i am working on an ultralight 5ft.1 pc blank and was wondering if anyone has tried a microwave setup on a blank this size. i am also doing my first split grip. Any ideas on reel seat placement?

Dean,

A 5' UL is going to be a tough blank for experimentation on both fronts. Typical UL reels typically only require a 16mm Y frame guide or 12mm match frame guide for the butt guide. The Microwave is a 25mm or 30mm guide (I'm thinking 30, but can't remember off the top of my head). While I'm sure it will work just fine as a guide, I doubt there is much to gain with it on this build, unless you plan on using a fairly large reel on the rod for some reason.

As far as a ball park reel seat placement for a short UL, I would look for a measurement of 6.5" to 7.5" from butt of the rod to the stem of the reel, equating to roughly 5"-6" behind the reel seat for the rear grip. This won't leave much room between pieces in the split depending on whether you use any grip material at the butt of the reel seat. A split TN handle or a reel seat only with a small grip at the butt could work if you want to split the grip. Be creative and let us know how it works out.

Building an UL on an 840 popping or similar blank gives you a bit more room to be creative with the setup and makes a bit more sense with a little larger reel that could make use of the Microwave, and ample room to work with split grips.

Joe

If the microwave is too big, then use two smaller guide very close together. There is a picture in the archive of this setup done by Tom.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Chris Richer
Iroquois ON

Microwave is 30/8mm.

I use a lot of the M-Series guides from Pac-Bay in the 12mm and 10mm size, they give you the quick choke and the height that the microwave does with out the bulk. I also see that Fuji is starting to produce a new guide for the same application the KL-H. I think either would be a good fit for an ultra-light rod.

The Microwave guide is going to be too big and HEAVY to use on an ultra light.
Stick with either the M frames or similar high frame, small ring guides.

You can try the split grip but I don't think this is the rod to try it on. A 5' blank won't leave you much room to really do anything other than just a few rings. But if you try it, let us know how you like it.

Like everyone else has said the MicroWave guide is way too big and heavy for an ultralight rod. I designed the production microwave guide and I made it really beefy so it could be used on inshore saltwater rods. M series guides either Minima or ceramic ring are you’re best choice.

I like my under 6' ultralight rods with a short handle leaving as much rod as possible for longer casts/ fighting fish. I typically use a handle 8" or less. A 6" tennessee type handle would be perfect for this setup. I agree with others to keep the guides as small and light as possible on this application. Good luck.

I'll second the Tennessee type handle suggestion of around 6" or 7" in length, depending on your hand size.

If you make one vibronics style you will have a very light and sensitive rod. Additionally, you can make the carbon fiber Tennessee handle the exact diameter you prefer.

I'm experimenting now with creating handle "rings" out of a piece of a slip ring that is bound to the handle by shrink tubing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2012 01:55PM by Richard Glabach.

I just do not understand ultralights as short as 5 feet. I used to use one and could never reliably set the hook. About 3 years ago I saw an article about building ultralights off light fly blanks at least 7 feet long, and I built a 3 wt 7 1/2 foot fly blank into a spin rod. What a marvelous rod, with reliable hook sets. Casts 1/8 oz cranks like bullets, handles big fish fine in open water. Give it some consideration.

Michael,
Actually 5 foot ultra lights work very very well for certain applications.

If you had issues setting the hook with a 5 foot ultra light, I expect that part of the issue was the power of the rod as well as the length.

I tend to always keeps some shorter rods in the boat like this when I have children in the boat and we are pan fishing. For this application, the rods work very very well.

But, now and then a 3-5 lb fish will hit the bait and the rod will bring the larger fish in the boat just fine as well. Of course, these rods are generally used as bobber rods, and by the time that the bobber goes down the hook has already been set.

Good advice though.
Roger

A follow-on to Michael and Roger's comments. In an open water situation the longer rod has tremendous advantages. However, if you wade or float very skinny water then you'll spend a lot of time casting under overhangs and doing a lot of underhand and side arm casting. In these applications the shorter rods shine. Actually, my all time favorite creek rod is a 5'9" med-light extra fast. It has enough backbone to fight the occasional big fish but can still cast just about any of the smaller cranks/spinners that you sometimes need on small water. The med-light does take some of the fun out of small fish but if you are exploring you never know what you'll catch in moving water. If you know the fish will be small then go ultra light to maximize the fun.

You are dead on Andrew! Small creeks for pan fish casting under brush, ect. I can't talk him into a TN handle, heeded the rest of the advice. Any other suggestions on reel seat and reel seat placement? I have a left over Areo. thanx

What about an ice rod handle for the ul. They have a few to choose from like the st. Croix knock offs.