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April 6, Outdoorsman Examiner

By: C. Boyd Pfeiffer

I bet you missed it this year. But if you are anywhere near High Point NC next February, you should take a day or two to visit the International Custom Rod Building Exposition. While it is designed for dealers and custom rod builders, you still can learn a lot about tackle, fishing rod choice and use.

I went for the first time this February, thoroughly enjoying the show. I should have gone before, especially after writing about rod building in my 1974 book TACKLE CRAFT with a 270,000 word (800 photos) revision in 1993 titled MODERN TACKLE CRAFT (in paperback as THE COMPLETE BOOK OF TACKLE MAKING).

But a lot has happened in the 17 years since that book. Today, there are two directions in which rod building is going – both in custom rods and also the commercial factory rods. One direction is for the added art and craft incorporated into rods. This art does not help take more fish. It does make each rod truly a one-of-a-kind example in which you can have immense pride, whether you or a custom rod builder crafted the item.

These additions can include decorative cross wraps such as diamonds, Maltese crosses, squares, chevrons, etc. A further time-consuming aspect of this is weaving in which wrapped and interwoven threads are mixed to make pictures of anything, often placed just above the foregrip of a rod. These can include specific species of fish, art scenes or the complex specialty of rod builder Jim Upton, a complex dragon head.

Other features can include specialty wood grips and handles, inlaid wood reel seats, fancy guide wraps, and even micro-sliced (0.15 mm) abalone in grips, decoration and guide wraps.

Functionally, rods are getting better and better, with blanks that are stronger, lighter, more sensitive and with greater casting distance and accuracy. Guides are getting smaller, with the “micro guides” by Fuji, Pac Bay, and Batson going as small as 2 mm ID ring size with lighter weight, increased rod sensitivity, and better casting distance.

Right now these tiny guides are available only as a component factor from places such as Swampland (www.swamplandtackle.com) and Mud Hole (www.mudhole.com). By the summer national trade show (ICAST show) they might show up on factory rods to give the average angler all the pluses of the best blanks and the most advanced components. Rod manufacturer e21 has already introduced rods with improved resins and fibers to make a better rod and featuring the micro guides.

If you want to try out this show next year, check out www.rodexpo.com or for info on RodMaker magazine by show and magazine head honcho Tom Kirkman, check out www.rodmakermagazine.com

It was a pleasure to talk with and have dinner with Boyd, he is very knowledgeable on a wide range of topics and has a very good nonsense detector.

Cool article!

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

I too had the opportunity to dine with Boyd - and Mike saying he has a "good nonsense detector" is an understatement. His observations and commentary was enlightening and entertaining on all subjects.

He certainly is loaded with experience but yet seems to encounter each new thing open minded and unbiased. I would certainly love to break bread with him anytime.

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