I want to use small Jungle cock nails for ferrule alinment marks on a pair of 2 pc fly rods. The female end is no problem. My question is on the male end should I put it right on the blank or should I put it on a small wrap to match the female end? I know that I can't put anything to close to where the ferrule seats, but how far frpm the ferrule can I safely put it and still allow ample room for future wear in the ferrule.

Thanks,
Mike

About 1/4 inch minimum. Rarely would the ferrule wear to the point where it seat much farther down than that over the years.

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Tom,

Would you put it on top of a short wrap matching the one on the female? They're 2 piece 4/5 wt rods Not being a fly guy, I was wondering if the extra wrap would have any bearing on performance.

Mike

A tiny wrap like that isn't going to hurt anything. To keep everything matching, you might want to add a little thread as a base of the feather.

What I've often done, is just one one feather, on the ferrule and then have it match to a single dot of paint or something on the butt section. To me it looks less "busy" but this is just my own eye talking.

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Thanks, Tom!!

Mike

Mike,
I used to do this a lot on flyrods when feather inlays first became popular. I put a slightly larger feather next to the winding check on the top of the rod, and then smaller feathers on the female ferrule. Then you lined the small feathers up with the large one on the butt section. I don't see any reason to add feathers to both ends of the ferrule...especially on a 2 piece.

ANdy Dear
Lamar Manf.

Thanks, Andy! Makes sense, I'll let the customer decide.

Mike

Mike, If you have the jungle cock neck you can put use the shaft of the feather from the back, on the tip section, mounted on the ferrule, and the jungle cock nail on the butt. This give you a line and a dot, and uses the feathers in a natural way. Fly fishers love this.
Regards,
Kenneth Prager