I'm just now learning to fly fish after chasing bass and crappie all my life. So what's the first thing I want to do? Build a fly rod of course. Just finished turning my first fly rod grip and the question is what type of finish to put on it. If it was just cork, I probably wouldn't use any finish, but since it is a combination of Maple, cork and birch bark I want to. The reel seat is also Maple and I've finished it with gloss spar urethane. I'd like at least the wood portion of the grip to be the same. I'm considering using the spar urethane on the whole grip.

Since I've only just learned how to cast a fly rod and haven't really done any actual fishing, I'd like some comments about having a gloss finish on the grip. I've made a lot of wood grips on my bass rods and I don't think the gloss finish is at all slippery on them even though it looks like it should be. What are your thoughts?

Here are pics of the grip and the seat.
[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas

I've recently used tru oil on a cork grip, and buffed it to a semi gloss finish, and like the results. I personally don't find glossy grips slippery at all.

I've considered both Truoil and Tung Oil, both of which I've used before with good results. It's the cork in there that I'm worried about with an oil finish.

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas

Steve

Beautiful work!

My favorite is Tru-Oil. It can build up a gloss finish on cork, wood and bark, and it is not a slippery finish even when wet. Plus it has the advantage of being easily repaired when the nicks and dings eventually happen.

The downside is it takes time and multiple coats, each lightly sanded, and lots of time to build up the finish - its a much lower viscosity than spar varnish or urethane. Think it terms of building up a French varnish finish and you'll get the idea.

My process is to apply a thin (thin as in just covered and no more) coat of Tru-Oil, wait 8 to 12 hours to cure, sand / buff with 0000 steel wool, then wipe with tack cloth (steel wool fragments in the finish is bad). Repeat the process until you have the finish depth you desire. For a gloss finish do not sand / buff the final coat. Be prepared for it to require 8 to 12 Tru-Oil applications, and no, the application of heavy coats of Tru-Oil does not make things go more quickly - it just makes a mess.

Burnt and composition cork takes finish very well, it's the regular cork that doesn't take finish well in my experience.

Tru-Oil works very well on all the materials in your grip. Apply coats until you achieve the finish you desire.

Smooth and slippery are not the same thing. The shape of the grip will preclude it being hard to hang onto, regardless of what finish you use. Wooden hammer handles are most often gloss varnished, but they are not slippery, even in the rain. The shape takes care of that.

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

Thanks for all the comments guys. I'll post some pics of the final product.

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas

Steve,

I have found glossy grips to be very slick, if I have wool gloves on. Now when I fly fish in the winter, I use gloves with silicone on the palms. Test your final product with different gloves, if you plan on cold weather fishing.

Take care,

Chris