I've decided to attempt to become a fly fisherman, and I'm going to build my own rod. I'm going to focus initially on bluegills and trout. I've built a lot of rods, but never a fly rod. I have a NFC 9' two piece, 5wt. blank that I'm going to use for the build. I see manufactured rods that have either snake or single foot running guides and I'm curious which is the best way to go. I'm under the impression that handle choice is pretty much a personal taste, but would also appreciate any advice as to handle style and reel seat type for it's intended use. Thanks very much!

As a builder of fly rods, I offer my following preferences. I use almost exclusively single foot guides, primarily due to the weight savings. I find if you use the locking wrap on them they are just as durable as double foot and of course take half the time to wrap and epoxy.

Handle configuration is a personal choice with a caveat. for a 5wt I find a full wells shape to allow for slightly more leverage use if making distance casts.

For the rel seat, strongly recommend up-locking as it keeps the reel out of the dirt if the rod is stood up while fishing.

Good luck with the build and your adventure into fly fishing !

David

Both snakes and single foot guides work. I'm a stuck in the mud traditionalist, prefer snakes, and am willing to accept the additional weight.

I agree with Phil E that an uplocking reel seat is the better choice for a 5 weight.

Grip style and size are far more important than the snake vs single foot guide choice. 6 3/4" to 7", full and reversed half Wells are probably the most popular for a 9' 5 weight. If you can, visit a well stocked outfitter and see if one style is more comfortable in your hand. Unfortunately, most factory grips are about the same diameter - a one size fits all deal that more than likely fits only a few well. If you're so inclined, buy a supply of low grade cork and turn 2 or 3 grips of different styles and diameters, then make a grip that fits you from higher grade cork. Your sole interface with the rod, and that which you will be holding in-hand all day, is critically important to be correct for you.

Get a 4 piece blank. So much easier to transport and nowadays, one cannot reasonably argue that 2 piece is better functionally.

I see you have the 5wt two-piece and I appreciate you wanting to use that just in case your attempt to become a fly fisherman leads you to the conclusion that it was a lousy idea. But if you really want to love it, Michael's suggestion is a good one. Part of loving it is not having a hassle with transporting the rod. The other part is having the right rod for the species. For trout and bluegill, a 3 or 4 wt is way more fun than a 5 wt unless you really need to make long casts or cast against the wind. So even if you ignore his suggestion and mine and build out your 5wt NFC, consider a 3 or 4 wt Batson blank -a closeout Rainshadow or a Revelation-- for the rod you'll really love. My all time favorite rod is a 7'9" Revelation 4 wt, and I have caught honker trout on that. To my taste, the 5wt 2-piece is a much better rod for a big river fishing from a boat.

Thanks to all for the excellent advice. Oddly enough, when I bought the NFC 9', 5wt. I mistakenly ordered a 4 piece blank and returned it because I was concerned about how three ferrules would affect the action. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have at least assembled it and tried it before returning it, but didn't. I travel with two piece steelhead rods all the time and it hasn't proven to be a burden, so I should be okay.

I think I 'm going to heed Linda's advice and hunt around for a lighter, shorter blank to use for my intended purposes, and I'm also going to experiment with grip styles and diameters per Don's suggestion. This is going to be a winter "in my spare time" project anyway.

Dave Sytsma

David,

If it were me, I'd stick with the 5wt, but go with the 4pc for my first rod. With a 3 or 4 you are really limited to bluegills and trout, but the 5 gives you a lot more options once you become addicted to catching fish on the fly which you will after your first trip or two. With a 5 you can fish dries, nymphs and smaller streamers for trout, gills and smaller bass. The 5wt is also a good rod to learn to cast on in a medium fast action blank.

As previously mentioned, grip style is a total personal preference, for me 5wt and under get a western style grip and 6+ I use a Full Wells with fighting butts. I have had a few requests for full wells on smaller rods as some people like the middle swell in these grips and how they fit their hand.

Good luck with your project and look forward to hearing how it turns out!

Tony Makris
Semper Fly Rods
semperflyrods@gmail.com
www.semperflyrods.com
330-608-3909

If your only experimenting, I would suggest you do it on an inexpensive blank. I have been honing my skills with a little fly shop in Florida that sells just fly rod building parts. I'm not sure if its ok to solicit their name since they aren't a sponsor but I will anyways and let the moderators scold me. I bet if someone were to contact them they would probably become a sponsor).
The company is: yeoldeenglishflyshop.com. I have built about 15 to 20 rods for myself and some friends on their blanks and have found that they fish fantastic. I use the single foot guides, guides on spine for 1st 3 sections and opposite on tip section and they are plenty fast for me. you can get all the parts, blank, guides, tip, strippers, hook keeper, winding check, reel seat and grip for a 5wt including shipping for just under 90 bucks, (use ye2000 for a discount code).

Tony and Scott,

Thanks for your input! There are a lot of aspects that I will need to consider, such as changing the orientation of the guides to the spine, before I put the epoxy on. I've never given any thought to doing that. To be honest, it's not like I've never, ever fly fished before. I used to fish for bluegills frequently here in Michigan in the spring when they were moving up on the beds to spawn, but the last time I remember doing that was maybe 1974, so it's been a while. I still have the rods I used back then; two 9' three piece bamboo rods, and the one I liked the best for the quarry I was seeking which was a 7', 5wt. Shakespeare Presidential fiberglass (nobody knew what graphite was in 1971). It's a cool old rod, but has developed a set over the course of years so that it has a very pronounced horizontal curvature. I've given thought to cutting off the guides and realigning them with the "new unintended spine" but don't want to chance screwing up something that can't ever be replaced.

I'll seriously begin the research shortly after the first of the year. I was leaning toward single foot guides, but am intrigued by Snake Guides advertising concerning the shape of their guide feet and user friendliness. I've ground guide feet many times in the past, but if I don't have to, I'm happier. Any further thoughts or suggestions from you are greatly welcomed.

Dave Sytsma