I see you have the 5wt two-piece and I appreciate you wanting to use that just in case your attempt to become a fly fisherman leads you to the conclusion that it was a lousy idea. But if you really want to love it, Michael's suggestion is a good one. Part of loving it is not having a hassle with transporting the rod. The other part is having the right rod for the species. For trout and bluegill
Forum: rodboard

One caveat I'd offer: I've done a lot of pine bark handles, with mixed results. Some have lasted for years, and others fell apart the first time I used them. Finally I figured out that the thickness of the bark is critical. If you get bark, make thin rings, not thick ones. The bark is layered, and the more layers you have between glued seams, the more likely they are to come apart under the sli
Forum: rodboard

I ordered two fly grips and a blank June 6th and got them June 27th. Not fast, but within reason.
Forum: rodboard

I ordered two fly grips and a blank June 6th and got them June 27th. Not fast, but within reason.
Forum: rodboard

I ordered two fly grips and a blank June 6th and got them June 27th. Not fast, but within reason.
Forum: rodboard

I ordered two fly grips June 6 and got them June 27th.
Forum: rodboard

I fish for speckled sea trout, redfish and flounder with my 8 weights. I agree the Lamson Guru is a great freshwater reel for the money, and the Piscifun saltwater models (which I use on a 7 weight) have held up remarkably well. But for an all-around great reel, I wouldn't look beyond the Allen Kraken. At $239, with a sealed drag, this is the reel to beat. And the customer service you get from
Forum: rodboard

Not to derail innovation, wouldn't a hot hands pack in a grommitt or fingerless glove serve the same ends? That's what I use fishing for trout in Montana in the winter.
Forum: rodboard

Ditto what Roger said. I was able to have my waders repaired by Simms under warranty, and was stunned that they found over 75 leaks. Sure, I've had them for 10 years, and I obviously fish around brushy streams, but I do my best to avoid snags and barbed wire, and I would have sworn the only leak was a seam leak. In any case, the leak repair held up for about a month, and then they started le
Forum: rodboard

Olde English Fly Shoppe sells blanks with extra tips. I have been generally happy with the quality, and when I have not been, Brian has offered exceptional customer service in the form of quick replacements. I've only built on his lightweight (3-4) blanks but have been happy with the product.
Forum: rodboard

Another reason is to upgrade a rod that the manufacturer has cut corners on to meet a price point. For example, the Winston Passport was a great rod in the 3-5 weights, but the components and the finish were cheap. Building the blank with top components and attention to detail yielded a rod that had looks and performance far superior to a $200 factpry rod.
Forum: rodboard

You have a couple of options here. First, use a small size thread for the underwrap and pack it very tight before starting the overwrap. Second, use the same size thread but seal it with a thin coat of epoxy before applying the overwrap. Otherwise you will find that the overwrap threads "cut into" and/or get wedged between underwrap threads. All this said, search through this and othe
Forum: rodboard

I built a 7'9" 4wt Revelation for myself last year. I didn't like it at first, but when I put a Rio LT Trout fly line on it, everything changed. Prior to the line change, I would have said I loved playing fish on it, but not casting it. Now, with a line that loads it better (and faster), the rod has become my go-to rod for small rivers and fish in the 12-18 inch class. The lightness and
Forum: rodboard

It is possible to enclose the reel seat in a plastic bag, tie it off with a rubber band, and submerge it in boiling water just until the heat transfer loosens the glue enough to pull the seat off (assuming the guides have been removed and you can pull the reel seat in the direction of the taper.) That said, too much heat can/will harm the blank. More importantly, this method works best with cus
Forum: rodboard

Two. One, a 7-weight Forecast when I hooked a king salmon that was just way too big for it and high-sticked it at a bad angle. The second, a 3-weight AT Matrix while playing a 14-inch rainbow on a 6x tippet. It broke about two-thirds of the way up the butt section, a couple of inches below the ferrule. That one should not have broken. I figured there was a defect in that blank.
Forum: rodboard

Allen Fly Reels are very nice at under $100, fully machined with a nice finish. If you visit their website (just google the name), you will get $10 off your first order. If you sign up for their mailing list, you'll get a 15% coupon. You can also get a new Orvis Battenkill at about $100 if you look around. One company I have dealt with even throws in a free line. I have it on my 4wt, and I have
Forum: rodboard

Originally it was cost. Then it was something to do in the long Montana winters. Like fly tying, building fly rods transports me to the rivers and streams I'll be fishing when the weather warms up.
Forum: rodboard

Living in Montana, I see people getting off the plane with 3 & 4 piece rod tubes all the time. I routinely carry one or two 30" rod cases when I travel, and have never been questioned. Last year I took a 33" case as a carry-on piece from here to Nicaragua, which involved plenty of small planes. I think that these days, with everyone trying to jam oversized luggage into small bins t
Forum: rodboard