Is there an easy way to wrap 2 colors(red black) that alternate from the start of the wrap? Please enlighten me lol. I thought about adding in the black after 1 round of the red, but there wouldnt be much holding the black down and it would come out probably during cp application.
I also thought about having 5 wraps of red on each end making the addin easy, but thats really not what im lookin for.
again, not what im shootin for, I tried starting 5 red then adding in the black, and end it alternating red black, but it makes it a lil trashy trying to pull 2 tags under.

You can start and wrap both threads at the same time, but it is very fiddly indeed. That way you don't have to worry about threads puling out until it is time to pull the tags through at the end of the wrap. As for a trashy pull down, try putting in two tie-off loops side by side, and do the red and black one after the other, so that they don't come out at the same spot. Again, quite fiddly.

Or look for red/black variegated thread. What you will get from two threads is a spiral "barber pole" pattern in the wrap, albeit quite close together.

Good luck.

Or you can switch things up a notch and do what I call a "wacky wrap" and use a black magic marker to put bands on a spool of your favorite red thread.....Old school but still an attractive alternative to the norm.

Or you can wrap with black....splice in your red thread and wrap them together, then drop out the black and finish the wrap with the red....It takes a thread carriage hat handles two spools and two tension devices but it is an attractive wrap.

Derek L. McMaster
Rohnert Park, CA

Born to Fish, FORCED to Work

There are a couple of brands of black & red (or red & black) available. I'll look to see if I have one in our stuff and bring it to the show if we do. But these are "standard" patterns, perfectly regular and closely woven, so they may not be what you had in mind.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

Thanks all for the help. Starting 2 threads at the same time gave me just what I wanted. My homemade wrapping setup can accomodate 2 spools of thread, so it wasnt too difficult. Ive wrapped one foot on the #1 guide sofar to see how it will look, and i'm happy with it. the red with black gives it an illusion of a marroon or rust color. Ill try n post a picture of it later. which brings up another question:

how do I post a link in a message here to the photo i put in my gallery?

To post a link, Just open the pic on the photo page and highlight the URL (address in the address box of the browser) rightclick on it and click on compy Go to your post, place the cursor where you want the link and clock paste. It will appear as a link when you post it You can insert any link that way.

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!!

finished this rod. it wasnt too difficult to start both threads at same time(thanks for tip Ted). was a lil challenging keeping the threads from wrapping over each other. May as well have just wrapped a single color than trying this. the alternating colors are so close together, the red and black together looks almost maroon or rust. would work better using more contrasting colors, or maybe one mettallic and one regular. maybe would work better using ncp thread? the cp really darkened the appearance. heres picture of the guide wrap. need to make pic larger to really see the threads. [www.rodbuilding.org]