Tom.. Do you scan the U.S. Patent Office records of fishing components in your sleep?
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If you are using a two piece blank and only the butt guide is on the bottom section you can build the rod in the Bumper Wrap layout. This way all the guides on the top section will be on the bottom all the time. Just select a butt guide that provides the straightest path from both reels. Between the height of the guide and the ring size you should be able to find a good solution. Obviously yo
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Tom: Imagine your reaction if the visors were twice as powerful !!! You got my vote. Barry: You get my vote for the funniest cat story! LMAO Dave
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Rookie and procrastinator.. years
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Does this mean CTS is currently able to ship blanks in a timely fashion? Or does one have to wait a long time if the desired blank is not in stock?
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Post a photo on the photo page and you'll get a ton of help. If you'd like to send me a pic I'll be glad to offer my best assistance. customrodbuider@hotmail.com
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How much would you charge to write on my rods?
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I like Birchwood Casey Tru Oil as a finish on cork.. A single light coat will protect cork without darkening it much. Added coats will deepen the tone which is especially nice for highlighting the grain of Burl Cork and darkening Rubberized Cork. It can also create a very shiny finish with multiple coats which some find very attractive. You control the final texture by the number of coats and the
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What size fish and what conditions (river, lake,etc.) will they be encountering in Scotland? A Scottish river manager told me that a 9 foot 6 weight was the rod of choice in his area. There are some serious fish in Scotland. It's a big country and I'm sure the fishing varies widely.
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You can't find a better deal than what is offered at the Expo for ANY price .. no less the incredibly low admission cost. One seminar alone is worth a bundle and here you have your choice of so many! Count your blessings if you're able to attend. I would also encourage you to bring as much spending money as you can to feed your rod building habit. You will undoubtedly see things that you will wan
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Thanks. Tom: I understand your point. I am not sure if going 6 inches longer would add enough mending benefit to warrant the extra weight. Of course if it hurts my arm I don't want it. Tony: I was on Race Point at low tide while 40" stripers were within 20 feet of the shore. The wind was low and the bait fish were pressed against the steep drop off wall. You couldn't ask for more i
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One of the best aspects of attending the Expo is to be able to compare blanks firsthand. I'll be looking for a blank and components to build a Striper Surf Fly Rod in the 9 - 10 weight range. In addition to the CTS REVO's I wonder which other blanks are best suited for the task. I have never fished the surf with a fly rod and wonder if it's wise to go longer than 9 feet to make it easier to
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The Flex Coat Reverse Pilot Drill Bits are the fastest and surest way to ream cork. Check out the tutorial on the Flex Coat site : How We Do It "Buildin' a Pre Shaped Cork Grip. There's also a video on how to make a superb power reamer which will cost a lot less than the Wonder Reamers. Have fun.
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Your site is very well done. The photos are fine and the descriptions are clear. I'm very impressed with your wooden grips. Congratulations and good luck.
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I just read the post from Bingham Enterprises about the stainless frame models coming soon. That's great news. Thanks, Karen,
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Does anyone know for certain if the the K series will be made with stainless chrome or gunsmoke frames? Is it possible they will only be made with Titanium frames?
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I bought an Allstar Austin 10/11 at the first Expo for an incredibly low price. As it turned out I never had a chance to go Tarpon fishing as I had hoped. Last summer I sold it to a friend who has a house in Florida and fishes Tarpon often. When he test cast the rod he could not believe how great it was. The fellow is an extremely experience fly fisherman and his opinion of the Austin is to be tr
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It happens that last week I removed a tip for the first time. It had been bonded with Rod Bond. I put a attached the tip to a cord which was tied to a door knob ... gently heated the ring with a bic lighter while pulling on the blank.. and the tip just separated with no fuss at all.
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When casting a conventional reel the thumb needs to be at the rear of the reel to operate the spool release and control the line. This places the reel a bit further from the butt than would be needed for a spinning reel. The spinning reel needs to be directly under the hand so the line can be controlled by one's trigger finger. Thus, the type of reel will determine the optimum placement of th
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If you run a search for Size A Thread Strength ( for All Dates) you will see that this topic has been thoroughly covered on the Forum. The short answer is a definite YES. Size A thread is strong enough to hold guides in place on a rod for Musky or any other species found on earth. While a heavier thread will provide greater protection against abrasion an A wrap is very strong.
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Dick, What is Zany? Your email is hidden.
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By booking my flight with a room at the Best Western High Point as a package I was able to get a room rate of just $50 per night. That's a pretty big savings. I booked through Orbitz but I am quite sure this will work through any of the online travel sites.
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Ketih. I have been using the Ross Evolution 1.5 on 4 and 5 weight fly rods for a couple of years. The reel is simply amazing! It's super light and super strong. The infinite drag is very precise and the reel is as dependable as one could hope for. It turns out I have an extra one on hand. I used it on a 4/5 weight Bamboo rod I got this year. The Evolution looks out of place on the Bamboo
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I never use hook keepers on fly rods. I prefer wrapping the leader around the bottom of the reel and attaching the hook to guide frame further up from the stripper. This not only keeps the entire leader out of the guides but also stretches the leader keeping it straight. I do this with bamboo rods too. Let the "Tradition Police" try to stop me! While I do use hook keepers on non-fl
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Thanks Tom. I'll give that a try. I like using a 9 foot rod on occasion and bamboo is too heavy in that length.
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I did a head to head comparison between an Orvis Helios and a Sage SLT. Both were 9'- 4wt - 4 piece factory built rods. The ZXL replaced the SLT with a graphite scrim material making it lighter and thinner. I handled one later and found it to be a wonderful rod. The Helios was definitely lighter than the Sage SLT.. but the ZXL is also lighter than the SLT. The Helios seems like an incredibly
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My favorite tool for cutting tag ends is a high quality cuticle clipper. I bought a Cobalt Steel half jaw model. The super sharp edges have not shown the slightest bit of wear after months of use. They can be sharpened when needed. I got tired of changing scalpel blades. When I used a scalpel I found that a long handle (9 inches) was the most comfortable and stable. But nothing comes close to
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I nominate Raymond Adams for his excellent Rod Builder's Library in addition to his fine wrapping.
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Roger, Have you considered running a few stringers of square aluminum tubing under the top to prevent measurable sagging? Dave
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Kayakfishingstuff.com is a great resource. They have a separate section on their forum dedicated to fly fishing. Tight lines.
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