Hi guys! Took a hiatus for a couple of years and starting up again. Seems I've forgotten quite a bit. I have a couple of fly rod questions to see if anything new has been learned since then. First, I'm planning to build a rod for a friend who wants to learn how to fly fish. I have a Forecast 6 wt that I've never gotten around to for myself that I might use, unless that is too heavy for a beginner? Nominal guide and tip sizes for it? And what about tamer guides? Good idea or not, and again, size? Thanks in advance, and good to be here again!

Seriously, guys. Have there been any new developments? I've seen so many changes when I was here before in such short amount of time, and I really have forgotten a lot of stuff. Am not being my usual sarcastic self. All of the above are serious questions. My knowledge was always very limited in the fly world and I'm sure there's new techniques out there. Throw me a bone here.

Sorry Mick, I build casting rods and so far only a couple of fly rods. some one should answer your post pretty soon.

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

Mark, depending on what your friend is going to fish for a 6wt is not a bad choice. The RX-6 is a good blank, it has a medium fast action and it will have enough flex so he will be able to feel the rod load. I built a rod on the same blank a couple of years ago for a friend who didn't have a lot of money to spend on his first fly rod. He does very well with the rod, from trout to bass.
I use a 6wt quite a bit for trout fishing in large rivers where the trout may run on the large side and in heavy currents. Mine also see a lot of use in pocket water fishing for trout, large dries with a dropper. The battle needs to be won quickly when you get into a large trout. They can cast small dries, nymph and chuck streamers very well. It can also be used for a light bass rod too. The only drawback is when you need to to light tippets and small dries, a 4 or 5wt would be a much better choice here.

On my 6wt's I usually go with a size 12 stripper, followed by a 10, then single foot 4's all the way out and a large loop tip top. Now a lot of guys will not recommend the large loop tip top, in my experience a nail knot or the new loop to loop connections (I cut them off and do a nail knot) will pass thru the large loop much better than the standard loop. I have never seen the need for a tamer guide, tried it on a couple of rods and it did not make much of a difference to me.

I would build the rod on that blank, my buddy loves his and has not seen the need to upgrade to a higher end 6wt blank. Once he got bit by the fly fishing bug, he did have me build him a couple of more rods.

Thanks a lot Bill!

I build mostly fly rods and agree with what Bill has told you. I don't personally like the RX6, but it is a nice rod for a beginner and the 6wt is a versitile rod. The only difference in layout I would recommend is to go slightly smaller on the running guides. I typically use a single 4 then 3's out to the end. I don't use tamer guides. I use single foot wire running guides. Here is a link to the Batson recommended layout:

[www.rainshadowfishing.com]

Click on the pdf link at the bottom.

Mick, not sure when you last built, but the use of single foot Pac bay minima guide is finding some acceptance.
Much lighter than ringed guides and with a bigger hole for the line to pass through.
But that acceptance is limited. Most changes are in the making it lighter areas.
However, the lack of change is not always a bad thing.
Fly fishing does not have multiple tournament trails worth many millions so is more driven by tradition and what people enjoy doing.
It does not have a TV program with sports commentators following every cast on saturday mornings.
Bass fishing in particular is driving deleopments for better or worse. Its where the changes are greatest.
In reality i think my grandfather would happily pick up most of todays midrange/good if not very best fly rods and feel pretty much at home with it right off.
He may wonder at overall lightness,some tippets and maybe how smooth the drags are on the reels, but it would look pretty much the same.

Mick, welcome back!! I think the Rx6 blank would do for a beginner though if it were my choice I might go for something a bit lighter, however it really depends on where he fishes and what he wants to do with this rod. Does he want to fish small stream trout only or does he also want to go after bass? For a rod like this take a look at the Pac Bay minima guides They are the best I have used lately and would go perfect for this blank. As to using line tamer guides yes I do use them on some rods, they do help but on other rods they are just neutral. I usually use them on the higher wt. rods from 5 wt up but a beginner may or may not get optimum benefit from them. On the other hand they will not hurt anything

Welcome back Mick,

Buzz

Hi Mick. Welcome back.

The blank is a very serviceable and will make a good first rod. If you haven't done any CCS measurements, I would do this on the finished rod to make sure you get a good line match. This rod may load better with a 7 wt line, especially for a beginner but the measurement will help determine this. Check the CCS site at the left Mick if you haven't done this yet.

Taming guides can make a difference if you shoot a lot of line, but this doesn't apply to everyone. I find the guys that fish flats for bones making long casts and shooting line see this as an advantage. Most just find them odd looking. The link to the Batson's site gives you the recommended spacing and guide sizes. I too use single foot guides and they would be a good match on a 6 wt. If the line is going to be a regular WF with a 9' leader, then 4's to the tip should be fine. 3's give you a little more margin on lines and knots. I use a large or extra large tip top as well. I'm not a fan of the minima guides and am probably one of the few that doesn't like them. They are light but the bend very easily and I don't see any advantage over a SF wire guide.

Biggest changes in the fly world are in blanks. The new 3M Powerlux resin system is the next step in taking weight out of blanks without reducing strength. St. Croix and Lamiglas are the current registered users of this.

Tight Wraps Mick.

Terry

Thanks guys! Already feeling a lot of it coming back. Just trying to catch up with the world. Lou, it's only been about 3 years, but I know how fast new techniques and equipment are found and shared. Still trying to decide between ceramics or stay traditional. Also, is there a general opinion on what style of grip is best for a beginner (Wells, half, cigar, etc)?

Oh, and has anybody found a new and improved paint pen to do inscriptions?

The Rx6 is a very good beginner/intermediate blank Mick.. Easy to cast, handsome and rather durable for the rookie type abuse-mistakes beginners make. I agree with Sam that one wt smaller (5) might be a little more all-around versitile for a beginner. I like the looks of the Tamer and the theory of what they add (however, don't know if it's that significant) . But I put them on all my fly rods. The stripper and the tamer are matching, light, handsome double-foots. Tamer is one size smaller that the Stripper and about 4" out in front. I try to do a classy, handsome wrap on these two. A little extra wt up there means nothing. I drop down one size smaller with the third guide and make it a singlefoot. The Pac Bay minimas are very nice to work with and very sharp looking. After the 3rd guide everything else is the runners. For a beginner, I would make the runners one size larger than for my own rod. Beginners have a lot of problems with their fly line and leader knots. Theirs tend to be bigger, clumbsy and have a greater likelihood to get stuck in the guides. (Therefore, one size larger runners.... 6's instead of 5's) If your making your own handles, you can't beat a Half Wells and it is nicely conducive to a handsome little 'epoxy ramp'. Have fun and post some pics when you get done. And oh, about the signiture pens.... lots of great pens around. My problem is that it's my old hands that are guiding them but I greatly prefer a hand signiture (be it the best that custom builder can do) than a fancy, perfect, symetrically flawless, factory made COPY of some builder's signiture. My thought,.... you built it, I commisioned it, I want your true John Henry on it!

Thanks Steve. Makes good sense. I like it:)