LB = Live Bait. That exact model not shown but it is very likely "Fenglass Blank Saltwater and Live bait..." Not a flyrod, obviously. From 81 catalog. No line weight shown.
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Just curious. Years ago I became a fan of a machined reel seat manufactured by company that sold its rights and materials to Cortland. I became attached to this product because they were well made, anodized and hand a screw-in rubber button tip that could be used as needed or attached to a 2" or 4" (also screw-in) extension. Moreover, they came in various colors and finishes. co
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Long ago I responded to similar question the same way I am responding tothis one. The best fighting butt reel seats made were an independent brand picked up by Cortland, maybe 15 years ago now. Machined, anodized aluminum, used to be offered in various colors besides brushed and polished aluminum, with SCREW-IN rubber button bottomed fighting butts ranging 1-inch (with added 1-inch rubber
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I know this is late and may trouble some, but the lightest reel seat is a Fuji, carbon fiber spin seat. Just shorten and epoxy in the butt cap they sell for them. You can make up- or down-lock. Yes, they are not pretty, but they are well made and light...
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Why not tie on a single footer?
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Take a look at Cortland reel seats. You can have screw-in extensions with option that is not a problem. You do not need it, fine, you want one, screw one on, but the seat alone works fine. These are very nice seats, by the way.
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As second to Buddy's comment. (I don't post very often here. Prefer to be outside ...) Anyway, been crafting rods since 83. Began to use nothing but singles on fly rods in 88 or so. I ceased using stripper guides on all fly rods about same time, including some 8 to 10 wgts. No problems and way lighter, though I do employ a 3-guide butt-set that I read about in some mag back around 88. Wands
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I buy some odd stuff and the best place for me to find Fuji guides has been Netcraft, sorry for late reply.
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Andy, Hi! Sorry! I did not mean your mandrels were the problem, it was those live centers you mention (I called them thingys) that wore out. "... occasional problems with the ends of the lathe thingys ..." Your mandrels are perfect and I have made some stunning grips using them. I still have them and would not part with those beauties cause they do the trick when I am making
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I checked the rod I just finished in the sunlight, and the dark green was uniform and had that nifty metallic sheen and the sanded gjuide feet shine through with zesto. Also, I did observe, and forgot to mention, the thread, when I was wrapping occasionly looked lighter as though the color was bleached slightly. But, application of the poly made the light shade go away. Still, I wondered about
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A few days ago I posted ? Why grip makers do not make the grip bores larger than .25 inch for fly rods? TK was nice enough to give me heads up about easy method to ream the holes and observation about the process. Which was and is greatly appreciated. FYI: I used to turn my own grips, using Andy Dear's mandrels, but had occasional problems with the ends of the lathe thingys wearing and g
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First, search this site for threads on topic. Second, for what it is worth, if building a 4-wgt using singles: Consider using 1 #8 single footer, (yes a single) for the stripper and 2 #7s and 6s to and including the TT. A wrapped TT will not loosen. Using the standard of 1 guide for each foot, plus one, not counting the TT is a good start. I built a 9 foot 4wgt for a friend last sprin
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I tried using fine cork filler and it was a pain and too hard with epoxy and messy using Pliobond, so I went to wood fillers and happy boy again, for what it is worth.
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I think we are all too anal on this topic. I do spin rods, but I also know most of the rod manufacturers do not, at least a few years back they did not. Still, I do it, cause I am a bit anal, but do it simply, by standing rod on soft surface and pushing down so rod takes natural curve, doing several times to be sure of line. Then I put rod under slight static load to see the result, works well
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I experienced a similar event using a light gray thread some time back. Now, I have been fashioning rods since '83 and that was the first time I had a problem similar to the one described here. This particular thread also was difficult to soak through along the edges of the guide feet (these are single foot Fujis), which is another novel result, even when using old heavy NCP thread. But, ag
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Sorry, received a message to log in when I thought I was, and posted above again, unknowingly????
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For what it is worth. I began to use single footers for tip-tops some years back. Our amis du Canada began using them for float rods years ago and, since I only fashion flyrods using single footers and float rods, I began using them and every customer and friends who use these wands love them and now failures. And, if one is leary about damage to the tip, simply install guide and coat, then wrap
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Yes, you and the rest of us will be long gone before a typcial nimrod wears a Hardloy cermic guide down or even grooves it slightly. I have a flyrod from '83 that has seen repeated use with mono, braid and 8 wgt line. and it is as smooth as new. Braided lines that I have used all fuzz up a bit after a time, but that is not due to hard guides, and they will certainly groove an old style stainless
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Wy is it that those making cork grips (not rings) do not make them with larger holes (id)? It is infinitely easier to shim a blank than it is to ream preassembled cork grips. (I do turn my own grips, but at times, it is way easier to simply slid on a premade grip assy, but the reaming is a major pin and messy.) Yes, I know about getting tight fit etc, but in practical sense, shimming seems so
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I have used all types of shims, and they all work. Tape is very easy but must be encapsulated to prevent eventual failure. Many prominant mfgers used tape at one time, and may continue. Still, I prefer using drywall tape. It is light, synthetic, and some have adhesive on them. In conjunction with thick rod bond epoxy, wonderful results.
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I have a request for oversized slider grip reel seat rings, 1 1/16 or 1 1/8 inch for big hands. Such a critter? Where? Hive
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I knew at the time I would be writing this note. Sometime back I noted that I did not build rods using snake guides and offered to send my modest supply of guides to anyone who could use them for free, feeling it was better to know they were not wasted. I sent four sizes. Now, I have a friend who asked me to refurbish his uncle's ancient glass rod, and, as you might have guessed, it needs s
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As a late and odd addition to the above good advice, you might want to consider going to a longer rod, say a 9 to 10.5 footer as in float rods made by St Croix. Anything over 9 feet is usually a two hander, but they are fun. I got into longer rods a few years ago, and, given the open conditions, they are way fun. And, of course, they also make shorter versions as well. These can be acquired us
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Pete, I missed the note or my email firewall dumped it by mistake. Please give it another go, and I will look for it particularly. I receive around 100 spam emails daily and miss a few good ones on occasion.
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First Butt Guide or Stripper position is measured from center of reel seat: Fly 28 - 35" UL Spin 18 - 25" M Spin 22 - 28" and Heavy to 33” Cast 16 - 24" Surf 25 - 34" Boat 22 - 28" Spey and Spey/Spin combo 28 - 35” GRIP SHAPES and FATIGUE -- Can’t recall where I got this; was in magazine I believe.
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For what it is worth: First Butt Guide or Stripper position is measured from center of reel seat: Fly 28 - 35" UL Spin 18 - 25" M Spin 22 - 28" and Heavy to 33” Cast 16 - 24" Surf 25 - 34" Boat 22 - 28" Spey and Spey/Spin combo 28 - 35”
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Bill, Tom Kirkman's notions regarding "concept" guide placement, in the library on this site, will give you some idea of how easy it is to use single foot fly guides on a spin rod and why. He uses a table-top means of locating the first low guide at the "pinch point," where reel axis intersects rod section. All small guides from there to tip top. I used to guestimate at 1/3
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Ted, Very neat. Will give that a shot on next short rod. Aslo appreciated the info you obtained from Fuji. I tend to build them as you do, but occasionally move off a bit to displace idle inventory or please user. Thanks.
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Ted, sorry, sent above to this thread by mistake, though same topic as other where I posted. (I try to do on Word to edit first.)
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Ted, You reminded me about something and there might be the rub if "total" durability is the end in mind. It seems I read somewhere that the Alconites are "deeper" so attach to the ring better, or the rings have a larger groove and the bonds is greater; and why they look thinner? Still, after using Hardloys since early 80s with no failures, perhaps it is not that impo
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