Top 5 Most Viewed Mud Hole Live Episodes

Wow, a hundred episodes, that's a lot. During the course of which Gary, Todd, Hunter, Guff and I have covered many topics that have hopefully helped you in your rod building journey. 

Topics covered rod repair, offshore builds and turning your own handle. We covered decorative ideas like dragon scales and feather inlays and even hit the road to film episodes on ice rod builds. 

The Mud Hole Live archive is full of great rod building tips and tricks from past shows...so make sure to check us out on YouTube.  Let's take a look back at some of the more popular episodes of Mud Hole Live. 

Leading the way is Thread Tips & Fade Wraps that aired back in February of 2020. Hunter and I discuss how to do a nail knot trim band, a ferrule wrap with inlay, how to use the butt wrap alignment tool and a fade wrap. 

Thread wraps can truly make or break the appearance of any custom build, so rewatch to learn helpful wrapping tips and techniques for tighter guide wraps, better trim bands & inlays, and the best tricks for butt wraps & fade wraps in the business.

This next episode is a classic, and we have to throw it back to September of 2018 and the old Mud Hole Studio. Fishing Rod Guides & Guides Spacing has always been a hot topic and this episode does not disappoint. From the new builders all the way to experienced builders, there is something for everyone.

From differences in guide materials, heights, and rings, to guide preparation, spacing, wrapping, and even finishing, this episode of Mud Hole Live covers all of the above and more!

Coming back to the decorative category we have our Marbling 101 episode that originally aired in the old studio in October of 2019. Find out how to marble your own custom fishing rod components on this episode of Mud Hole Live featuring exclusive demos, tutorials, tips, and tricks!

Between its unique appearance and its universal appeal, marbling is one of the most popular customizations in rod building for a reason. Hunter and I walk through demos from basic magic marbling and tinted finish, to advanced marbling with pigments, glitter, and epoxy. This was a fun one!

The wrapping shows have always been a bit hit with viewers and this next episode is no exception. Wrapping is such an important part of the process and it can be strictly utilitarian or it can really make that custom build pop! Check out Wrapping Tips & Tricks to learn about different trim bands, watch Hunter do a cross wrap and I show how to do a tiger wrap. It was a busy show! 

Keep in mind, we also have a blog that will walk you through a tiger wrap if you need a refresher after watching this episode. Blog: 6 Simple Steps for 3D Tiger Wraps.  

A topic that always gets a lot of questions and attention is spiral wrapping a rod. So, we cover that topic in detail back in November 2019 for Spiral Wraps 101.

Learn how to set up your own spiral wrap, also known as an acid wrap, and why it's so useful in fishing applications where the blank can tend to twist. 

Spiral wraps feature guides spaced out not only down the rod blank, but also around it. This specific guide train takes the line around the rod blank in order to accommodate for the rod twisting downward, especially against larger species offshore. 

There you have it, the most popular and most watched episodes of the past 7 years and 100 Mud Hole Live shows. 

It was tough sifting through so many good ones that I do have to add in a couple honorable mention episodes. One episode because we discuss applying finish, which is a very important part and can give even the best rod builder a tough time. 

So check out the last show of 2020 to learn about Epoxy 101: mixing tips, finishing tricks for various thread types, techniques for perfect rod finish,  step-by-step floating decal, and how to fix epoxy imperfections.

Last but not least, I wanted to include Episode 70, Snake Skin Inlays from April 2021. It was a great show for those wanting to expand their decorative abilities but it was also great to co-host with our late friend and Mud Hole Team member Matthew "Guff" McGuffee. 

Follow along as Guffy and I walk you through the tools and supplies you will need to measure, size and cut snake skin. We will provide step-by-step snake skin application and tricks for adding epoxy finish. 

 Settle in and check them out! Mud Hole Live Playlist.