I was @#$%& off today because I talked to two guys one was a K Mart guy, the other wanted a rod built on a $100.00 loomis blank for about 150.00. he finally went to @#$%& and said he got the rod he wanted for $120.00. That rod had a price tag of almost $400.00. To much compatition.
Now teach more people to build rods, and the market gets even Smaller??!!
Yea I made my mistakes, and learned how to build excellant rods, but the market keeps getting smaller, and people want more ways to learn --- Please!!!

i'm picking up a feeling that there are those who would not welcome new rodbuilders into the community. particularly en masse. god help me if i'm wrong... ;-)

.... but i think this goes back to an article tom had in his magazine where those who are serious about this craft will learn to differentiate themselves and their work from the majority. afraid of more people learning what you know? if you're just doing the basics, like most new people just getting into this craft, then yes, you should be afraid of losing income. fear can help though, it can help you develop your craft into rods that are noteworthy in some special way. that would be up to you. it could be cosmetic work, truly tailoring a rod to work for someone's needs, truly understanding the CCS system and any other that exists out there now or will come to be, thus allowing you to really create a superbly functioning rod. there are other ways i imagine. and i also imagine most people on this board are creating great rods and are fully capable of developing their craft even further.

there are people out there who simply do not have the time or inclination to build a rod. there are those who will start and get the bug, and this is good. there are those who want to learn just enough to be able to tell what is a good rod, then turn to a rod builder like yourselves. every year, every season, there are new anglers just discovering the sport, or moving from one form to another. and everyday there are babies being born who will grow up to fish, a near endless supply of customers in a way.

this is a hobby for me. for others this is a business and i understand perceived threats. but if a business, my understanding is a succesful business can roll with the punches and change. it's necessary in some way, no?

maybe i'm missing something here or going off on a wild imagined tangent??? (yikes! ) surely wouldn't be the first time ;-)

eric
fresno, ca.

Eric, I don't think the discouragement of new builders is going on at all. If anything, many of us welcome new builders. Flip through the 400 or so pages within this website, and read time after time about rod builders jumping in and answering questions and providing help. There are lots of builders jumping in to help the newbie, or even someone who is experienced, but is in need of help with a particular problem, or just to discuss viewpoints.

The craft of building something such as a rod is perfect for non-craftsmen like myself who now have an outlet to relax and create something unique and useful, although my wife might argue the opposite of that point.....

I think some button in Bill was pushed. His first post had a point. You can't just read a book, and then expect to build a perfect, or necessarily decent rod. Hands-on experience is what makes a newbie rod builder build better rods, even if the first, or second one S__CKS. However, I feel bad for those builders who have no alternative than to read a how-to, and try it without any assistance.
It has got to be a very frustrating experience for the first timers going at it alone.

I think the best method to learn is with someone who has experience. I am greatful I had a good, experienced instructor to get me through my first couple of rods. And being surrounded in the shop by other builders posssessing varying levels of experience, greatly contributed my to experiences. Unfortunately, my favorite shop closed in Anchorage, and I certainly miss that comaraderie.

My concern with the rodbuilding arena are the guys & gals who build a few rods, and consider themselves craftsmen and believe they can make a go at getting into the business. The problem is they typically sell their wares at cost, basically devaluing or undercutting the rod blank business. This point hasn't been lost on the rod building businesses. As I understand from a GLoomis sales rep, that scenario was the driver as to why GLoomis to cut their catalog in 2000.

I consider myself an average rod builder, and I've been building rods for over 10 years. Have I built all of my rods for myself? No. But I think I've only built 15 rods for others for a profit, and then only by word of mouth, and the client coming to me. Building rods for other people was never my goal or desire. I just love to build them, and I take the same passion for rod building as I do for handgun reloading, lure building, carpentry work, or building cars. I'm just one of those guys that is fascinated by the relationship of components, and putting them together to make something worthwhile. And it seems you are also.

Patrick Vernacchio



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2005 04:09AM by Patrick Vernacchio.

hay guys don't get me wrong
I am the first to email a newbe and give as detailed as I can a way to do some thing. And then tell him if he needs more help just ask!---But ya have ta pay some does????
I just don't feel there is any need for any more info. This site, Tom's mag, Clemons books, vidios, internet, heck there is so much out there.
Was probably the two guys that went to E Bay and got those rods instead of buying from me
I just paid money for a web site, money for search engine placement, got to get some of that back,
Any one remember when you could build a rod cheaper then the store sells them??

Bill, I understand your frustration. There are are always going to be people who use cost over quality, as their measuring stick. That ain't necessarily a bad thing in all cases. If a person can't afford GLoomis GLX flyrod but they can afford a GL3 flyrod, is that bad?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2005 01:20PM by Patrick Vernacchio.

heck for that matter -- there are a lot of things in life I got to live with. That's just the nature of the animal
O well enough venting on to building

heck for that matter -- there are a lot of things in life I got to live with. That's just the nature of the animal
O well enough venting on to building

Back in the days, back before this site was ever around, back when "the internet" was an an alien term, back before Dale Clemens published any of his books, there was a need to include rod building information with rod blanks. Not anymore, with the internet and books on the topic widely available. But I guess it would not hurt to add instructions with every blank sold.

One of the very first rod building kits I ordered was for a fiberglas flyrod from a small company in California. It was the early 1970s. It came with instructions on how to assemble the rod. It came with steel guides, a chrome plated reel seat, and a cork grip. A small bottle of what appeared to be varnish was included to coat the guide wraps with and to bond the reel seat and arbor. An arbor had to be made up of thread to fit the reel seat. The kit came with no thread, I had to go out and buy some heavy stitching thread to wrap with guides, and make the arbor.

From what I can recollect, the basic steps to build the rod have not changed; grind the guide feet, build up the arbor, bond reel seat, wrap guides, and coat. The steps have not changed, just the materials - we now used epoxies, graphite, and threads in various sizes.

Lou

Wouldn't it be a heck of a note if you found out, that after all these years you were doing it wrong! LOL!

Regards......Doug@
TCRds

Doug. I HAVE been told I have been it wrong. This probably because I do not follow the herd mentality of "doing it like everyone else does". I am of the old school, preferring to spine blanks manually, mix finish by hand, laying out crosswraps by eye (I use premarked straight edges to lay out open wraps), etc., etc.

Lou

Lou, as long as it works for you. But there may be a way to do it Faster?
I just thought of some thing -- if the blank companies put detailed instructions with there blanks -- who pays for this?? WE do The cost of a lot of blanks is high enough, even if there name is Sage. How much technoligy can be put into a graphite tube?? It's like cerial, they put New and Improved, then charge you more!!!