I recently purchased a hookeeper for a new fly rod I am building. The hookeeper is comprised of two parts - one nickel silver band about 1+" long and a nickel silver ring. I understand that I will probably be wrapping most of the band with the thread of my choice when I lay it on the rod. How much of the band would be left unwrapped and be visible with the ring?

Thanks

Ron B

The keepers I have seen like that have a raised area in the center, like the regular keepers only a lot less pronounced. Wrap up to the transition from flat to raised.

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

Dave,

The nickel silver bar stock is totally flat - no rises or humps. My big concern is how much of this gets wrapped (from either end towards the ring) on the rod. Do I leave some space for the ring to move left or right??

Ron

Ron
Sorry, I don't have an answer as I've never seen one that is completely flat. (:scratching head:)
I would guess that it needs to be bent slightly to make clearance for the ring. I would then wind up to the ring.
The ones I have seen are free to move but in this case I'm not sure having it move is such a good idea. I would lock it down and epoxy it in place.

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

Dave O,
The band can be bent so that is probably what I'll do - create a "camel hump" in the middle for the ring to rest . I can then wrap from the flat part of the band toward the newly created "camel hump" in the middle of the band.

Thanks

Ron

Leave enough area unwrapped so that the band can just move freely.

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Tom Kirkman Wrote:
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> Leave enough area unwrapped so that the band can
> just move freely.
>
> ..........


Tom,

So I really shouldn't bend (camel hump or whatever) the flat band at all - just leave it as is and wrap so it (and the keeper ring) can move freely?

Ron

Hi Ron,
I just looked at the hookkeeper that Angler's Workshop sells (one of the sponsors at the left). TheNSHKS consists of a flat band with a tiny hump where the ring fits. If yours is like this, then you can wrap to about a 1/16'' of the little hump. If your hook keeper consists of just a ring on a completely flat band (base strap), then if you wrap this too tight or do not bend the strap in some way, each time you raise the ring to attach a fly, you run the risk of the ring gouging the surface of your rod blank. Without a picture of your hookkeeper, I find it difficult to give you much better advice. Check your e-mail. I sent you a tutorial on inlay trims via Ray Adams.

Mike Blomme

If you bend it, the ring may flop around and jingle/jangle while casting and fishing. If you leave it flat, you'll have a tiny bit of tension on the ring which helps to keep it to one side instead of flopping about.

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Thanks for everyone's help. It's going to look great on my first fly rod...

Ron