G'day i am after some advice from fly rod builders or fly fisherman regarding the types of grips they use.I am going to have a go at putting some grips together and wanted to
know their opinion of what is most comfortable and practical.I have found a recipe for a Fenwick grip or half wells grip in one of the older issues of rod maker and from what
has been written about it it seems to fit the bill.But when i look at some of the websites i dont find any mention of half wells only reverse half wells.With the taper going towards
front i thought these would of been not the most comfortable to spend a long time casting with.I have never fished with a fly rod before so i maybe totally wrong.I will also be
putting together a full wells and this seems more straight forward.If there are any other types of grips please let me know as i am keen to find out about them.

cheers

Ray Balmforth
Figtree
NSW
Australia

Each person has their favorite. I like the fenwick grip personally and use it on most of my personal rods. A thought is when you make your own, no matter what style, a slightly larger diameter makes it more comfortable to use(especially for long periods). I have fairly large hands. I have also found it helps to have a larger grip for arthritic anglers and is easier for them to use. If you make it larger and don't like it you can always reduce the size. You can't add diameter.

Thank you for your reply John appreciate it.Once i have one made i can get someone to grip it and see if they would prefer a larger or smaller dia.

Looking forward to gluing some up as i feel you can be a bit more creative with the burl,cork,birch and whatever else i can get my hands on with the
longer grip than doing the shorter spin rod grips.

cheers

Ray Balmforth
Figtree
NSW
Australia

Ray, the Fenwick style grip is one of my favorites. there is also a version of a half wells that Heddon used on their rods. a bit beefier on the front and a bit more of a swell in the middle. That style of grip is on most of my builds. however, you cannot use a uplocking seat and expect to bury the hood. For some reason in the last several years manufacturers have taken to using uplocking seats. some say for balance others say it's because some casters grip the rod too low and their palm hits the threads on a downlocking seat. with the uplocking configuration you need that back flare to hide the pocket ring. I do use full wells on rods 7 wt and up. Most of those have a fighting butt and the uplocking seat/grip does help with balance.
On very light rods, those 3wt and under and short length I usually go with a super fine of cigar grip and an all cork seat.

Ray, I have sent you an email of fly rod grip diagrams you may find helpful.

As mentioned, grip choices can be very personal. I build only fly rods, and find preferences generally like this, lighter rods: (2 -4) Cigar, but mostly Western. Mid-weight rods: ( 4 -6) both Western and Full Wells. Heavier rods ( 6 and up) Full Wells. The Fenwick style seems to be making a slight come back.

With the popularity of more and more recessed uplocking reel seats, there is the requirement that the butt end of the grip be a large enough diameter to accommodate the recess.

One of the major reasons for the increasing use of uplocking seats, is that while fishing many of us stand our rods up against something, this puts a downlocked reel on the ground, which can be anything from grass, dirt, sand or rock. An uplocking seat avoids this.

G'day Gary and Phil thankyou for your replies and explanations greatly appreciated.Phil a big thankyou for taking the time to send me the diagrams.

I like the look of the Fenwick style and will give it a run and also a full wells.

I guess another question is do you inlet the rear of the grip deep enough to fit the whole of the hood. And are the hoods of a universal size to make things
easy or does everyone make a different size.

cheers

Ray Balmforth
Figtree
NSW
Australia

You don't have to inlet the rear of the grip. In fact you might find it easier to just size the rear of the grip to a tad larger OD than the OD of the forward end of the seat.

............

Most recessed type hoods will not look right if not recessed! In most cases the hood has a slight ring that remains outside the recess, it's decorative and keeps the hood from getting buried in the grip. Fly rod reel seat hoods are not all the same OD, many are approx. 20mm, some of the heavier seats are larger.

G'day Phil thank you again for your help greatly appreciated and Tom thank you for your help as well.I have just been checking out a few
reel seats online and can see what you mean by recessed type hoods Phil.Provided i can get the right size tool to do the inlet i should be able to
do a good job.Just a matter of leaving enough meat in the rear of the grip or on a seat as Tom was talking about leaving the OD a bit bigger than
the OD of the reel seat.

cheers

Ray Balmforth
Figtree
NSW
Australia

One thing on reel seats. Consider a size 16 graphite skeleton or not. Many will chime in and say they do not like the graphite seats on a fly rod. No it will not look traditional. However, the graphite seat will fit ANY fly reel foot, is very light, and very durable. While there are many many beautiful fly reel seats and hardware, many will not accommodate the reel foot. Reel feet are not standard on fly reels and can vary. You can butt a fly grip against a graphite reel seat or even inlet it for the hood. good luck on your builds.

There are also many seats FLY that do not have that Ring and do not need to be recessed
[www.mudhole.com]

Bill - willierods.com

A grip that allows you to comfortably position your thumb parallel to the long axis of the rod and centered over the blank makes casting heavy lines and large flies easier and more comfortable. A slim profile grip that looks nice and and saves cork is fine for small flies cast on light lines (6wt. and smaller) and short casts (50' or less).

I don't think the predominant use of reverse half well grips on major (and minor) branded fly rods was determined by best function criteria. it's just a "standard" someone started and everyone jumped on board. it works. but for many, a different style could be better.

the fenwick-style grip has fallen off the radar of many but once you use it, you'll wonder about the use of reverse half wells. i love it. and variations of it. this is a clue that there are many options available for someone who wishes to explore a bit. another fine grip shape is the Ritz. history has many lessons for anyone willing. peruse web sites of people who craft bamboo fly rods, or find an online dealer which sells classic older fly rods. like those reading here, makers focus on details and take it beyond the scope of many by creating everything themselves, from the ferrules to the reel seat hardware, to of course, turning cork grips into fine near-pieces of art. i would throw out some bamboo maker names but i'm not sure if that's allowed by tom's rules.

regarding inletting the rear of cork grips for the reel seat... i prefer downlocking reel seats so that issue is bypassed for me. there are pros and cons to everything. with uplocking seats, i often found my loose line wrapping around the extension behind the seat while fishing. i also like the aesthetics of downlocking but then i'm more traditional that way. as for having a downlocking style scrape the reel on the ground when you rest your rod somewhere, throw your hat down first. or take an extra second or two to insure you place the rod somewhere soft. no big deal to me.

eric
fresno, ca.

Well Stated Eric. I couldn't agree more. If you want to see classic bamboo grip styles to get inspiration check out this site. [antiquerodandreels.com] great reference material.

Thank you gary. I might add, the older classic rods and their makers, at least in my mind, focused more on the rod as a fishing tool rather than a work of art in regards to the grip, hence my suggestion to research older shapes. modern bamboo rod makers, at least from the photos i've seen, often create silky smooth grips that approach art.

to the original poster, good luck gary. show us what you come up with when you're done.

eric
fresno, ca.


gary Marquardt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well Stated Eric. I couldn't agree more. If you
> want to see classic bamboo grip styles to get
> inspiration check out this site.
> [antiquerodandreels.com]
> great reference material.

G'day Eric and Gary thank you for your replies i will certainly check out some of the older works.

cheers

Ray Balmforth
Figtree
NSW
Australia

Hi Ray,

I suggest you try and cast a few different rods with various grips before you start making one up, as some grips feel different in different hands and then again in various weights.

My first custom rod was a #4 with a half wells, but it has never felt as comfortable as my other rods with a full wells. I even built my #2 weight with a full wells and fells great.

I prefer recesseed hoods as I find the finish is nicer, but that is just my personal preferrence.

I find the best way to recess the hood is with a dremel type tool with the appropriate size bit, or you can just put the bit in to a drill or maybe your lath.

It is a simple proces but be vary carefull not to go right through the side of the grip!

What weight rod and what will you be chasing.

If you need more help just email me.

Have fun,

Richard