Just reading a post a few down and mention was made as to wishing the first rod was kept as is to use as a gauge for progress. How many still have that first rod?? Would you be willing to show it off?? Maybe a fun thing to do at the lounge in High Point. I still got mine and still use it.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Still have mine, don't use it as much as I used to. Really needs rewrapped to improve it's performance.

My first has long been broke. And I hope on one ever sees the next two

I still have my first, use it and show it off. I was 12 when I built it and it won 2nd place in a competition with a Dolphin weave. I was beat only by the component suppliers daughter (she had no help from dad either). I am very proud of that rod, and its whipped more 15+ pound dolphin than I care to count. Its a 6-15# blank and I fish it with 10# mono. No special components, just very basic, but yes I love the rod.

Weaving at 12? I'm 30 and still haven't brought myself to try it...... not worthy.

Well I'm only 24 now, and it was a single layer weave, but that rod will stay like that forever. I thought about redoing it once, said nope. Happy I did that.

The first rod I rebuilt with my dad JUST got converted to a spiral wrap rod and I changed the guide wraps, but left the butt wrap intact for setimental value.

My first rod was built in 1974 when I was in jr. high school, a 7 ft. 4 wt. flyrod. My dad took me to the class. Funny thing is that the shop owner showed me a spiral wrap rod at the time...and I thought it was something from another planet. I still have the flyrod and it is in great condition.

Les

Still have my first rod, a Scott PowrPly 7'3 wt. I've since rebuilt it. It's a sweet little small stream rod. Made it nearly 20 years ago, rebuilt two years ago. New wraps, new seat. I get quite nostalgic when I fish it.

dave

The first rod I built, a spinning rod, was made out of two fiberglass blanks that I had bought from Schoffs tackle. They were in a bin, for a few bucks apiece. I took the two blanks and cut them to fit, painted the blank black, then covered it completely with flex coat. Talk about wavy finish!

This was about 20 years ago, and since then the cork handle has been chewed on by a dog, and the reel seat has loosend. I think I may repair the cork, and try to get some glue into the seat, but I won't ever do more than that. I haven't used the rod in years, and I think I may retire it and hang it on the wall!

I wouldn't show my 1st one to my dog! LMAO!! I still have it, hanging in the rafters.

But, it caught a TON of huge smallmouth bass over it's time-jerkbait rod. Probably more than any two rods I've ever had combined..

DR

Kinda still have my first one. 25 years old.

My grandson and I stripped it down except for reel seat and HE rewrapped it. Now it is his first rod. I like that..

Sam

I don't have the first one I built. It was a great rod but ugly and someone still wanted to buy it (Five Rivers Sig. V 8'9" 4wt. 3pc). I'm more addicted to changing gear to try new stuff than I am sentimental toward my old gear. The one rod I won't get rid of is my very first fly rod, which was a factory Fenwick Eagle Graphite E85-7F (8.5' 7wt.). I still have it but I stripped it and rebuilt it with a Venneri reel seat, the best cork, and single foot ceramic guides. Fish it all the time and still love it - even more now the I "built it myself".

Steve

Still got my first one, built over 30 yrs. ago, fiberglass 9 ft spin rod on a salmon blank. This was before graphite became popular. Like DR I keep it put up but every now and then I bring it out just to show how I started.

Oh yeah, I still have my first rod and I still fish with it every year. It's a 5 weight Orvis Far-n-Fine that's over 20 years old and still going strong other than having to replace the reel seat (which had originally been shimmed with masking tape). Despite my having fished with it for thousands of hours over two decades, Steve (two posts above) has caught a bigger smallmouth on it than me! Not fair!

I am always on the lookout for that blank Mike so I can build myself one. Great rod which crossed paths with me and that fish at just the right time to make a nice memory.

i dont have my first rod ever built :(

i built it about 3 months ago just after i had turned 16 and lost it over the side of a boat the first time i had used it.

got back from that trip and built another replica :D

i have since built another 4 rods and i can safely say that i am addicted.

I have my first rod. I did re-wrap a couple of the worse wraps. It was a Seeker 605 Blank.

Dan Hogan

First rod I did was a rebuild of a rod my two sons caught their first bluefish on at the ages of 5&6. One on the rod the other on the reel. I've got a picture of them working that fish (good stuff). My youngest son has the rod now in Florida. That rod has seen alot of fish, The "boys" are now in their 30's. Great memories.