(Click any photos for magnification) Today, a friend of mine from Washington State Direct Messaged me on Instagram and asked me to share a few pics of my most “sacred” personal rod that I use season after season. Well, I would have to say this particular rod truly is like picking up an old friend when I fish it, which is pretty much all the time. It is 22 years old and has thousands and thousands of hours on it. It is based on an E.F. Payne 97 taper, a 7' 4wt., and as many close friends know, I'm a big Payne fan. I made this rod before I was married, back when I literally slept on my equipment; it has traveled with me just about everywhere, especially the Smoky Mountains, where it's done some brook trout time. It has traversed through West Virginia and Pennsylvania and has been up as far as Bangor, Maine. It is truly a rod I do not leave at home; it is always with me. It is also the rod I fish almost exclusively on the Mad River near my house in Urbana. I suppose there are ...