"Work is for people who don/t fish," states a sign in Keith Diamond/s immaculate custom rod shop at his home.

In his case, the saying has special meaning. Diamond, a lifelong fisherman, was forced by health problems to give up his regular full-time job in the mid-/90s. Heart problems resulted in a four-way bypass; and later, glaucoma greatly reduced his sight in his left eye.

"When I work on fishing rods, I take off my glasses," he said.

So, Diamond took the knowledge he had gained about fishermen and what they want in a rod, and did some studying. About 10 years ago, he got involved in custom rod building as a hobby when he inherited, through his mother, an uncle/s rod-building supplies. Diamond said he climbed up in his mother/s garage, hauled "that stuff down and got involved in it."

When he was no longer able to work full-time, Diamond read more about his hobby, then went down to Santa Barbara for an intense one-on-one lesson with a master rod builder, and came back to set up "Rods by Keith," a "business-hobby."

It wasn/t such a hard transition for a man who was just 5 years old when he learned to fish with his father, Art Diamond, now deceased. "My dad taught me how to fish when I was a young boy," he recalled. "We used to go fishing at Clear Lake, up in northern California.

"Every time we went anywhere, he always took his fishing poles with him. One year, fishing up at Clear Lake 77 my dad told me 77 I was having so much fun one day fishing that apparently that night I was talking in my sleep. I woke him up somehow. I had my flashlight on and he said, /What are you looking for?/ I said, /I/m looking for another stringer. I/ve got one stringer full./ "

"I used to fish a lot out at Waller Park," Diamond said. A native of Santa Maria, he recalled when the pond "way out in the back corner" would be stocked with bass and trout for "Huckleberry Finn Days."

Diamond and his wife, Barbara, will soon be married 39 years. He said he/s tried to teach their two daughters to fish. "One always wants to go once in a while with me, but I/m afraid she/s gonna/ hook herself, the way she is with things," he said, laughing. I kind of avoid trying to ever take her out. I take my-son-in-law!"

Building the rods, and more

Diamond doesn/t know offhand how many rods he/s built in the past 10 years, but said last year was his best, with 12 custom "sticks" completed. Much of his work is now in repair and restoration. In the shop, a "bouquet" of restored rods are resting until he sells them at home or takes them down to the flea market at The Loading Dock in Orcutt.

"I go through them and try to clean them up and redo them," he said.

But he can still turn out a custom job pretty darn fast when requested. "I/ve had a couple of guys getting ready to go to Mexico 77 they/ll come in here and see a rod blank and say, /Can you have one made in a week for me?/" The answer is most often affirmative, /so long as I/ve got the parts here./ "

The most complicated rod he ever built was a "trolling" rod that used nothing but roller guides and a roller tip. "That/s a little bit harder to get lined up," Diamond said.

To reduce a complicated process in order to make in comprehensible for a non-fishing reporter, Diamond explained that first he (and his client) choose a material for the rod. This can be fiberglass "the first modern material," graphite for "a better feel of fish biting," to the ultimate of titanium.

"First thing, you gotta find the backbone, or the spine on the blank."

Out in the shop, Diamond twirls a blank in his hand and suddenly it bends, with the "spine" side up. That/s his basic point.

"I/ve got to start with the handle and build on up," he said.

"It depends on the type of rod you/re going to build," he said. "Some rods, your guides (which hold the line away from the rod) are going to be on the bottom; others are on top, the same side as the backbone."

"Once you do that, you can start putting your handle on and your reel seat," he said, demonstrating what these parts look like. "Then you position your guides. And then start wrapping."

Here/s where the artistic part of rod building comes in. There are four weights of threads, in many beautiful colors. Diamond, working with his client, wraps the cotton-poly threads in various patterns.

"Fly rods use silk. It/s a little more pliable, plus it/s a little lighter type material than what you use on your basic fishing rod."

The wrapping is then carefully inspected to make sure there/s no dust or particles on the threads; a tacky cloth is wiped over it. Then a resin is applied (he usually uses two, sometimes three coats), then the rod is put in a drying device that resembles a very slowly spinning rotisserie. "I/ve got a fair amount of patience," he said.

Those interested in the complete details of this process can look up "Custom Sticks: In Search of the Perfect Fishing Rod" in the September/October 1996 issue of Bassmaster Magazine 77 or, if you/re in the market for a custom or restored rod, call Keith.

The Antique Hobby

Keith and Barbara like antiquing. He can appreciate fine cabinetry because he himself has built several beautiful pieces of furniture in their home. But once in the store or flea market, he/s back to fishing.

One section of his shop is devoted to his display of about 160 antique and unique fishing lures with names like "Red Eye Junior," "Injured Minnow," "Super Sonics" and "Flat Fish." Befitting a native Santa Marian, he was even gifted with a lure sporting a cowboy hat.

Then there are his collections of antique fishing reels, plus old catalogs, boxes and antique rods and reels.

Diamond, a quiet-spoken man, admits wryly that he almost classifies his friends by their fishing styles. He/s got some for lake fishing, others for the ocean.

And what does Barbara, now a hair dresser and accomplished craftswoman who also paints, think of all this fishing? She claims that she never resented it even when she was a housewife.

"It was a lifesaver," she said, laughing, because it gave her time to pursue her own interests. Plus, when Keith fishes, he cleans, fillets and cooks his catch. (Check the accompanying article on page C3 for some fish-cooking tips.)

As for Keith, he never tires of going fishing.

"I just like getting out there in the open air. Sometimes, I don/t even care if I catch a fish. It/s just being out and getting away from things, getting to be around nature and what God has provided us."

CATCH HIM

Keith Diamond custom builds all types of fishing rods 77 bait cast, spinning, boat rods, fly rods, saltwater, freshwater and more. He helps fisher folk of all levels to select just what they need for a rod that "fits" perfectly, but he can/t guarantee a good catch!

He also repairs and renovates old or damaged rods, reels, and other fishing accessories and is a member of the national Custom Rod Builders Guild.

Diamond may be contacted at "Rods by Keith," at 937-6015 or Rodsbykeith@wmconnect .com.

DIAMOND/S FISH-COOKING TIPS

Keith soaks any kind of fish fillets he has in milk to cover. "Refrigerate them for 2-3 hours," he recommends. Being a heart patient, he tries to use little fat and says "Oven Fry Fish Fry," a product that/s mostly cornmeal and seasonings, is available at local markets.

Keith dips the milk-marinated fillets in this coating product and bakes them according to the directions on the box. Except for a slightly high amount of sodium in the mix, he and Barbara find it a great way to get crispy fish without the fat.

When he/s got what he calls "the bigger stuff," such as albacore steaks, he wraps them in turkey bacon, marinates them with some lemon juice and spray garlic, plus Island Teriyaki sauce (also a bit salty) and barbecues them. (Reporter/s Note: fish cookery requires a delicate hand. Most fish should be just past opaque; cut to test; they should not be dry. Some cookbooks give times for fish cookery based on the thickness of the fish, but experience is the best teacher.)

Keith says that when he doesn/t have a whole lot of fish, he cuts it up into "small" pieces, saut/s it in a pan with olive oil or garlic oil, then pours in a jar of their favorite salsa and lets it simmer until the fish is done, which doesn/t take very long.

While that/s cooking, "I fix a batch of rice." He pours the fish-salsa-sauce over the rice and dinner is made.

"I/ve even cooked this for the Sportsman/s Group at the Santa Maria Elks," he said.

Pretty darned good for a bunch of meat-eaters!

* Niki Reese Eschen can be reached at stiki@verizon.net.

Feb. 4, 2005