NATCHEZ — Russ Pritchard loves to fish, but he also enjoys working with his hands.

Fortunately for the Vidalia resident, he found the perfect way to combine both of those into one hobby — making fishing rods.

And when The Dart landed on Lee Avenue in Vidalia, Pritchard was putting together an LSU-themed fishing rod at his daughter’s request.

“I’m a Mississippi State fan, and I really don’t even like LSU,” Pritchard said. “But she picked out the colors and wanted me to make it. I’ll do maroon and white on the next one.”

Pritchard works offshore as captain of a supply boat, and works a schedule of 28 days on and 14 off.

He recently made his first fishing rod during some down time on his ship, and was hooked, so to say.

“When you get down time on the boat, you bring little stuff like this to do,” Pritchard said. “I’ve really enjoyed it so far. It’s like therapy.”

Making fishing poles takes time, patience and a steady hand.

Pritchard starts with a blank metal rod, and has to glue the cork handle on to start with.

He then lines up the eyes and threads them by hand. He puts an epoxy over the thread, which will harden up and make the thread stay in place permanently.

“Then, you put the reel on and start fishing,” Pritchard said.

His first rod featured red and black thread before his current one of purple and gold, which he hopes to have finished in the next few days.

In addition to making fishing rods, Pritchard said he will spend as much time as he can with his wife Brandy and children Hunter and Erin before he has to head back out to sea in two weeks.

“It’s not easy as far as family life,” Pritchard said. “I’m gone about eight-and-a-half months out of the year. I do all I can when I’m here to spend time with them. We’ll hunt, fish or just hang out.”

And perhaps the next time Pritchard is home, the family can go fishing with a set of brand new fishing rods.

But not ones that come from a store; ones made by with love by hand.