Also check out Clear Creek Fishing Gear. They custom build to whatever size you need.
Forum: rodboard

Stephen, A very good resource for you is the Classic Fly Rod Forum (www.classicflyrodforum.com). It's a group that's dedicated to all aspects of making, fishing, collecting and restoring bamboo rods. The best makers in the country are there and will be able to give you the guidance you need to get started.
Forum: rodboard

Donald, I second Bill's recommendation on Sinclair's book. It's hard to find and getting more expensive as time goes on but it's the best guide out there for vintage rods. Also, check out Proof Fly Fishing. They're working on a series of tutorials on bamboo restoration and they sell supplies to aid the process. I own a lot of vintage bamboo that I have refinished and fish regularly. It's a v
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Arne, I fish my Montague and HI rods a lot. With an old rod you never know how the rod was stored or how the rod was maintained over the years. The risk is always that the bamboo may be dried out and brittle. In all of the years that I have fished vintage bamboo, I have had one failure. I had a Montague Red Wing break at the mid section ferrule during a cast. Take your Davis on the water and en
Forum: rodboard

Arne, Yes, YLI 214 is the correct yellow and #100 refers to the size of the thread and that would be the correct size as well. Use a good color preserver that works for silk to keep the yellow bright.
Forum: rodboard

Arne, According to one of the best sources for information on bamboo rod restoration, Michael Sinclair's book, the yellow is YLI silk 214 and the black is YLI silk BLK. Any of the sponsors to the left who handle Fish Hawk silk, should have these colors. The Davis is 1930s vintage. Good luck. Refinishing and fishing those old bamboo workhorses is a rewarding experience.
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Stan, In your search for a fly tying vise, here's a good one to consider. I've been using a Peak for quite a few years. Good quality and an excellent value for the price. Here's a link to the Mudhole page:
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Bill, It tends toward a golden tone but it's not a stain. If the tips are lighter than the butt, I doubt that it will match the tips to the butt. Minwax makes some poly stains that might be worth looking into and they are available in the big box stores, but it's going to be tricky coming up with an exact match.
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Bill, I'd suggest McCloskey's Man o' War spar varnish. It comes in a red can. It's a great finish for bamboo.
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One of the best books I own is Boyd's "Bug Making." I hope he does make it to the Expo. I'd love to meet him.
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George, Sam's advice is right on the money. The detachable handle increases the length of the rod and turns a slow 6-7 wt. six footer into an acceptable 4 wt. Plus, you can really get creative with the handle and produce a unique rod for yourself. Just use the butt ferrule as the winding check. The last one I built from a nine-footer ended up 6'10" and it throws a 4 wt line beautifully. I
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I use a halogen light that I can swing over my rod wrapper. And I bought a great headset magnifier from Acid Rod. It has four lenses so you can choose the degree of magnification you need. And the price is very affordable.
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Chris, The best bamboo builders and restorers hang out on this forum: . Post your question there as well.
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Chris, Your choce. I build my grip on a 3/8" mandrel and turn down the butt section to receive it.
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Chris, This is not folly at all. Go for it. I've built three bamboo rods this way and the results have been very pleasing. I position the butt ferrule in the new handle so that it acts like a winding check. I prefer building them this way to building a traditional banty rod because you can use the full length of the mid and tip sections instead of using the first 9" or so of the old mid sec
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Chris, Try Brownells as well. They sell a .039 gunsmith pin punch. I think that nickel silver wire was .040.
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Sinclair's book is still available on a certain @#$%& site. Do a search on "Bamboo Rod Restoration Handbook."
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Rich, A very good reference on the restoration of the early bamboo fly rods is Michael Sinclair's "Bamboo Rod Restoration Handbook." He lists many of the models of the major manufacturers and discusses their hardware and wrap specs. This book is almost always available on @#$%&. As John mentioned the President fly rod model was top of the line at H-I in the early 20s. Selling price, ac
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Jason, Here's a great website to get you going: []. Go to their Basics section and browse the articles. It's a wonderful and very addicting way to fish.
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I copied the article Ked is referring to into a Word file some time ago. I got it off of Fly Anglers on Line, I believe. It's written by Stephen H. McGarthwaite and it does a great job of describing how to fit a fly rod grip to a person's hand. If anyone is interested in seeing the article, drop me an email and I'll send it to you.
Forum: rodboard

Rick, I have had good luck with Citristrip, a mild, slow-acting citrus stripper that's available at Wal Mart and the home improvement stores. I haven't had any trouble with this stripper hurting glue. Using a single-edge razor blade as a scraper also works well but it takes a little practice to get the technique down.
Forum: rodboard

Rod Bond also works very well for gluing foam to cork.
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Measuring spoons. I saved a piece of marble from a tile job I did around the house. It makes a great surface to mix on.
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All of the above are great ideas. You can also go to the drug store and buy Floss Threaders. They're thin plastic loops that work very well. I started using them after hearing about them on this board.
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Winning this yak was the perfect way to end a great two days in High Point. Thanks to Tom and all of the presenters, suppliers and fellow rod builders who gathered to support this wonderful craft. I can't wait to terrorize the bass and bream in our Georgia lakes and rivers atop this great floating fishing machine. See y'all next year!
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What a great addition to my rod building library! Well written and well illustrated. Thanks a lot, Ray. Your generosity is inspiring.
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Jay, In addition to the other good recommendations you've received, take a look at the Peak. I own one and am very pleased with it. Pricewise, it's between the Dan Vise and the Renzetti Traveller. Here's a link to some information: []
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Bill, Would you post a picture for us? I'd love to see the results. I use Tru Oil a lot for fly rod grips and am always interested in doing a better job. Great tip. Thanks.
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Buddy, Send me a picture of the reel seat. I have a knurled aluminum nut off an old HI rod lying around. If it looks like it'll fit, I'll send it to you. Jim
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Andy, The 3M product is good. I prefer Citristrip. It's available at Wal Mart and does a great job.
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