I can't say enough good things about Robert and the guys at FishSticks, excellent people to do business with :)
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Jan, as others have said, size A will be excellent. I've built several on that same blank that you are mentioning. It is a rather powerful 3 wt and many have felt that it will perform better with a 4 wt line in normal casting distances unless you aerialize a lot of line. Check the CC measurements as it shows this won't be a wet noodle by any means.
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Used FC for quite a while with fine results and then later on Amtac Clear coat when I needed the longer working time. But now I'm hooked on Threadmaster. True, it doesn't have the pot life of Amtac but then it sets up so quickly and clear that I'm willing to prepare a second amount if needed. All seem to have their plusses and minuses and you have to decide which characteristics are most impor
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I can't say if the company in question is the same that I had similar problems with but often times the only way you can vote is with your feet and long ago I did.
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Larger streamers for Northern and Muskie often are most easily handled by an 8 or 9 weight rod. Most "experts" will claim the 9 wt. is an ideal rod. For smallies, you can get by with a much lighter rod, say a 7 wt. which is an all around nice rod for throwing those large poppers and such. Just remember that a heavier rod can throw something light but a lighter weight rod can not thro
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David, although we Imperialistic Americans have been known to colonize a few small pieces of property here and there, we have yet to induce the province of Alberta Canada to join the United states, although Lord knows we would love to have their oil and natural gas supplies, and I for one would love their fish : )
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Thanks Spencer and Bill, I just finished two RX7 7'9" 3 wt. and would say it seems like the ccs data suggests, in that they both could easily handle a higher line weight. with no problem. Looking for something maybe a little less powerful. Thanks again.
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Hey gang, need an inexpensive 3 wt. for a relative and wondered how you would subjectively differentiate these two blanks for those that have built on both. I read the CSS data and not much eye-opening there, so what's your opinion on these two blanks?, any differences other than 3"? As always thanks for your input.
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Don't be afraid of the TFO 8 wt. rating, as many find that the power is often slightly underrated with these rods and they excel when a slightly heavier line, say a 9 wt. in this case is used.
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And maybe something else that would be interesting would be to hear what blank manufacturers people feel will still be in business in 10 or 15 years and why?
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I used a 3-4 rpm for years and it was fine.
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Andrew, you're right. Now some $29.95 rods look like crap and you can see the cost cutting here but this particular line of blanks I'm referring to have nice real seats in them, as nice as the St. Croix or Fuji handle kits that I buy for around $30 alone. Oh well, I'm just glad they haven't found a way to build/sell spectacles yet. : )
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Ellis, you're right, I didn't even consider this as being a loss leader but I'm sure that's considered in the overall picture. Tom, I'm not equating a custom rod with these but what I'm alluding to is how a profit can be made here on their part, considering this is less than half my material costs and somebody has to put the thing together and ship it more than twice.
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So today I get the Bass Pro flier of the week and I see a reasonably decent line of rods being offered on sale for $29.99 each. Now I can barely purchase the same reel seat and cork grip for that same amount of money, forget about the blank, the guides, thread, finish/epoxy, tip top, decals, $hipping, and won't even discount my efforts at 15 cents/ hour, and yet somehow they must be turning a pr
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So DR, do any of the braided lines maintain their color better than others? I have a real problem with my line turning white after only a few uses. In stained or clear water, it really stands out more than I would like. There is a very noticable difference in hits when we jig walleye with the stuff.
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I've used inexpensive metal measuring spoons for years, a level 1/2 teaspoon of each part mixed within the 1 tablespoon spoon. Wipe out and clean with acetone and good to use again and again. Never had a problem with Threadmaster or any epoxy for that matter not setting up due to unequal amounts.
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I'm only two to three hours from Chicago so I would love it, just let me know.
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In case you would like an alternative to the Common Cents system, I have found the following to be helpful as well, Now I'm not suggesting this is better than the Common Cents system but just something else that is easy to perform and it holds up pretty well to what I have found personally. OK, now I'm running for cover. ha
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I know the three piece has always been the bastard child of the fly rod industry but man, no more 8' 9" 4 wt 3 piece Sig V, I think I'm going to cry :)
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I've used CP in the past but I thought I had read here one time that some use only water to wet their feathers pryor to applying to the rod and that was it, no CP, no Permagloss, nothing but water. Is that correct and if so, must you wait until the feather is dry before you can apply your first coat of finish? As always thanks for your input.
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Jan, after working on beginning skills of fly fishing with the cub scouts, we found that an 8' rod in about a 5 wt was the easiest for them to learn on and enjoy. A Forecast rod blank, 8' 5 wt 2 piece lists for $24 and would make an excellent choice. If you start with too light a rod, you limit the size of the fly the child can cast easily and fighting the wind will be more of a concern. Just
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Spencer, are you saying that the Sig V is no longer available in the 8' 9" 4 wt? That was a really nice 4/5 wt in my opinion. Hopefully they're not gone for good.
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Thanks Andy and Tom, will do.
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Has anyone tried reducing the viscosity of the new Thread Master epoxy finish? On my lighter flyrods, I'm used to a low or lite build. Would a few drops of acetone or alcohol reduce viscosity but maintain the other traits of the finish. Thanks for your input before I begin experimenting.
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Gee, I need to change my spectacles because I thought for sure this thread was going to be "bout rapping" and kept looking for the likes of Baby Gangsta or P. Diddy : )
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PacBay also offers the same uplocking woven green insert reel seat without the collar adjacent to the cork grip in case that would interest you and yes I just finished an RX7 with that reel seat and they go quite well together.
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Just curious, to those who use a lot of Tennessee grips for spinning rods, how do you like to mount the reel to the grip. I have always used double faced tape on the inside of the reel seat that mounts flush on the cork, and then either the aluminum or graphite rings. Some fellows like using black electrical tape but what other tape or options might work well and leave a clean look. Thanks for
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Now I don't claim to be an expert on the Austin line, but those fly rods that I did try (I thought )seemed similar to the St. Croix SC IV models, if that is any help at all.
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Steve, where can you purchase lengths of the woven green or grey graphite fibers that are used in the reel seats? I recently used a Pac Bay woven green graphite reel seat instead of the Matrix only because it was available in an uplocking configuration that hides within the hood of the cork grip rather than Matrix's uplocking fly reel seat that requires the collar below. I've seen brown also av
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Ellis, a lot of the TFO rods tend to run on the powerful side and such work well when overlined by a weight higher for most normal casting distances. That rep knew what he was doing.
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