Does any one else have this problem? I was about to head out to the river and go fishing. As I was looking over my rods I found that I have no custom rods to fish with. I ended up taking a old Berkly Series One, and a couple of factory St. Croix Rods with me to do some Smallie fishing. It seems every time I build a rod for my self someone want's one for a special (short notice) occasion, or likes the one I built for myself and wants that one so I end up selling the rods I built for myself. That was the reason I started to build rods is so I could have a rod that was built to my specs, and yet I don't have a custom rod to fish with. It seems as though the old adage is true the Cobbler's Children are always barefoot.

Yep ... I was BARE NEKKID after Christmas, and I was so tired from building that I didn't get around to making anything for myself until March. I am finally getting a few on the rack, but it never seems to last long.

I am a pretty easy target for guys wanting "discounts" on demo rods, and they know it. I don't mind though, I like to sell them so I can build more and try other techniques, combinations, etc. In my mind, we would be missing out on a great opportunity if we didn't take advantage of that market and inexpensive avenue for testing/learning.

I don't have that problem.
When I build a rod for myself it is mine piriod.
If a person wants one like mine I have no problem buidling it for them.
But they can either wait till its done or go some where else.
The guys I build for know its going to be 3 to4 months before they see the rod so if they need it for a specific event they will let me know that far in advance .I don't make exceptions and I don't put one person in front of another because of their lack of planning on their part. Or their statis on a fishing circute.

MArk, you're nuts. NEVER sell a rod you built for yourelf, unless you dont like how it performs. The only rods for me which I sell are the ones which I was "testing" something, guides, handles, real seat, etc - and I didn't like the result. MOst people don't notice anythign wrong, but if I"m looking to build a better mousetrap, teh only way I'll do so is by testing on my own rods which unfortunately leads to quite a few rods which I don't like.

I've said that for years.
Everytime I look at that spey blank I bought I think"I could have that done in a week" Then the phone rings and it's a case of I'll get to it next.
I did finish a travel fly rod I wanted last August. Now I just have ot put the finish on the wraps.

I was out last night walleye fishing with a buddy and he looked at the rod I was using - A Berkley Gary Roach Lightning Rod.. . Anyways, he took one look and said "That's no Richstick!!" LOL - I almost had him convinced that Berkley had commissioned me to build a rod for Roach, that's why his name and the Berkley logo were on it. Although I wouldn't put my name on that rod - funny, before I started building, I LOVED that rod.... I actually did have one of my own rods along, but the lure I wanted was on the Berkley.....

But Mark - like you, I can't catch up. I've got rods in the works for all kinds of other people, while the birch bark handled sweetie I am trying to build for myself just sits there.

After six or seven years of building my own rods I currently for the first time fish my own with the exception of one that Steve Kartalia kindly provided. I disposed of all my factory rods by one mean or another during 2006. Even now however I have two to build because the ones I finished for my own were purloined by friends before I could do more than lawn cast them. Mark if you just used ready made factory grips on your own rods they would last much longer.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

Istripped my SCV and my little SC111 this winter to put on different handle and guides. I broke the tip of my SC1V fly rod last fall and ordered a replacement top which I have had since Jan. I have not started one of those rods!!
I keep working on other rods for other peolpe. I am fly fishing farm ponds with a Cabelas/Sage 6 wt hybid I made from old blanks several years ago The spin rod I am using right now is a little 5'6" Wally World rod that I have around as a beater. I am almost done with all my current builds and have sworn I will not start another 'til I get my own done. I can live without the SCV 'til I go to Canada in Aug. but I sure would like to have that SC111 for farm pond finess fishing. And my SC1V 4 wt would be a little more exciting on those big blues I am getting right now. Yes the Cobbler needs to to help himself!

The prettiest rods I ever built all went to customers. But the rods I fish now were built over the years as I learned how to build better and better rods. They're not fancy, but very comfortable to use. I don't get to do as much fishing as I'd like, but snuck out for 3 good days of fishing over the recent weekend. The entire time I concentrated on fishing and never once thought about my tackle. That tells me that it's working perfectly.

I have a lot of rods planned, just as I'm sure that the cobbler plans to make himself a really super pair of shoes at some point. I hope to get around to it, but if not, at least I do have a few nice rods to use in the meantime. The thing a lot of people forget is that time goes by very quickly. We all plan to do things and figure we'll get around to doing them "at some point." Before you know it you're an old man and you either can't do the things you wanted to do or no longer have the interest. I'll be dead in a few years and yet I'm just as guilty of this as I ever was. If you don't make the time to do a few things for yourself you just won't ever get around to doing it. None of us ever gets to the point where we're caught up with everything and have plenty of free time. There will be something that needs doing tomorrow and the next day, so on and so forth. It never ends.

I have a fishing buddy who retired at 52 from a civil service job. Planned to go fishing a lot because he enjoys it so much. First thing he does is go back to work at 2 jobs to keep busy. He fishes 2 days per year now and he's pushing 60. He has plenty of money (and I do mean plenty) but says he needs to keep making more because he doesn't know how long he'll live. I tell him to keep right on working and making that money because his wife's next husband will enjoy spending it.



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Amen, Brother Tom !!

I have to constantly push myself to "do it now" not put it off.

Friend of mine told me life is like a roll of toilet paper -- the closer you get to the end, the faster it rolls around !!

Tony

Good word Guy's

Bill in WV

We're currently in the same mess as Mark. Everythinbg we've built has gone to customers on the piers, or who have visited the shop. We have a couple store-bought rods that we're currently using and a couple we repaired for "emergency' use.

It's frustrating, actually. Our current backlog is such that we might not get to our own stuff for a while yet. Let's see - one for them, one for us, one for them, one for us - - -

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

I fish with rods with no finish on them,,,,and call it a cobblers crutch...or fun!!!

I built 2 rods for myself and don't have time to use them. Everyone wants to buy them. I say , "no, I haven't had a chance to try them out yet". They say, " well build me one like that one." So I just keep building rods for everyone else, just like the two I built for me. I have gotten a lot of business by saying ,"NO they are mine."