I have seen a few rods (a pic of a factory Sage rod in Angler's Wkshp mag) with the cork turned down to a small taper and thread wrapped over it to make a nice looking transition. (thread finished of course). THose of you with experience doing this. would you do it again, what are pros and cons, durability. I had read somewhere to put a thin coat of finish on the cork to make a smooth bed to wrap on. Any thing else? Thanks

Elrod,
Artie Hebert, in one of his rod building videos shows something similar where he makes winding checks out of 5 min epoxy. He uses the epoxy, a rotating rod, and a brush and makes a very nice epoxy winding check that you can wrap the thread right over. I have used this technique and found it easy to do.

Buzz Butters

Buzz is right I use this same trick on all of my ice rods I build and they look great, You have to try it, very easy.

Rick,
Where do you get your ice blanks. It seems that when I find a size and style I like they only have a couple. Of they have lots of a certain kind but "discontinue" the tip top that fits etc.

I build ice rods for walleye/smallmouth/white bass

And I build ultralights for panfish. Thanks
Buzz Butters
B & B Custom Flies and Rods
Ripon, WI

Give me a shout about your requrements in ice blanks. I have a good supply of quality graphite in up to 4 1/2' lengths make great ice rods.

I build ice rods similar to what you mention in medium heavy for lake trout, medium for walleye, and ultralights for crappie mostly up here.

Do you use the x large loop fly tops? or the oversized large ring guides? I had some special designed and ordered for some trout rods with size 16 rings to preven freeze up.

Rich
Richard's Rod & Reel

Buzz,
I have only been building rods for about 1 1/2 years maybe about 30 or 40 rods 2/3 were ice rods. I purchased my blanks from a old guy who said he had 20 G.Loomis rod tips and 20 St.Croix that he purchased at a flea market, I'm not sure if they are what he says, they are the right colors for the brands I think. The cost was .50ea. The so called G.Loomis made great walleye rods and the St. Croix made good perch and crappie rods.

Rich,
I live in NY and been ice fishing for about 20 years in and out of an ice tent never had to much of a problem with freeze up, only a couple of times when it was really cold and using a store bought micro rod with a very very small tip not sure on the size.
I use Fuji Hardloy # 6 or #7 rod tips on most of my rods.
Most of my rods go to freinds and family.
Rich would you have any micro ice blanks for bluegill, sunfish that you would like to sell? Let me know Rick

Conditions are a bit harsher up here in this part of Canada. Winters can usually assure blasts of -40, but realistically most will get out fishing when it warms up to -20.
True, with ice huts or clams hauled around by snowmachine , there is less worry by freeze up. A lot of guys still brave the open elements on long excursions by snowmobile which restricts carrying too much weight most times and this is times that fishing in the open will create the ice ups on tips and lines. Most of this is for walleye, big pike, or lake trout, even splake or large brook trout in the eastern part of Northwestern Ontario. On the lighter rods, usually the large loop fly tips will be sufficient.

Rich