This is a shot of the end of the butt section of a fiberglass blank by Mark Steffen. The stripper is a Mildrum guide. The silver windings on each side of the spigot ferrule give the rod a vintage character and highlight the blank's spiral surface.
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This is a detail shot of the grip on a vintage Sage fiberglass rod. The cigar grip is made from 1/8" cork rings with red composite accents. The windings are green silk with accents to match the blank.
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This is a Golden Witch agate stripper guide on a F.E. Thomas taper by Mark Fitch. The winding is red silk (modeled after a 60's era Orvis rod). The agate glows(!) when the sun hits it.
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I'm just completing a Sage SLT. The grip is made from dense composite cork rings from Mudhole, with U-40 cork seal applied. I turned it to match the grip on a Powell IM6. The reel seat is Forecast's beautiful window reel seat with burl wood. There is no winding check.
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I'm just completing a Sage SLT with all Titan SF guides. I chose a subtle color scheme: Gudebrod 340 olive with grey silk accents, and no CP. It's hard to see, but I used a Forhan wrap on every guide.
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Does anybody know of a source for rod bags that will fit 7' or 7'6" one piece rods? Thanks for your help.
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Thanks. It seems that all are in agreement, i.e., YES.
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I use microfiber towels. They're cheap -- any auto parts store -- and a little dish soap in a lot of water. You'll be surprised how much dirt remains on a "clean" grip when you use one of these towels. I don't use anything else and my grips are CLEAN.
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I'm building a "heavy" class freshwater baitcasting rod (12-25 lb mono rating, but I'll be using 40 lb. superline). Will #4 micro guides be appropriate for this rod? Will they hold up if "the big one" strikes?
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Has anybody had any success using the Morton guide graph for fly rods? I'm giving it a try but find that you need a LOT of space and that if you go above nine guides you have to draw the lines yourself. If you're using it please tell me the details. Thanks, Jim
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When I try to access the CCS data at superbob.org I get this error message "You don't have permission to access /CC.htm on this server". Does anybody else have this problem? Is there another site that has the data?
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Eddie, Where do you get PremaGloss? Jim
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Since tip tops are so cheap compared to everything else on the rod I always order at least two. I also gently scrape off the finish (only) at the tip for better glue adhesion. Since the area is fully encased in a metal tube I'm not at all concerned about diminishing rod strength.
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If the epoxy is still soft just pull them off. You can remove the epoxy with denatured alcohol (preferred) or acetone. Neither of these will damage the blank. If you damage the finish beneath the reel seat, don't worry about it at all since it's hidden. You should do your best to remove as much epoxy as you can epoxy on the inside of the reel seat. Remix new epoxy are you're good to go. J
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Hola, Does anybody know where I can find a Lamiglas Perigee 9/10 blank? Have the Perigees been discontinued? Thanks, Jim
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Isn't that backwards George? I live in the high desert and the drying time is sometimes quite short. I'm giving the Permagloss three days.
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Thanks for the advice. Jim
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I have used Permagloss for the first two coats on the wraps, and want to use epoxy for the third coat. What is going to happen if I do this? Thanks, Jim
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Why not exchange it? The Mudhole folks are happy to work with their customers. Jim
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This information is VERY helpful. Thanks guys! Jim
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You only need to cast as far as the fish are from you. I'm the same as you (advanced in years) but my fishing has gotten better as I become older, wiser, and stealthier. IMHO distance is for ego, accuracy is for catching fish. Jim
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I thoroughly agree with Tom; I build almost all my rods with this kind of configuration. I'm not sure why the decreasing guide size gradation is still around, except for traditional appearance. Also, for what it's worth, I think that Sage uses guides on their fly rods that are too heavy. Jim
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Gary, I really enjoyed reading this post! Is there anything greater in life? Jim
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I too have been disappointed with the Gudebrod product. Once upon a time I thought it was great, but I have stopped using it for the very reason that you wrote. When it dries it has uneven color; I had top completely redo a $1000 rod after believing it would do the job Jim
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Thanks Ken. I was disappointed in the earlier offerings; I returned them. Maybe I'll have another look. Jim
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Yes I was talking about fly rods, and I also said that it may be a figment of my imagination. I don't pay much attention to distance, as the farther away you are from a fish the less control you have over the line, lure, and fish. In almost all fresh water fly fishing if you can cast 30 ft you're all set. My first post said that the line seems to flow more smoothly, which is important to me.
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It may be a figment of my imagination (but maybe not), but it seems like the rods that I build using single foot ceramic guides (AmTac Titan) cast better than ones using snake guides. The line seems to flow more smoothly. Jim
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Can anyone tell me where I can find an A5 green graphite reel seat? Muchas Gracias., Jim
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I sometimes wonder about "stealth" rods. A long glossy black stick waving against a blue sky does a good job frightening fish regardless of the thread color. Of course, if he likes the subdued look, that's fine. Jim
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Does it work regardless of color? Suppose the scratch has white streaks?
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