Fond memories with cheap rods were to be had where I grew up. I used a cheap Shakespeare pole, with a Zebco 202 reel and pulled many a trout from the streams, and more perchthan I can count from the river, and bays of the St; Mary's river. Lake Huron offered bass, and pike, which I could also fish for off of our front yard {We lived right at the river's edge). Several rods hung in the workshop, with bait casting reels on the, I could get a bird's nest on those reels faster than anybody.

In the early 1980's, I purchased a solid glass rod, with the just released Mitchel 300. I brought in two very large King salmon with that rod. Trod groaned audibly, but didn;t break..That reels, thogh small for the task, just worked.

I think we get too caught up in the latest/greatest, and even specialist rods. A willow stick, and twine will catch fish {is that where the idea for Tenkara originate?} I build rods because I can create a great fishing tool that is high quality, highly functional, and beautiful, a piece of artwork, at least to me. It's a rewarding hobby that satisfies my engineering side, and my artistic side.

Why do you build?

Tight Lies and frisky fish

RJF

Yeah they did what we wanted, then our horizons grew broader. I back packed in the high Sierras in 1970's with a Wright McGill 4pc glass dual purpose (fly/spin) and caught loads of Golden Trout with both methods.

I fondly remember my first spinning outfit in the 60's- It was a cheap fiberglass rod but with (at least in my mind) an absolute state-of-the-art spinning reel. It was a Mepps Super Mecca with one of the first skirted spools. It was large, heavy and built like a tank and while I watched my buddies untangle the line caught between their Mitchell's spools and housings, I fished on. That skirted spool was a game changer for me. I used it for quite a few years and then put it in the closet where it gathered dust. One day I got the urge to sell it on @#$% and was surprised when it went immediately- the purchaser told me he had been collecting them for years and had dozens of them. I wish I still had it to pass on to my son.

Robert,
“Why do you build?” What a great and overlooked question!!! I actually had to think about it because I had not really considered it before. I build rods because of the precision involved and knowing that I can build a better rod (functionally and / or aesthetically) than anything available off-the-shelf. Being a fabricator of many different mediums (wood, metal, plastic, glass {as in plate glass} and composites), it was a normal progression for me to include rod building; my only regret is that I didn’t start 40 years ago!!!

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2022 03:38PM by Joseph Willsen.

I bought my Mitchel 300's and others in Japan in the 1950's

I was raised in the PNW on the Olympic peninsula. I moved away to the South after graduating high school. Shortly after my Grandfather became ill with cancer. He was and is my mentor. He taught me everything I knew about fishing and hunting our areas. I scheduled a return home for what I knew to be our last hike up the Duckabush river for trout fishing. I decided to start rod building so I could make a commemorative trout rod. I started building bass rods for practice and then made a beautiful 2-piece for the trip.

It was an unforgettable trip. Weather shortened our stay in the mountains so we went home and chased Kings the rest of the trip. Netted my Hood Canal PB at 32lbs. Caught all of it on a GoPro I bought just for the trip. The rod is on his wall and the fish is on mine. Since then I can't stop improving my craft.

Garcia-Mitchell 300 spinning reels were available in the U.S.A. in the late 1950's. They were a huge improvement over previous spinning reels. The development of supple nylon monofilament line lagged considerably behind. We tend to forget that the utility of a rod, or a reel, or a line is always dependent upon the other two pieces equipment necessary to angling.

I couldn't tell you what the first rod I bought was, other than it was a spinning rod. The reel I bought to go with it was an Abu Garcia Cardinal. I bought it because it was red, and it looked cool. lol

Anyhow .... the reason I started building was because I wanted a couple of very specific rods, that I couldn't find from a factory. A member of this site, Joe Vanfossen is the one who ignited the rod building bug in me. I had contacted him through a local web site to possibly build those two rods for me, and it was talking to him that got me thinking I could just do this for myself. The first rod I built was a 6' long jerkbait rod. The second was a 6' long crankbait rod. After building those I was hooked, so I started building replacements for every factory rod I owned, plus 6 or 7 lol

I figured building them myself was the only way I could afford to fish with the caliber of rods I wanted to fish with. So I started building to save money.. Now I am sure that gets a chuckle out of some, and even from myself personally, but when I really think about it, had I paid retail price for rods that compare to some of the rods I've built, I've saved enough money to be able to put a quality reel on those rods. So instead of a rod that would retail for around $500. I have a rod and reel for the same price as just a rod would cost.

Only thing is .... I have wayyyyyyyyyyyy more rods than I need LOL

For working t my workp;ace for 25 years, I got to pick from one od several prizes. I picked a Daiwa combo spinning/fly rod. It was my intro to fly fishing. I remember the ceramic insert in the tiptop becoming groovec. And then, some meathead university student, fishing next to me at a power plant tai out dropped his pole into tfe drink. I went into my tackle box and got the largest trebble hook O could find, and tied it to my line. I let him try and snag his rod. Well, he got his rod, and broke mine in the process. He didn't even apologize. He just walked away.

The nest year, I got a work bonus of $450.00; I talked to a good friend who was an experienced fly fisherman, and fly tier, He swore by Winston rods, I bought a 7 weight BIIIX, built my own hand winding jig with pine boards, V-cut, with felt glued into the V. Ii did some research, bought the best components, and other required items that I could find/afford, and built my first fly rod. It came out very nice, especially for a first attempt. I found that attention to detail, and research were the only real things required to build a high quality rod, be it for ice fishing, spin casting, bait casting, or fly fishing. One of my best was a rod made specifically for Lake Superior steelhead, personalized for the customer, complete with name, ergonomic handle, and bragging rights that the customer could use against her brothers. She loved it.

I now build rods for anyone that wants one, and for my family. If I had the money and a customer base, I'd build rods full time, As it is, it;s a great hobby, and easier than writing my science fiction novels (another one of many hobbies)

Tight Lies and frisky fish

RJF