06/17/2026
When a customer asked if I could burn a fly fisherman riding a rainbow trout like a rodeo cowboy, I couldn’t pass up the challenge.
This piece, appropriately named “Trout Jockey,” started with a light laser outline and then hours of hand burning with a Walmart wood burner to bring out the details. Every scale, shadow, wrinkle, and contour was added one line at a time.
I even managed to make a mistake along the way. The fishing line somehow ended up connected to the angler’s hand instead of the fish’s mouth. A little sanding, a straight edge, and a second attempt fixed that problem.
Walnut can be a tricky canvas. The open grain and pores make it difficult to keep a consistent burn, but they also give the finished artwork a character all its own.
This one definitely falls into the category of “I’ve never made anything quite like it before.”
Trout Jockey.
Built one at a time in South Carolina.