When building rods, it is inevitable that I will have certain flaws on the completed rods. I know that most people would probably not pick up on these flaws, nevertheless it still bothers me. My wife says I'm a perfectionist and that I need psychiatric help. Is Doc Ski a psychiatrist? Because, I guess I will have to adopt his motto, "Progress not perfection".

Anything and everything built by human hands is
not 100% perfect. We can get close sometimes
but perfection?

Get used to it or take your meds. I often need both! LOL

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

We have exactly the same problem. Gary and I are our own worst critics. As soon as a rod is finished and we show it off to each other, we start picking out the flaws. Probably no one else will ever see or notice them but we know they are there.

There's a point where you do it over and a point where you accept it. As long as a do-over isn't accepted, you're OK. But the result is to minimize or eliminate the do over stuff before it gets to the part where we show it off to each other. More work, but better results.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

I've built a few "perfect rods" only to improve with the next one. Perfection may be accomplished if you are the one that sets the standards for your work. Raymond's statement on perfection is true only if others set the standards.

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

I enjoy picking up a high end rod at the tackle shop and looking it over.They are no where near the level of perfection I`m sure most of us build to.Sort of resets the bar when I push it too high.Flaws are there to prove we a still human.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Tim,
I am afraid this is a property of building rods. I think that the survey that we were asked to fill out will show a high level of paranoia towards attention to detail.
I am building a fly rod for a customer now. I just finished turning a reel insert and putting the finish on it. On Friday night I glued the metal reel seat pieces to the insert and let it cure until Saturday. When I fitted the reel seat to the butt of the blank everything seemed fine. I set it against the wall and went to help my wife with dinner. Aftewards I went to check the rod and as I looked at it, something seemed wrong. I picked it up to look at it closely,rotated it, took the reel seat off ,and replaced it and all seemed well. The reel seat appears perfectly aligned with the blank. When I set it against the wall, once again it looked like something isn't quite right. Now the thing is being to mess with my mind (or what's left of it). If I finish it and show it to another builder, I'm sure they will find the flaw instantly. Normally I would simply disacrd this reel seat and use it for something else and make another, but I don't have any more Maple Burl that matches the piece for the grip so I'm stuck.

There may not be anything wrong with this reel seat, but it is now up in my living room where I can continue to look at it. I have decided to go ahead and make the grip and fit it to the bklank and see what they fit together. This long explanation is just to point out with an example how our perfectionism affects us despite the fact that perfection doesn't exist except in our own minds ( as Stan so eloquently expressed it). All we can do is keep trying to make a better rod eahc time we build one.

Have fun,

Mike Blomme

I freat over every rod I build and have cut off many wraps until I thought I got them right.

Regards......Doug@
TCRds

If it catches fish....................its a perfect ROD!

The funny thing is when I build one for myself I usually make it much simplier and let's say "unimpressive".
Also, on my rods I'm always trying new stuff. If there is a slight mistake in the gold leaf for example, who cares it's only for me. The only truly important thing to me is how it "feels", how it fishes.
But, I just finished a rod for a buddy and I redid the gold leaf butt wrap 6 times.
Why? It just wasn't perfect. A little wierd that I could have such a double standard.
I guess what I'm saying is: trying for cosmetic perfection is important, BUT the way it fishes is where it's at.
Jon Gold

I am far from perfect. Sometimes I let a flaw go if it's my own personal equipment, but not if it's for a customer. BUT...

If I'm impressed with the final product, then I feel it's good enough to sell. If the client points it out, I do it again.

None of my clients have pointed out flaws. Yet.

Have you seen some of the crap that passes QC at the BIG rodmakers (if they even have a QC dept)? I wouldn't sell what they do...

Dave

I find that once I have delivered a rod I'm on pins and needles until I know the blank didn't explode on the first hook set. I own my craftsmanship but I can't control the process used to make the blank. It's my worst fear that someone pays me good money for a rod (with my name and logo on it) and it blows on the first trip. I obsess to the point I'm nearly sick until I hear from the customer on how the rod performed.
It's funny on how I have no problem cutting corners in my full-time job but turn into a retentive perfectionist when it comes to building a rod. And to answer the question, Tim, No, I haven't turned out a perfect rod yet.

Never made a perfect rod.......................Never WILL!

Matt -
Your worst nightmare was lived out yesterday for me. Customer brought me back a rod I made in early summer for him to use on a trip to Cape Cod to fish for striped bass in the canal / cut. I honestly don't know how it happened but the rod (two piece Rainshadow) was returned wih the tip section broken in FOUR places between the guides. Honestly I have never seen a rod snap in four places (reportedly simultaneously) - I'm certain it's not a problem with the blank quality but rather the fisherman (likely high sticking or over tightening the reel drag). In any case I'm obligated to replace it .

The pursuit of a perfect fishing rod is what keeps me excited about the next one. I have thought that I have come close several times. It is always fun to see one of the ones you were proud of a while back and to view it with new eyes... I continue to improve with every project and yet the perfect one still alludes me. As others mentioned - my wife thinks I'm crazy for the little things that bother me - but also says that is why she loves me... the pursuit of perfection continues! Good luck in your quests! Chuck Ungs

I have discovered that if I really try to obsess less on fine details, the end product is better the first time around. If I try to make it perfect, I will absolutely screw it up. My first attempt at this was with wrap epoxy. Apply it and let the epoxy do it's thing and don't be as obsessive about it and it always turns out well. Mess with it too much and you will have to remove it and start over. I'm not saying get sloppy, just trust your abilities and the products you use and it just seems to go better.

Having now said this out loud, so to speak, my next rod is bound to be a total disaster. It's a good thing I'm not superstitious

Joe Douglas