What inspired you to get into rod building?
GUILT!
I had a builder by the name of Bill Poe build me a rod sometime around 1980. A flipping stick built on a Loomis blank. That broke a short time afterwards, I took it back and he rebuilt it. A couple of months later it broke again. Now I new it wasn’t his fault or mine, but he was the one taking the lose.

After Loomis sent me a new blank for the second time I took it back to him, but was feeling guilty about him having to rebuild it at his expense again. So because I was feeling guilty about what he was losing,
I asked him if he minded if I rebuilt it instead. To which he replied “not at all” So I did and have been ever since.



Why do you guys build fishing rods?

Because I can take the time to experiment, engineer, and incorporate things into my rods that others are not willing to or, can’t justify the time in development for just one customer.

Besides building rods, I’m a Plumbing Contractor by trade. And it does not mater how beautiful of a job I do. When I am done people crap on my work and never think about me again till they have a problem.

When I build someone a rod they appreciate it, its beauty, and its function and every time they catch a fish on it, they are enjoying what they can do with it.

As a friend of mine put it one time; “I know why you built me this rod, so that every time I open my rod locker and see it I would think about you”.

Personal satisfaction.
and Terry Henson's answer "DITTO"

What Terry and Steve said. It's more about personal satisfaction and the want and need to keep doing better, to prove some thing to myself and no one else. The look and feel of a beautiful rod that performs as well if not better than a production rod is the payback. I originally thought that I'd be able to save money by building my own rods, but as it turns out it's costing me more in the long run (lol). I just love to build them and have found many friends that share the passion of rod building.

What inspired me to start building rods was the idea that I could save money, which as I write it, seems extremely laughable given the addictive nature of rodbuilding and the fact that I've gone from about 4 rods to 30 or so rods. No savings there, although I can't be honest without saying that is why I started.

Now, the reason I keep building them is because it's fun, I've always needed a hobby, and this seems like a good hobby because it generates neat toys and gifts for friends and family. Plus one day down the road when I retire, I think it might help me generate a little extra income. And if it doesn't, I'll still need a hobby when I'm retired anyway.

For me it was pretty simple. I was sick of $100 rods not performing to my liking. Got in touch with a few local builders talked to them, but again did not want to spend the money to have them build it. Did I mention I'm cheap? Lol. So I found several websites, some suppliers & started building my own rods.

Along with what most folks have said, I build them for fun and to see the joy it brings customers (I've only sold 2 so far though). Also learning from many of the great builders on this forum has been a real boon to my experience. I have a lot of free time & I can not think of anything I would rather do.

I can't really identify that AH-HA moment where the skies opened up and Noah spoke "Go forth and multiply your rod collection to unreasonable proportions" but that is what has happened. I'd guess it's an extension of adding to the thrill of catching a fish with fly/spinner/jig that you built.

It's the pleasure of meeting folks both face to face and virtually through the internet that share a common bond.

I tweak, modify and improve on just about everything I own. I rarely fish with any lure as it came out of the package. I get a lot of satisfaction from improving on others ideas. The rod thing came out of a desire to put back into service a rod that had a broken reel seat. It's the only factory rod I own that I like enough to not want to do without. Although it did not turn out as well as I would have liked-it is back on line. Did not know at the time it was going to make me want to build another. But, alas,
I'm hooked. I'll never buy another off the shelf. I'm only on my 2nd rod but it compares to the first like the space shuttle compares to the Mercury space capsule.
Probably should strip the 1st one down and start over, but that would only delay me building a NEW one. If you have even a somewhat addictive personality-I would recommend that you avoid it like the plague(or dive in head first)

I blew my back out when I was 28 years old and ended up with back surgery. As an avid steelheader, and not being able to work I kept my brain alive by going fishing, until the weather here in Canada got too cold, usually around Christmas. So now I had nothing to keep me busy until the spring. So, I started building rods during the winter. Found I was pretty good at it and really gratifying. That was 25 years ago. Life got real busy and I had no time to build. Started back up about 2 years ago and wish now that I never stopped. This forum has been great to help me catch up.

When I bought a boat in 1983, to be used for fishing L.I. Sound and its environs, I had no idea where to buy a “good” rod. An employee was a rod builder, so I commissioned him to make (4) rods for me, (2) wire line trolling rods, and (2) jigging rods. That was the only direction I gave him. I got back (4) rods that matched the color of my boat, with my name and the builder’s name on them. They have caught TONS of fish over the years.
When I needed a stiff rod for snagging bunker (menhaden), my builder had moved away, and that kind of rod can’t be purchased. That was my first build. Then I needed (2) downrigger rods.
Now that I am retired, I delivered (3) rods this week, with (12) more in process in my shop. I should add that I convinced my wife that she didn’t need a car anymore since I would be home; thus a full size shop.

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble.It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Mark Twain
John in Wethersfield, CT

WHY?......My wife accidentally shut the car door and snapped the tip off a St Croix Ben Doer surf rod on our honeymoon. I had to go to the nearest shop for a replacement. The shop had custom rods , blanks ,components etc... The custom rods looked cool but I didn't buy one. I bought a replacement St. Croix, a Lamiglass blank, components, thread, finish, a drying motor, and a "how to" flex coat" pamplet.....then want back to the honeymoon and caught 157 striped bass between 4 am and 6 am for 7 days straight........so I guess I can blame it on her!

(I got addicted to rodbuilding after that spontaneous purchase)

Back in 1975 I was teaching full time at a Tech School and was Gunsmithing on the side. I got an opportunity to go to work for the Feds. Upon my departure from the teaching job, the staff gave me a "Custom Built Rod" with a Cardinal 4 reel attached . After years of looking at it and handling it , the more I thought,,,,heck I can build one better than that. The rod was built on a Fenwick blank, 5 ft long, stiff as a broom handle with guides as big as a coffee cup and totally dead. That rod was all the inspiration I needed. I now have about 200 under my belt and and no letup in sight. Thanks to all the good help from this board I am thoroughly hooked, loving every minute of it , and building the next one just a little better than the last one.

Because factory rods are JUNK!!!!!!!!

Love of the pastime, enjoyment from fishing with my own flys & rods etc. , because I don't trust anyone else, because aestetics matter to me, I can tell my wife I'm saving money, always searching for perfection although I doubt I'll ever achieve it.

Mostly - BECAUSE ITS FUN.......

I took a beginers class and was hooked.

Thanks for the replies ! You guys and this forum are inspirational .
I build rods for much of the same reasons as everyone else . The myth of the one perfect rod to do it all becomes more out of reach , the more I fish and build rods.
The purchase of a custom made spiral wraped bait casting rod from a small local tackle shop was the first thing that inspired me to get into rod building.
I don't think wrapping guides and doing butt wraps come natural to me but it sure is rewarding when it comes out right.

Joseph

My brother actually got me started. He built a rod for me. When i opened the package I could not believe my eyes!! A HAND BUILT FISHING ROD MADE JUST FOR ME!!! IT EVEN HAD MY NAME ON IT!!! I really could not believe my eyes. My brother lived 4 hors away, he was my favorite brother even though he ws eight years older than I. When i went to his house he woud try to get me into rod building and I said I don`t have time for this.

He was visiiting at my house, when he went to bed, he never woke up. He died of internal injuries due to a 4 wheeler acident the prior week. A few weeks later I offiically retired the rod he built me. It now has a very prominate place in my rod building room.

Sometime later I went to visit his family and when I went downstairs to reminice in his basement, there it was, the place he built my rod! there were several other rods in progress. I have no idea how many he built but has told me he has never sold any. He made them for any one he knew who liked to fish.

After that I went to Cabelas and bought a kit. I felt Ken was with me the whole way through my first rod. Oh, how I enjoyed our experience. The rod came out pretty ugly but, it sure does fish good. I was hooked!!!!

Next visit to his familys house and a few rods under my belt his wife gave me most of his inventory. I now have a shop in my basement just for rod building I have only built 16 so far, every one gets better and more enjoyable. It is very relaxing and great to know the talent is improving.

I love rod building, I loved my brother and I thank God for both.

Well, enough chatter, iIknow some people who love fishing, I need to build them a rod.

Praise God for them!!!

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

Was in the Coast Guard for 20 years and needed something to do with my time. Since I loved to fish and the equipment and supplies to build a rod don't take much space and can be stored in the cubby holes between ship framing members it was a natural.
Xmas day 1973 in Antartica many were playing football on the ice or watching one of our unboard films for the ------ time, I was fishing through one of the holes in the ice around the ship with one of my new rods.

My wife and I were camping on the beach in Baja mexico and I was fly fishing with a guy from the USA. This guy said you should build yourself a fly rod its easy. My wife said, yes why don't you make one ( strange for her since she would say the last thing you need is another hobby), enough fly tying.
So when we got home I looked into ordering parts and built one for me and one for my Dad, Still going at it 9 years later. I really like making the butt wraps and turning grips on my lathe, hardly make any flies . Ho yah what those other guys said, great rods for the price, I we have small kids and i do not get out fishing as much now but I can build rods when they go to bed.
Cheers Ron.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/15/2008 07:01PM by Ron Petley.