winter time is terrible. i thumb through catalogs, slowly work on fly rod builds number 3 and 4, stand out on the sidewalk past midnight just to see how a partially made rainforest 7'-9" 3 weight rod feels while running through the casting motion. neighbors look at me strangely the next day...

i am currently building the above-mentioned rainforest rod; at this point i have only the handle assembly glued on. it feels very light and whippy which seems attractive to me in some way, i'm really looking forward to trying it out. but i'm wondering about building another for myself. currently i have a temple fork outfitters 9 foot, 5 weight (medium-fast?), and a beaverkill rod company 9 foot 4 weight (medium action). i like the 4 weight, and use the 5 when it's a bit windier or i'm loaning the other to a friend.

what would people suggest as another rod for me to try building? most of my waters i fish are sierra streams, between tuolumne meadows in yosemite and sequoia national park/forest, including kings canyon NP. 2005, i hope to make it to the golden trout wilderness and the kern river drainage system in search of goldens as well as the san joaquin around devil's postpile this upcoming season. i usually catch rainbows, brook and brown trout between 4 and 16 inches although i might catch something bigger this year. i have yet to fish a lake and don't have any plans to at this point. most flies i fish are 12-20 dries, with an occasional BH nymph chucked in because people say that's best, but i often change back to dries soon after. i wade through pocketwater often, rarely if ever to my waist, casting between 15 and 40 feet usually on streams 10-40 feet wide, some brush but from what i gather, nothing like our eastern brethren. i'm looking for a 3, 4 or 5 piece blank and am open to dan craft's (been wanting to try out one of his for months now), pac bay, the domestic as well as imported batson offerings and the blanks offered through hook and hackle, etc. no need or money to venture into sage country, or any of the standard off the shelf brands. i tend to favor medium action rods from my limited experience (just started fly fishing 18 months ago?) but am open to building something faster or even slower.

the idea of cane intrigues me but i may put that off until 2006 (it appears an eventuality to me). the diamondback classic series sounds cool, but like most everything else, have not seen or touched one. fiberglass also interests me and i hear great things about steffen bros as well as the diamondglass rods.

so, with that in mind, and please defer any suggestions to seek psyche help for another time (;-), what would someone on this board suggest? i kind of like building rods, and if i wind up with extras, i plan to give them to my two buddies as gifts if they like them.

thanks for entertaining my ramblings. i hope to attend a small rod building bash in april which will hopefully expose me to other blanks in "person" but i might need a rod build fix before then.

eric
fresno, ca.

In an earlier issue of RodMaker, instructions were given on how to build a rod out of Western Red Cedar. The guides, grip and reel seat would all be things you could also make on your own. So, this is a rod straight out of the later part of the 19th century that you could make from scratch. It would be an interesting and fun project and you'd have something rather unique. And yes, it would be very fishable, although somewhat different than anything you're used to at this point.

.......

Eric,

I think you'll find the Dan Craft Sig. V 8'4 4 wt (3 pc) just the ticket for what you want. Incredibly light, wonderfully responsive, delicate when it needs to be, but strong just when you want it. This is a superb stick.

I generally fish mine between 20 and 50 ft...pretty close to what you want. Is great with just a few ft out and the leader. Roll casts great. Can go deep when you need it to...

Yada Yada Yada....I could go on for a long time.

I think it kicks the snot out of anything else. And Dan is the best.

Good luck.....

Keith

tom... would i have to wear 19th century period clothing as well??? Hmmmm.

just another reason for ordering back issues, you tease! sheesh. gotta get up and order a few issues soon. thanks for the suggestion. cedar is a relatively light wood, right? by the way, when i mentioned bamboo, i intend, at this point anyway, to buy a blank from one of our modern craftsmen, perhaps his/her own proprietary taper, and wrap it myself. AJ thramer is one possibility, then there's a mike up in oregon also.

any other blank suggestions?

eric
fresno, ca.

thanks keith. you're not the first to recommend that one. the Sig V is on my short list, but like many blanks, i have never waved one, let alone fish it. i might have a chance in april to see one up close (i hope). what IS it about those odd length measurements like 7'-9" or 8'-4" that turn me on? did i just type that? sorry, thought it was in my head...

eric
fresno, ca.

The reason I mention the red cedar, is because at one time it was the top material for rodmaking. It would also allow you to make a rod, from scratch, including the blank. You would be able to control the taper, acton and power. No special tools are required.

Granted, it's quite a bit different than the type rod building we all think of here, but it you really want to do something different and embark on something that is very enjoyable, this is it.

............

tom

without a doubt. in fact, i've run into little discussions, or rather comments made elsewhere that when it comes to graphite rods, some call it "assembly," not true building as in the case of selecting culms for bamboo and hand planing, etc. the cedar sounds very very interesting actually.

eric
fresno, ca.

Hey Eric,
Your more than welcome to come by and try any of the Dan Craft series before the Bash.

Dennis Papike

thanks dennis! i've got your number, i'll call shortly before i have a day off...

If you want to try something in fiberglass, I highly recommend the Lamiglas 7 1/2' 4 weight.

I've got a Steffen Bros. S-glass on order and should receive it very soon. It's the 7' 3/4wt. 3pc. model. I bought it for pocket water dry fly fishing. I will CC the blank as soon as I get it and add it to the database. It's mean't for close fishing with a short amount of line out. For small water dry fly fishing, I like a 4wt. and don't see any reason to go with a lighter line than that. If you can't cast delicately with a 4wt. line, it's not the line or the rod that's the problem. Plus, with a 4wt. line, if there's not much surface activity, you can still switch to nymphs and streamers without fighting the rod all day. Just my opinion of course, the 0-3 wt. lines are very popular so I may be in the minority here.

Although it might not be the right rod for the High Sierras when it is windy, one of the 0 or 00 weights is a neat novelty rod and could be fished on calm days. Dan makes them, and if you're rich, so does Sage. Makes that 4"er feel all of 8".

I am with Scott on this one. Try one of Dan's 0 weights or the Sig III 6' 10 1 weight with a Forbes Avon or the magnesium reel. This is a whole different ball game. These rods should be fished with a Rio pocket water or a Sage Quiet Taper. Contrary to popular belief, you can fish them in a breeze, particularly if you use an underhanded cast. The biggest down side is that your 4 and 5 weights suddenly seem way to heavy.