I don't think we've had a post about the Dan Craft Sig III 1 wt. yet today so I guess I had better get one started! :-)

I've had my blank for almost a year and I have been comtemplating on what components to use for just as long. Well enough is enough and I've got to get this started or I'll go crazy! I've settled on using an REC PLRA with black hardware for the reel seat and going with just plain black wraps for simplicity but I still can't make up my mind on what guides to use other than knowing that I'll be using single foots. I can't decide whether I should go with titanium wire or RECOILS and if I do decide on the RECOILS should I use a RECOIL stripper as well or something else? For those of you who have built this rod before what did you use? and do you wish you had done it differently? Any feedback would be appreciated because I cant seem to make up my mind on my own. Thanks.

I had Dan send a set of Forecast guides with the blank, the Recoils stop at size 1 which to me looked to big for the little blank. If doing it again I think I would have gone with the simpler wraps you mentioned. Black guides with your black hardware and wraps might look nice with this blank.

Spencer

I haven't built this blank, but on my UL fly rods I use single foot strippers, either CLAG 10 or CLAG 8 or any other single foot fly guide you prefer in sizes 10 and 8. On that light 1 wt, you might get away with one size 8 single foot fly guide as the stripper. I would also use a ceramic tip top that compliments your stripper. Look for a tip top with a size 6 opening. I recently used the AMTAK holo guides on a 6'10" 3/4wt with the holo tip top and like them allot. For the running guides, I like plain old PacBay single foot wire guides in sizes 2,1, and 1/0 for the really light rods.

HTH,

Lou

I am coating the wraps on a Sig IV 0/1 weight and test casted it today. My cat grabbed the leader and ran under our tree--I thought I had hooked our Black Lab!!! Man, I can't wait to hit the small streams this summer. Anyway, I don't know how the tip section compares against the Sig III, but I am glad I used H&H light wire strippers on mine.

I tend towards ascetics on a fly rod and here we're talking dainty, dainty, dainty. I would use: the smallest diameter, shortest length cork you can get, a sliding bands reel seat with cork insert or a sliding bands/ cork grip one piece set up, then single foot wire guides with a single foot stripper. I know people will argue that SIC or Alconite are the state of the art stuff, but for the pure ascetics on a rod this dainty, wire will look much better and should perform just fine, after all, you're not going to be casting 100ft or horsing in steelhead with this rod.

2 cents,

Tim

Doug , I used a Fuji TI SIC # 8 stripper , 4 #2s , and the rest #1 SF Recoil guides and a Recoil top . I have yet to fish it along with the other rods I've built for myself this winter . Have a ball , I'm with Sean , I can not wait to fish this one!! , John

Got Fish ?

Hi Doug! My favourite set-up on this blank is with H&H standoff sf guides in their DLC black finish, with black-framed #10 stripping guide. I also like the Recoils but not the Recoil stripper...I usually go with the Forecast TiCh framed with TiCh or TiN zirc. ring, again in a #10. The resulting rods look very pleasing and balanced, and most importantly cast and fish beautifully. Oh yeah--I always use the standard size loop tip-top on my small rods instead of the large or xl.

Enjoy! :)

John

The Rocky Mountain Rodbuilding Supply Co.
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Doug,

I used the cork handle/reel seat from Custom Tackle (one of the sponsors, Wiebe 753 handle kit). It came with black anodized sliding rings, butt cap and trim band. I used ceramic stripper (size 8) and single foot guides to the tip top with 1/0's just before the tip top. I kept the wraps simple (black) to match the blank. I even included a hookkeeper, although many do not to keep the weight down even further. This rod is a blast to catch and fish with.

Queston for Sean:

How many pieces is that Sig IV 0/1 wt and what is the length? I have also built a Sig IV 7' 1wt, 6pc that is a joy to catch rainbows and browns in the Sierras. Packs great in a bag for hikes.

Russ

The slide band REC seat is really nice,but I would go with the brighter nickel silver to better match the Recoil guides if you choose them.Go with the black finish if using darker colored SF guides(black,TiCH,etc).That little blank should be fantastic with that combo on it.For a stripper guide,consider the Pac Bay model N,with the gold zirconia ring/light TiCH frame.It will shave some weight off the rod compared to other stripper guides and looks GREAT.

I used the REC PLRN,as well as the gold ring model N stripper guide on my 0wt SLT,but chose bright nickel silver to better match the chrome Snake Brand guides I used.It turned out great and I love using it(it even lets me put a 3 1/5oz Browning Citori on it and not be too butt heavy),but if I was to do it over again,I would make a few changes for sure.In fact,I may even strip it down and re do it soon even though I've only used it a couple of times.

I would go with Recoil guides for sure,and wish I had for the weight savings and extra flexibility(not that I can notice anything wrong with the setup I have).I would still go against the grain and choose snakes over single foot simply for asthetics on this sweet looking blank and I would use the gold ring model N as a striper guide again for sure.

The biggest change I would make though may surprise some.I would switch the cork insert slide band seat for a Venneri Kaaterskill model.I know the Kaaterskil is supposed to be for 1-3 wt rods,but I can't imagane a 3wt rod anywhere that this tiny thing would fit.The bore is too small for my 2/3wt 5pc DC SIG IV and there's not enough wood to make it fit.It's definitely a seat more suited to 0-2wt blanks.In fact,I have a GORGEOUS Up/Downslide Red Tiger insert model sitting here just begging to be put on that golden brown blank.It would look AMAZING on there so I am seriously considering cutting off(aka-wrecking) the PLRN seat and custom flor grip,LOL.I can always turn a new cork insert for the PLRN and same goes for the grip.OR,I can try to remove just the seat and then see if I can bore/recess into the butt of the cork grip enough to get the hood of the Kaaterskill seat to fit.It's tempting just to find a way to get this seat on there because it's so striking that I just can't put it down!

On comparing the tiny Kaaterskill wood insert seat with the PLRN REC seat,the difference in weight was nowhere near as much as I thought it would be.The cork insert was lighter for sure,but we are talking tenths of an ounce here and I would bet and there is no way you could tell the difference between them once on the 8ft long blank.I'm sure the shorter a blank gets,the more easily weight can be noticed in the butt,and switching to a Kaaterskil may,or may not be noticable,but on a 8ft blank,I seriously doubt if could ever tell the difference.The hardware on both was about the same weight,with the REC slide bands and butt plug being a bit larger.

On thing alot of guys forget is that the reel you put on makes all the difference in the world and there is no use saving every hundredth of an ounce in the butt of a 1wt rod or something if you are just going to turn around and put an obese 3 1/2 ounce reel on it or something.Save those reels for a 3wt or something and get a true ultra light reel that is well under 3 ounces(Hardy Flyweight,JA Forbes Avon,Aerial,or Magnesium,Sage 3100,ULA P.1 or P.2,or even the new Classic Ultralight reel from Bass Pro Shops,to name a few which are all 1.6-2.8 ounces) then you can put a REALLY nice seat on like the Venneri Kaaterskil and still have a lighter butt section than a rod built with a cork insert seat and a 3 1/2oz reel.

The reel used makes all the difference in the world,and since I plan on going with something really light,I'm not too worried about adding a couple tenths of an ounce to the reel seat.

Russ:

It's a six-piece, 8'2" blank. If I remember correctly, Dan added a butt section to a 6'10" 5-piece blank to set it up for me. I got mine to do exactly what you use yours for--see you in the Sierras!

Take care,

Sean

Doug. Your set up sounds good. I have used a royal blue thread with no CP and liked the effect on the flat matte blank, but often use black, no trim. The ONE is not as delicate as some other of Dan's blanks, so your proposal sounds good. If you go with the little Forbes Avon you can even use a threaded uplock and shorten the wood insert. I use REC single foots for these blanks. For a stripper you can use a #6 single foot REC, a H&H single foot standup guide, or a SIC size 10 single foot. The new TATSG in a 10 or 8 would also look good. Using the REC #6, down to a #4 etc is the most delicate.