just reading a post and thought "I wonder when most people took up this hobby"
I am 26 and just starting out. How long did it take you get good at what you do?

I started, I think it was in March, in 1981. One of these days I'll be good at it!!

Putter
Williston, ND

I start my rodbuilding oddesy sometime during my dreams each night! My coffee pot is in my rod shop and when I stagger out each morning my rodbuilding dissorder kicks in fresh every day! Every rod is better than the last and each night brings on peaceful sleep! Every time I think I am getting "gooder" I visit the photo board and am jolted back to reality. I wish I had started at your age!

Gon Fishn

On my way to Antarctic 1972 with the Coast Guard. Like Putter I get better (pickier), but I'm not there yet.

Just think Bill, If you started at his age you would be making cane rods as fiberglass had not come out yet, much less graphite. Jesse

I started when I was 70. I am 72 now. I wish I had started when I was 26.

Dan Hogan
The only way to have a friend, is to be one.

I started when I was 70. I am 72 now. I wish I had started when I was 26.

Dan Hogan
The only way to have a friend, is to be one.

I started when I was 70. I am 72 now. I wish I had started when I was 26.

Dan Hogan
The only way to have a friend, is to be one.

1978 in Florida, not good yet but I am working on it.
Sam Fox
Columbus, Mississippi

I'm 38 and started around 3 years ago... Just occasionally found Rodbuilding.Org while surfing the Net and looking for a rod to buy :)

Pavel,
Moscow, RU

My dad use to build rods in the 70s. I built a couple in the late 70s, early 80s before my kids came along, but have to admit, I've only really been building true custom rods since finding this site!

Regards......Doug@
TCRds

In 1986 when I was 16 years old. I saved money all summer to buy a kit from Orvis. It's scary to think I've been making rods for two decades! I thought I was a pretty good builder until I started subscribing to RodMaker and I saw what other people could do...

But how great your work can be has nothing to do with how long you have been making rods. It has a lot more to do with how hard you try to learn, how careful you are, how readily you learn from your mistakes- and to some degree by natural aptitude.

In 1999 and have built over 200 rods in 6 years. I'm 40. I'm pretty good at the things I care about, like blank and component selection, R&D and developing prototypes, solid construction methods, and simple, clean looking wraps. I either don't do or am so-so at the things I don't care to learn yet, like thread art and a lot of the decorative and cosmetic aspects of rodbuilding. I love looking at others' work on the photo page, but haven't developed the patience to try a lot of those techniques yet. I hope to be still building when I'm 90. Then I might be good at everything : )

started in 1979.still learning and still addicted.

In 1964 I saw my first custom rod. A fellow brought it to work one day. I was so jealous that I didn't bother to ask him how to make one. I was a student at U of H at the time and didn't have the money to start anyway. In 1978 I had a rod repaired. It was a lousy job so I picked up some thread and a Gudebrod booklet and started repairing my other rods. I then asked a neighbor to let me repair his. One weekend shortly after that I was off and baby sitting my kids while momma was working. I bought a surf blank and with the kids taking turns turning the blank , we made a surf rod using coat hangers as V blocks. A few days later I was at a tackle shop and saw a fellow wrapping a rod on a wrapping machine. I told him that I was interested in making rods and he told me he could help me get started if I bought the wrapper. The fellow was Roger Seiders. I went to his home a few times, bought some thread, blanks, and finishing products from him and watched as he wrapped some rods. I have been wrapping rods ever since. My best work is behind me. I have a hard time now with my vision and have to use C size thread alot instead of A but I don't let that stop me. I really like doing weaves and am in the learning process thanks to Jim Upton and Doc Ski.

Hi Lance,

In 1958 I had just gone on active duty and was assigned to the Naval Airstation at Alameda, California and the USS Midway, an attack carrier. The afternoon before leaving for the Far east, I was walking back to the bus station to get the bus back to the air station, when I saw a sign that read Fishing. I walked up a flight of stairs and entered a large room with not a single rod in sight. An older gentleman came over and asked if he could help me. I told him I was interested in seeing some spinning rods. He explained that he only sold parts to make your own fishing rods. He showed me a rack of rod blanks and asked what I was going to fish for. I told him trout and he picked out a 7 foot rod Conolon blank. In those days we did not have the variety of rof blank manufacturers that we have now. We had SilaFlex, Conolon, and Harnell ( there were a few others, but they usually made blanks for commerical fishing rod companies).

In a few minutes I had picked out two spools of light blue thread, 5 spinning guides and a tip top, a tube of liquid rod glue (similar to PlioBond), a bottle of color preserver, a bottle of rod varnish, 30 cork rings, a pair of reel bands (reel seats were not used on spinning rods very often in those days), a mimeographed sheet of directions, and an end cap. I also purchased a rat tail file, a small flat file, and two sheets of sand paper. The gentleman then showed me how to determine the spine of th blank and found a nickel silver ferrule to fit the rod about half way down the blank. He then cut the blank for me and I took my "rod" back to the base.

Making that rod aboard the ship was an interesting experience. All the sanding was done by hand. No lathes were available for shaping. Thankfully a grip for a spinning rod using reel bands was mostly straignt. The most difficult part of the project was keeping the rod isolated while the varnish was drying. Thankfully, varnish is a rather forgiving finish and I was able to complete the rod in a couple of weeks. It was a plain Jane rod with no trim and was not much better than any commercial rod available at the time. However, I had made it, the rod cast rather well and I caught trout with it. I was also addicted and have never purchased another commercial rod.

By the late 1980s I was getting pretty good. I had made surf rods, spinning slamon/steelhead rods, mooching rods, and flyrods, the latter becoming the great love of my rod building. I had also left fiberglass for graphite. I finally tried one of the first epoxy finishes and experienced my first absolute diaster. The finish on that first rod looked like one of those wave pools for kids. At that time my teaching career began to consume me and I gave up rod building until 2000. The changes in this activity has been tremendous and I now feel that I am new to rodbuilding. Thankfully, I have discovered this rod forum, Tom's book, and Dale Clemens book. I also had the pleasure of meeting Joe Kassuba, a custom rod builder in the Tri-Cities in Eastern Washington. Joe was kind enough to meet with me and show me how he applies epoxy finish. Now with a lot of practice I might be able to partially master this new medium. I would also add that the rod builders on this forum are also very generous with their help on rod building questions both for the young new rodbuilders and the older new rodbuilders like myself. Enjoy this wonderful addiction.

Mike Blomme

It is so cool to hear how people got there start so many years back. It is also amazing to see the quantum leaps this industry has taken, due in some part to people on this forum. Thanks for all the replies.

Only about a year and a half. It takes me a LONG time to build a decent rod. It would take me a lot longer had I not had a mentor who has been in the business over 15 years. I can sell rods now and be proud of my product, but am still so inferior to the masters!

JC

Built my first one close to 20 years ago and after a few for myself/family (pretty spartan/amatureish)but got away from it for quite a few years. Started again about 5 years ago and am totally addicted now (Retirement helps!!!)

Lance, did you ever get my e-mail????



Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I'm an amateur. I've built about 50-ish rods over the past 3 or 4 years. I started building rods because I saw a Cabela's rod building catalogue and thought "I bet I could do that." The rod building board and the magazine have helped immensely. However, for those that are just starting out, I can offer no better advice than this: find a professional builder in your area and pick his/her brain as often as you can.

If I had to chart my learning curve, it would be a nice gradual slope from the beginning till a year or so ago. That's when I met a very good professional builder living near me. His advice (both practical and technical) has taught me twice as much in the past year as I'd ever learned before.