I post this for all Walter's RodCrafter friends around the Country. He has been ill for awhile and now joins Bernie Cohen and Brad Baker. God is getting quite a collection of custom rod builders.

Walter was a great friend with a wonderful sense of humor and spent his last years on Cape Cod. Many anglers are fortunate to have excellent rods crafted by him. Many rods are still in use due to his ability to make them very good catching tools again.

We and I will miss you Walt! God bless you!

Your friends.

Capt Neil Faulkner

Neil, i'm so sorry to hear this!! I know how close you were with him, Ihope you are doing OK. It's sad to read this, I met Walter only a couple of times at Rodcrafter Seminars in teh 2000's when I first started. REally really nice guy, always joked around. I hope when I reach his age I'm still as passionate abotu building rods as he was.

Mr. Walter Barnes was an exceptional guy and an amazing craftsman. He had been building rods for my Dad's charter business for years and years and was nice enough to take me under his wing when I expressed some desire to learn rod building. Walter always had a joke or humorous story and loved sharing them with his close friends. He almost always talked with me about his friends in the rod building world and what amazing guys they were especially Capt. Neil, both Bernies, and his other friends at rodcrafters. Last year I was lucky enough to attend a rodcrafters meeting in Connecticut with him which was a blast. Hearing all the amazing stories of past events and hijinks come from Walter brought smiles all around! Thanks so much Walt for showing me the art of rod building, explaining that "Hey it's not #$%^ing rocket science, it's a fishing rod!", and for an amazing friendship I will always cherish, tight lines my friend, I sure will miss you.

First is His, the other three are mine.







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/2013 10:03PM by Brendan Murphy.