Saturday, May 4, 2024 | Country Acres South • Page 1 PRSRT STD ECR U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #278 Madelia, MN 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave Sauk Centre MN 56378
SOUTH Saturday, May 4, 2024
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
Volume 2, Edition 21
Hooked on
a hobby
PHOTOS BY AMY KYLLO
Archie McCarty works on turning a custom handle April 29 in his shop in Elgin. At age 81, working over a lathe, McCarty crafts thousands of handles a year.
“It’s just achieving something of quality,” he McCarty crafts fishing rod said. than 85% of his customers opt for red handles for more than 20 years cedarMore handles. “It’s soft wood, and it’s light,” McCarty said. “The fishermen like a lightweight wood so they don’t add a lot of weight to the rod. Once you epoxy ELGIN — Archie McCarty spends six hours it, they come out real nice.” a day, five to six days a week creating handmade McCarty lets his customers epoxy the handles fishing rod handles. At age 81, working over a lathe, themselves. He does not have the shop space or time McCarty crafts thousands of handles a year. to accomplish that. The way it is, McCarty said he He does not take orders online. He does not can accommodate his orders as long as all of his email. McCarty answers phone calls from custom- equipment is in top working order. ers throughout the week. He talks with each person McCarty page 2 individually, walking through their needed specifi(Above right) Archie cations to create the perfect handle just for them. McCarty holds a fishing Occasionally, someone will call for a bulk order rod with one of his custom-turned handles of 30-40 handles for a class or a school, but the April 20 in his garage in majority of McCarty’s work is done for individual Elgin. McCarty himself is fishing enthusiasts. Though he has a website, many an avid fisherman. This of his customers come via word of mouth, and his year he has six campout smooth-finished handles can be found in 32 states trips to the Boundary he knows of. Waters lined up with “It’s just a hobby that got carried away,” McCafriends and family. rty said. The handles are often gifted for a retirement or (Right below) Archie a milestone birthday, and occasionally, customers McCarty works on the fore grip of a handle want the recipient’s name laser engraved into the April 29 in his shop in piece, something he outsources. Elgin. McCarty’s smoothMcCarty’s work is all about precision. He crafts finished handles can be from four woods, including red cedar, and he also found in 32 states. offers veneered birch. BY SARAH COLBURN | STAFF WRITER
ST R
Publications bli ti The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.
This month in the
COUNTRY: Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on June 1, 2024
4
Mother’s Day love to Mom Amy Kyllo Column
5
Cheating death in the Pacific Chatfield
8
Beef month appreciation
9
Cattle fulfill lifetime dream Pine Island
12 Dairy princess candidates
17 Intrigued by the mechanical Altura 22
Influenced toward caprines Cannon Falls