I very much agree with Mike. The grip length and how it fits meeting your forearm and contributes to correctly fishing the most frequent technique you intend I think is a critical design variable. Balancing is important, but best when balancing the correctly fitting rod imo.
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If possible I would suggest dropping by a fly shop that carries Winston rods and asking if they will let you measure the Joan Wulff model's grip. It has a full wells grip sized more appropriately for a woman's hand size and proportions. I've learned from family bicycling that small men's sizing doesn't always equate to correct women's sizing. I think the same is true for grips. I'll also measure
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Is it the same guides that are both loose and milky? I've had this happen early on when I did not completely seal the thread on the edges and fill the tunnel. I had read in a book about how the finish coming up to the edge and not on the blank had a look of neatness. Even with these tiniest of openings water wicked into the threads and turned the thread milky. I did have one case where enough wat
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I've used Duplicor base and clear with excellent initial results and so far holding up (3-4 years on oldest). I think the prep work is key and then the sanding & rubbing compound progression. I remove the original finish by carefull scraping perpendicular to the blank. Next is gray Scotchbrite to prep the surface. Heavy base color that sets as mentioned for at least a few days and then a succ
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I've used the cork sheets sold in craft stores for corkboards and the cork/composite gasket material from auto shops. I used Titebond III. The final grip works pretty good. You do have to be careful reaming because it want's to flex. I broke the first one a glue line.
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"If you don't build freshwater bass rods - the split grip may or may not apply." Rich - I think the function of your innovations, including split grips, work as well on inshore rods. Also, I would include your Equal Distance spacing as a functional innovation - simple, works, less time in the shop and more time fishing - pretty functional imo.
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My "knot problem" with PowerPro is getting the little loop thingy on the first wind and then it comes out on the cast, forms a knot no human could tie and snags on the first guide. Don't forget to manually close the bail and make sure there is tension on the line before reeling.
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An approach to consider is to use Tru Oil to seal and bring out the grain in the wood and to slightly darken and highlight grain of the cork. Imo, this will make it look more wood like to match up with the wood and make the grip look "whole". Then tape the wood and buff the cork with 0000 steel wool. This will knock of the gloss on the cork and its (percieved) slickness. This will give
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Like a lot of beginners, I suppose, I started by reading a book or two (would use Tom's now) and the online tutorials at many of the suppliers' websites. This provided a basic understanding of steps and sequencing recommended by the authors. I quickly realized that there is often no single best way to accomplish a task. So when I got to a specific step or a new step in a new rod style I would do
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If the 811 is thick it sounds like the earlier formula. When I still had some of the early formula I would apply one flood coat making sure the wrap was a consistent wet look. Then let it throughly dry (often overnight) before appyling finish. I ran out the early formula, tried the new and it made me really look forward to Andy's.
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I agree with Tom's advice on simple and elegant. I would use a nice wood insert reel seat with a butt cap thick enough to engrave. I'd have a jeweler engrave the butt cap with club name, date and 40th anniversary.
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Using the old rule of thumb of the numerator over a denominator of 16 says you should start by trying a 5 wt line. Personally I think 6' is a little too short. It will be hard to roll cast and you won't be able to mend the line very well. I personally like a 7' 6" popping or HS blank (HS9000 makes a great 8wt I think). Short, heavier line wt rods can be very useful - river bassing and SW
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I''ve built several rods on the RX7 6.5' 2wt. It's a favorite build for several customers the fish tiny N GA/NC/TN streams. I like it a lot for drys. Personally I have a devil of a time roll-casting it. Roll casting and better mending on pocket water is one of the reasons I like the 7' 9" RX6. But, there are days when I set out to catch them on drys or not at all and the little 2wt is a lot
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I've built light spinning surf rods on the 8' 6" 1021F Hotshot blank. I think they are first rate. I'm planning on doing something similiar to what you are planning on the HS9000 to be a short "8wt" for chasing Snook and our GA Shoal bass - big flies, short(er) but accurate casts under dense cover and a way to get them out of mangroves, rocks and everything else they can find to fr
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I second the RX6 7' 9" . imo, a sweet spot in the RX6 line. Like Eric I don't think being a little heavier than the more expensive blanks is a problem in these shorter light line wt blanks. I save on these and apply the savings to where I need light weight the most - "6 " wts and up.
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I simply tell customers that based on modern ferrule design and construction there is no reason, including lost sensitivity, to not buy a multi-piece if travel and transport is a requirement and no reason to spend extra on a multipiece if it's not. Interestingly, after they buy and fish a "general purpose travel" rod and discover the performance is up to their needs and how much eas
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Slightly off topic - Daniel, if you haven't already, you might think about using Dave Whitlock's No-Knot Connection technique. I use it on my short, light line weight small stream rods. On a lot of our SE mtn streams I'm fishing with not much more than the leader out of the tip. Getting the leader back in to the guides is often necessary to land the fish. This connection passes through any guide
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I've also had great results with Meguiar's ScratchX
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I think it's neat that this board doesn't follow percieved Internet SOP. I get very tired of people on other boards that confuse lack of manners and being tactless with directness and truthfullness. In their minds boorishness is a virture. I'm glad they have other boards on which to post. Tom - thanks for a well run board. One of the happy sheep.
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I always find these threads interesting from the perspective of Systems Thinking - a framework that is based on the belief that the component parts of a system will act differently when the systems relationships are removed and it is viewed in isolation.. As I've learned more about rods the more I'm convinced that this simple "pole and string" is in fact a very complex system when in us
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I've done several with auto touch-up paint and a combination of techniques picked up here. Several others have too and some take their rods to be painted by an auto paint shop. Do a search on and you'll get a ton of information.
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I don't think good deed and advertising are mutually exclusive. Like earlier posters my donated rods go for a nice bid price. Candidly, a lot of this is because of "curb appeal". I think that the motivation of the buyer to buy something he/she "doesn't really need" is the rationale is the moey is going to the charitable organization and not to an "extravagance". If I
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I did a Notre Dame rod for an alum an used gold & navy.
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I love those days too. It's happened to me chasing Shoal Bass (our first cousin to Smallies). To add insult to injury it's always fun to show them the leader - knots in the terminal tackle ! & 1X tippet. Even if it doesn't convert them it's fun listening to them around the camp "social hour" explain why I just got lucky. I think related to this thread is Sage's introduction of Ba
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Guys, around here I wouldn't use fly rods as examples. Just reinforces the "wussiness" of multi-piece rods in the minds of hard core Bassers. It's the wussiness factor far more than having any idea that stress concentration exists. And as far as transportation goes that's why you buy an F150. I'd use the just kidding sign but I'm not.
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SFs. Then you've moved it from vintage to new age :)
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"I do recognize that few fishermen can or even want to cast in a one single casting plane all the time. I also recognize that most baitcast reels cast overhead are done that way with the wrist turned 90 degrees. Just more things for the custom rod builder to consider." Tom my view is the issue isn't necessarily one of desire or need for one single casting plane. I think we all face s
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I agree Capt. I could enter with a rod with an ERN of 8+ and still get my hat handed to me. imo applied talent trumps the rod, all other factors held constant. However, I think Dr H's work accuately explains why all production "5wts" are not in fact constant and why certain favorite sticks are favorites. Their extra power does some of the work at the basic distance thresholds these guy
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In regards to testing I think we shouldn't overlook casting competion - distance and accuracy. One of our local clubs hosts an annual charity event. 90+% of the contestants and 100% of the winners (the same talented casters each year) use production factory rods. The distance part is easily explained using CCS data - production "5wts" with ERNs 6.5+. The accuracy piece intriqued me for
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When I started building (fly rods) I followed the the Law of Effective Spine. At least the 180 deg camp. Overtime, while fishing, I noticed that some rods were inherently more accurate. Since the guide orientation was constant (assuming I was accurate in determing the effective spine) I turned to the other school of thought - the casting gurus. All pointed out the obvious fact that the fly will g
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