Just looking for opinions here..

If your customer does not have a preference on the number of sections for a fly rod, what would you personally reccomend?

Until a customer requested a 4 piece I had always used 2 piece rods I guess for the 'less is more' aspect of it.

Save for the extremely marginal changes in action or weight, what would prompt you to choose one over the other.

The only reason my customer wanted the 4 piece was for storage purposes.

If given no preference, I would go 2 piece every time. 4 piece rods have 3 ferrules, so have 3 times the chance of breaking due to a loose ferrule. This also means you have 2 more ferrule wraps on a 4 piece than a 2= more work. If trying to earn a little money rod building, Why give yourself more work/time on a rod than necessary? Action between the rods, in the higher end world, will be almost identical- that shouldn't be a concern. From a pure retail standpoint, selling a 2 piece first is a great way for repeat business, as there is an obvious upgrade available- the 4 piece travel rod. I sell mostly 4 piece rods- the market seems to be shifting away from 2 piece, at least in Alaska. Most of the fishing I do, I leave my rods as 2 piece.. most of my personal rods are 4 piece rods, but I use a 2 piece tube to do most of my transportation. Just a few thoughts for you... good luck!

Andrew,

The only advantage to a three or four piece fly rod is for storage, and the packability of it. Most of the three piece and four piece rods that I build are for the back woods anglers that have alot of ground to cover to get to the water they wish to fish. The Appalachian Trail for example, or the upland fisherman. I use a 10ft 5wt 2 piece myself, for most of the fishing I do is out of a canoe and I like the extra reach. I do own a 9ft 4wt 4 peice only for upland trips.

Best to you,
Chuck

Choice is the true strength in custom rod building. If a customer states no preference and I believed the customer is not experienced in such matters, then I think I have the responsibility to further assist the customer in gaining the understanding necessary to make an informed choice.

Patrick Vernacchio

Thank you all, glad to know I wasn't missing the big picture. Even though there was a little more ferrule wrapping and finishing involved I actually enjoyed building the 4 piece a bit more. Storage for transport was a plus too. I wasn't expecting a black or white answer so I appreciate your replies.

Thansk again.

For years I thought 3 piece rods were best because you don't need to put a stripper on the handle section, which eases assembly,and the shorter lengths greatly increase portability. A similiar argument can be made for a 4 piece rod, which is really portable and so is fast becoming my first choice with carry on restrictions at the airport. Since I like to put a guide on every female ferrule, the spacing of the guides becomes increasingly difficult as the number of pieces goes up. I would never build another 2 piece if a 3 or 4 piece is available, and likewise avoid 5, 6, and 7 piece rods if I can. I have a couple of Dan Craft rods that are so slim through the ferrules you can't even tell where the rod is joined.

Everyone made great points on this thread, but I especially like Patrick's. I may have sounded a little cold and clinical, too bottom line. Most of the customers I talk to end up walking out of the store with, or have me build, a four piece rod. As the action is so similar, weight is very close, the main deciding factor is price. Even that is going to be pretty small, and is certainly far less than buying a second rod at a later date just because they want the higher versatility of the 4 piece. As to the ferrule break issue, I try to find out a persons level of fishing knowledge, and show how to properly tighten ferrules, then check them periodically through the day. Often a stated nonpreference is a cry for help, whether they know it or not. Usually with a little probing, you can find out what they truly need.

I only build or use multipiece flyrods. The 2 piece rods are just a pain for me to carry around or store or anything. I am even building a set of 3 piece spinning and casting rods so that I can carry them in a suitcase when I travel.

Andy,

I have used both 2 and 4 piece rods for many years. There are pro's and con's to both of models. Since I haven’t built a rod I can only comment on my experiences using them. I believe it is easier to transport the 3 and 4 piece rods because they don’t have to leave my side at the airport. And quite honestly that is about the only reason I would use a 3-4pc rod. Walking through heavy ground cover with any rod really doesn’t seem to bother me. If I have a line of sight the rod is in front, if not, the rod is behind me. There have been many times where I took my 7 foot 1pc rod with me for different types of fishing while on the same trip. Since I was faced with the need for the larger rod length it made no difference weather I brought the 2 pc or the 4 pc rod with me. To fix the problem at the airports what I now do is mail my rods to my outfitter or place of residence ahead of time so upon my arrival my equipment is there eliminating any problems at the airports.
On several occasions I had my travel rod with me and I was placed in a position where I had to assemble the rod on waters edge at times when most people are still sleeping. With the light strapped to my hat I put piece, into piece, into piece, into piece. At those moments the thought of my 2 pc rod always came to mind. So from a users stand point I have always preferred the 1pc rod over the multi piece rod and the fewer the pieces, the better I like it. This is my personal preference I hope my reasons shared helps you in your decision.

Happy Building




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2004 05:18PM by David Horrocks.