Here's a shot of RJ cleaning up a blade fresh out of heat treat:

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He's so comfortable doing this that he has no problem at all berating me for any number of things while he's doing it - true mastery!

Buffing the ivory scale for an Overkill:

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Some lucky SOB is going to have this gorgeous piece adorning his new knife!

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RJ, I can't thank you enough for the time you spent with me, bro - I had a blast!
 
Wow.... fishing and knife making time with a guy with RJ's ability... TOO AWESOME! :thumbup: :cool: :thumbup:
 
That does indeed look like an unforgettable experience. Thanks for sharing!:thumbup:
 
That looks like way too much fun! My first saltwater fish on a flyrod was also a big blue, right off the coast near Falmouth. Those mean little buggers fight like mad, don't they?
 
Chris, I'd hate you if I didn't love you... awesome! Nice Photoshop work - or is it? ; )
 
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