How about a Mag Taper blank? With the lighter tip and stronger butt section, but a graduated power curve, it could accomplish something close to what you are asking for. One of my all-time favorite blanks was the Lamiglas Rogue River series designed for the half-pounders (Jack Steelhead) on the Rogue River in Oregon. My favorite was the RR902MT, 90" 2-piece, rated for line 6 to 12 pounds.
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How about a Mag Taper blank? With the lighter tip and stronger butt section, but a graduated power curve, it could accomplish something close to what you are asking for. One of my all-time favorite blanks was the Lamiglas Rogue River series designed for the half-pounders (Jack Steelhead) on the Rogue River in Oregon. My favorite was the RR902MT, 90" 2-piece, rated for line 6 to 12 pounds.
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In addition to the big retailers (Mudhole, Pac Bay, Batson, etc) there are many others out there, too many to list for fear of omitting some. One of the forum sponsors is Stryker Rods, out of Eugene, Oregon. Great company making their blanks right there in Eugene. There is also Thrasher Rods, Lamiglas, North Fork Composites, G Loomis and Talon rods, all in Woodland, Washington. You also have
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I disagree with a lot of the prior posts - I have proven to myself (and customers, as well as students) that the "spine" does indeed affect casting accuracy. If the stiffest axis is 90 degrees to the left side (looking from handle to tip) the cast is pushed to the right of target by the rod trying to release to the softer side during the cast. The stronger the spine, the greater the i
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Speaking from experience with a Crafty Cutter - make sure your drill/lathe has the proper speed (3500+ RPMs) The higher the speed, the cleaner the hole... I found out the hard way my cheap Harbor Freight cordless drill was NOT the appropriate tool!
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I used to have the same issues with the lighter colors of Gudebrod thread. These were solved for me by an old-timer who said it was my body oils, they were preventing the epoxy from fully penetrating the thread. He advised I either use light gloves (he mentioned cotton glove liners) when handling the thread or washing my hands thoroughly before handling the thread. As a hand-wrapper, I was con
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A couple years ago, I purchased a number of 2-piece graphite blanks from Stryker Rods that were some of their remaining inventory from Rogue Rods. I picked up the blanks directly from their facility in Eugene, Oregon, so didn't try to separate the pieces before I left their facility. When I was later unable to separate the pieces, I contacted Stryker and they also mentioned applying something f
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David, et al, I too have created test blank examples of how the untreated thread changes with the application of epoxy. My process was slightly different: - I select scrap pieces of blank in various colors (yellow, dark red, and polished black) - I wrap six snake guides on each piece of blank with different thread colors (Light green, light blue, black, white, light yellow and medium br
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While I have not tried this, a friend of mine that is highly experienced in building fly rods told me his process. He uses a smaller silk thread and if he wants it to retain its color, he pre-treats the thread with a good quality color preserver. He strips off a length of thread (without cutting it from the spool, then uses his fingers to massage the color preserver into the thread. After 2 or
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I have seen these guides and talked directly to Mike McCoy (owner of Snake Brand) - these guides are a wonder to behold! Mike has put his patented process to use creating curved guide feet that match the curvature of the blank, and has developed a special micro-weld process to make the ring so it is not only both perfectly round, it is durable as well! While I believe in supporting the busine
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I am not a fan of the squared off edges on the feet, but the pattern is pretty sweet! Would match very well with the woven carbon fiber handles from NFC...
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I have been able top register and upload a couple photos of the unidentified rod - any assistance would be appreciated. They are in the Miscellaneous category... although while it said they were uploaded, I cannot see them.
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I tried, but it tells me to login again, and won't accept my credentials...
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I have been asked to identify a rod and try to figure out when it was made. The reel is an old Pflueger baitcaster and the rod appears to be a 4 1/2' fiberglass rod with the low profile metal reel seat that has the reel seat offset to put the reel even with the first guide, similar to the old JC Higgins rods. It does not appear to be a JC Higgins, as the handles are different, but the reel
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Tony, There is a potential issue when relocating guides on one of the older fiberglass blanks. Exposure to the elements, including ultra-violet light, can and does fade the original color, and this can be highly visible when you relocate a guide from it's original position. If you liked the way it fished before, you will like it again using the same guides and positions. I am also in the
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There is another possible solution, using the newer size "B" thread. It is much easier to wrap than the size "A" yet retains much of the appearance of the finer "A" thread, without the "rope" look of size "D" thread. I have started using size "B" as my go-to on fly-rod builds as my 72+ year-old eyes don't function any better than my fa
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I have made many conventional rods with the spiral wrap (Acid wrap, Roberts wrap) and concur wholeheartedly with the notes regarding its advantages. With regard to the number of guides used to transition the line from the top to the bottom, I have seen three basic formulas: - 1 transition guide @ 90 degrees - 2 transition guides - one at 60 degrees and one at 120 degrees - 3 transition guid
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When prepping for a fishing trip, I take all of the reels I intend to use and check my Flouro - to - braid connection and the condition of my Flouro. if I need to replace any Flouro headers, I use the back-to-back nail knot, what I call the "Staple" knot. I have never had it fail. On the other hand, when on the water I revert to other knots as I generally don't have the patience or s
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There are many sources and qualities of cork. My best advice would be to contact Utmost Enterprises and order the High-End cork - excellent quality, fit and finish. I would then apply a light coat of Cork Seal to preserve the cork from the elements.
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Typically, the double-foot side would face the reel. There are some however who turn around the first guide and let the rest face normally - I'm not sure of the purpose but there must be a reason...
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For fly reel seats with wood inserts, I always use Snake Brand. While not a supporter of this forum, they produce some great reel seats and are 100% made in the USA (I suppose some of the metal ore may have been globally sourced, but all work is done locally) The wood inserts are cut, dried and stabilized right in Battleground, Washington, and the woods are hand selected from around the Northwe
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Was building a 4-wt for a friend and had several Pac Bay Arctos blanks, both 4 and 5-wts. Picked out a blank, installed the handle, and then it hit me - I had pulled a 5-wt blank, not the 4-wt, and had installed the handle on the 2nd section from the Butt, not the butt section! Worked out, I continued to build as a 7 1/2 5-wt for myself and built my friend's 4-wt with no issues... What was t
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I have built a number of fly rods over the years, including NFC, American Tackle (both Matrix and Bushido, when they were available) Pac Bay Arctos, TFO BVK, Fenwick (many years ago), Lamiglas (again, several years ago) Proof, Anglers Roost, Anglers Workshop, Batson Rainshadow and Tradition II, and many others I cannot recall at this time. At this time, my favorites are the NFC FAF series an
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For me, a lot depends on the type of fishing. For basic bottom-fishing rods, I will use EVA. For my higher-end bottom fishing and saltwater jigging rods, I use the G2 carbon fiber system from American Tackle. I also have several inshore rods with 14" cork handles. For my Trout rods, I like either cork or the G2 Split Grip systems. For my Slow Pitch rods, it is again the G2 S
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Joe, Check out the American Tackle Bushido model SP68/4-8 At 6' 8", it is very close to your spec, and handles lures in the 1/32 - 5/16 oz. range. Rated for 4lb to 8lb test line, and with a Fast action, it would be perfect for pitching small jigs to Trout. It is a 1-piece blank, so if you are committed to the 6' 6" max length, you can trim 2 " off the butt without significant
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Mike, American Tackle has Saltwater Carbon Fiber handles. Give Kevin Landers a call and he can tell you their sizes and lengths.
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Brian, I have built many fly rods and even teach a flyrod-building class to the members of a local Fly Fishing Club here in the Pacific Northwest. There are several considerations to factor into the equation - among others, you need to consider: 1) The experience of the angler 2) The age of the angler (affects the distance from the reel to the stripper guide) 3) Size of the water (small,
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Can't wait to get my hands on a couple! I want one of each, spinning and casting!
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American Tackle has a Bushido "Fast" spinning blank (SP53/1-4) that @ 5' 3" is very close. Line rating is 1 to 4 with a lure rating of 1/32 to 1/8. Cutting only 3" from the butt should not significantly affect the actions They also have the Matrix MA-SP5/1-4 that is already 5' with no trimming required, however it is a moderate action. It has the same line and lure specs a
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Herb, I have been requested to build a 10'6" 3-wt euro-nymph rod and this is the first I've seen available. How do I contact you and what is their price? Rich
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