I would and do. I had a rod (Lamiglass) break at the end of a guide foot where the guide had been ground too sharp by the supplier- one of my real peeves. I couldn't file it back much because it was already short and the only one I had at the time. Lesson learned., I underwrap , apply my trim rings and apply a coat of thin finish under my guides. I use size A thread for the underwraps and usua
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Oh, I could see it wasn't a defect, just a poor choice in finishing IMO- they used to be anodized. Black is probably paint now too huh? Shame to see "new and improved" turn out to be just plain ugly. I've been using their products since 1988 or so and have never been disappointed until now. Well, maybe a little when Hardloy was discontinued....
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First, a thank you to Mudhole; they were extremely nice in getting me my order a second time-FAST- because FedEx lost the first one(not the first time they've lost things for me) But anyway- when did Fuji start powder coating the hoods on their skeleton seats? I ordered an SKM17 in gunsmoke and the hoods are coated in a grey/brown paint- yuck. What's a decent alternative?
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I was looking for a 3 pc steelhead blank 8' to 8' 6" for 8- 15 lb test, up to say 3/4 oz casting weight. I thought St Croix made one but now I can't find it. Is anyone else making a 3 pc like that?
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I have a few old- maybe 30yrs?- , light, slow action, one piece, fibreglass spinning/casting rod blanks. Don't know who made them, shop I bought them from long gone. I'm thinking of donating them to a favorite site for @#$%& but before I do, I wonder if the blanks are still viable. Does fibreglass degrade or get too brittle to use over time?
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Matt- I do have a folding,chrome frame, white alox ring in red plastic retainer, size 50 guide. As I said, it's used; it came off an old 12' Zebco 3 pc surf rod. Good working condition, very slight salt rash, small scratches. Unknown maker but almost definitely not Fuji. Send me an e-mail for a pic.
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I think I still have a 50, but I know it's used . I'll check tomorrow and let you know.
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As I'm only familiar with grading that uses Flor, AAA , A& better, etc, I'd like to ask what the Rodmaker grading system is. Forgive me, but I started building rods over 20 years ago and it's been a while since I've purchased any cork. I'd bought a closeout of grips and AA rings some time ago and haven't needed any. Heck, I still have some glued up cork sticks I bought from Clemens. So,
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Sewing machine foot pedals aren't very sensitive, and the motors are pretty high speed. To slow things down, I mounted mine with a countershaft using the pulleys that i canilbalized from the sewing machine. Second, I got a plug in fan speed control like you use on a paddle fan. This slows things down enough to overcome the low sensitivity of the sewing machine pedal. When I need the speed, I just
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I have BSVLG 40'S, 50'S and BSVLG 40 HH guides here. The 50mm I'm refering to is higher than all of them, it's 92-3 mm to top of the frame. (difficult to measure on the rod). A 40mmHH is approx. 79-80mm tall; a 50mm regular frame is 82-3mm tall. The guide I have (and am looking for) is a high frame guide. The only other possibility is that it isn't Fugi,but it's the exact same frame, color, shoc
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If the rod is custom made,it might be a Perfection guide, they made wire frames for quite a while. Not sure if Mildrum ever made guides with ceramic rings. If it's a factory rod, matching it exactly might be impossible, you should probably look at a SS wire frame/ no ceramic one size bigger. This was a standard set up for surf rods in the past. PacBay still carries them I think.
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I'll try to take pics of the one I have on a rod now, got to figure out how to post a pic first though....
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I have a few 40mm HH, looking for the 50hh
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Thanks for the reply Jim. There was a high frame availible, I can foward a pic if desired. I bought them from Clemens (I think) many moons ago when I was building rods for others.They were a good height to use as a stripper on surf rods, it's what I use the one I have now for. They weren't popular though, because at the time 70mm wire guides were the "standard" and what people wanted.
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Fuji used to have a Hardloy BSVLG 50mmHH (high frame) availible.( Yes,they did,haveone, need another) Does anyone know if they still do, or have something the same size/height? Anglers Resource doesn't answer my queries. If not that, does anyone out there have one NOS? I'd even look at one used if in good shape.
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I had the same problem some years back-Be sure you're pulling under away from the feet- the tunnel area is proportionately bigger near the tip.
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Thanks for the leads guys. I'll give a few places a call. I'm with Spencer though, fly rod blanks don't have the right action for spin casts- they'll do it, but a spinning rod has a much stiffer butt.
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I'm planning a fishing vacation this summer with my girlfiend and her son and I'm planning to do some hiking. While I'm covered for fly rods, I'd like to build a few pack spin rods for them. Who has 3 to six piece spin blanks these days? I've been through several catalogs and have found two blanks. I'd rather not have to cut and ferrule, I don't really have time.
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Thanks very much for all the info guys, you're great!. Bob, I live in CT so I fish the Great Lakes tribs.
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I just came back from a fishing trip and have decided I'd like to build myself a float rod for steelhead fishing this winter. Does anyone know where to purchase blanks? Also, I'd like to get some info on guide selection, placement etc.. The rod I tried on the trip was a BassPro Shop with a spinning reel (which was kinda noodlely and I did'nt really care for) but being a fly fisherman I think I'd
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Use wet/dry automotive sandpaper- availible at almost any hardware store or auto supply -and a little water. Start with 220, then 320, 400, 600, finer if you like..You don't need a lathe, although it yields much faster results, you can chuck a bolt in a pistol drill or drill press. Hmm.....a whole box you say? What colors? : ).
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I agree with the points being made about casting style and casting experience- they really are more important than rod length. I fish rods from 7' to 12' in glass and graphite for various weights and plugs and all have to be cast differently to get the best distance from them. Read what Frank Daignault has to say on the subject in 'Striper Surf' and then Ron Arra's 'Power Surfcasting" f
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Who carries the Zipplex and Century blanks?
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Hi Mike, The white friable wheels are a good choice, get a dressing stick to keep them properly shaped and clean. A leather power strop will also save you some honing time. 3450 is a bit faster than optimum for sharpening but work lightly and keep a can of water to quench the tool when it gets too hot to hold. Turning tools for the most part have a longer bevels so often the tool rest on a ben
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I've been using Flex Coat on some of my surf plugs (pencils, needles and dannys) and the only advice I'd give is to make sure you seal the plug by completly imersing it in whatever type of sealer you use before you paint. Since the Flex Coat actually is flexible, on a few of my plugs the finish blistered when the wood shrank (admittedly not sealed well, but I was in a hurry to fish!) after the s
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Hi Billy, I noticed that you use "NERBS- North East Rod Builders" as a signature in all your posts. Is that a company or an organization? I'm from the northeast myself . Thanks , Mark
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Hi Tim, Yes they are definitely o.k.! I've been using both sizes for several years on fresh and saltwater flyrods with no trouble or complaint. They're especially nice on rods used for dries as they keep the hackles off the rod, making it convienient for both dressing and drying them. A couple of tips though- wrap it away from the stripping / haul side of the rod and be c
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I'n looking for a source for some PacBay Type N guides in TiCH frames and TiGold rings. Does anyone have any?
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Hi John, Have you tried sighting them with the guides facing away from you (on the far side of the blank)? This works for me when my eyes are tired. I hold the rod at about 45 degrees and look down the side. You can see the out of line guides pretty well this way.
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Wow! Thanks for the response guys!. First, I should tell you, this is'nt the first surf stick I've built, but I allways like to hear what others have to say, it's the best way to improve on what you know. It is a casting rod, Penn 525 reel on a 10' American Tackle Patriot blank rated up to 6 oz. casting weight,(can you imagine!) that I've cropped 4" at the tip. I did this to help stop
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