Just ask what type of fish they are after, their preferred method of fishing and where they are fishing (Lake, Ocean, Bay, River).
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I am passing a uni knot, 30lbs braid to 15lbs mono with a 4 mm micro guide. I do use a 4.5 mm or 5 mm tip top with this set up. 5 mm should be big enough.
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I believe the strongest guide needs to be the tip top, and I really don't call it a guide. It is what is going to see the most torque and the most abuse being at the week frail end of the rod. The tip top is what gets broken off the most due to accidents. I have had people tell me that it just broke for no reason other than a fish pulling on the whole rod but we all know that is rubbish and i
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Its a freebee. Freebees may have blemishes. Your friend is right, it adds character. Sometimes messing with it just makes it worse anyway.
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Its a freebee. Freebees may have blemishes. Your friend is right, it adds character. Sometimes messing with it just makes it worse anyway.
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I make a medium light spiral wrap (Forhan style) rod for inshore saltwater species. These are for artificial baits and can cast top waters, plastic jig heads and spoons. I have not found a limitation using them for speckled trout, redfish, flounder, blue fish, snook, pompano or other species found in the Gulf bays and waters. Retrieve low or high, cast right or left, no problem. The only limitati
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This topic always fires everybody up. It is like the Twix commercial, "left side or right side". Up, down or sideways doesn't matter but one may look better than the other to you. Sometimes you get lucky and the spine matches the curve, but the spine really doesn't matter either. In the end the guides direct the blank how to bend.
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Regular EVA will hold up much better. The Winn grips look and feel good when new but the "skin" starts to peel off the EVA core over time and looks horrible. Cork probably last the longest if you take care of it. The new carbon fiber grips will most likely out live the cork if the foam core doesn't fail.
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X2 looks like AT Carbon grips on the St Croix. You have to ream them out to fit the rod. Just do a little at a time and keep test fitting it. You want a snug fit. It looks like what you are saying is the grips and butt piece have a 6.5 mm and 9.5 mm holes and the blank has a .620" and .630" diameter or a little more than a half an inch. 1" = 25.4 mm / .620" = 15.748 mm and .63
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I use a lot of aluminum winding checks and mount them when I mount the grips or real seats. I just use the left over paste epoxy that I used on the grip or reel seat. A little bit is all it takes. I also cover my winding checks with wrapping epoxy when I apply it to the trim bands next to them. If you use them in saltwater they can corrode without covering or sealing them.
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Just ream a little from the front of the grip with the same reamer. Hopefully you haven't reamed too much from the rear already. I have used tape arbors on carbon wrapped foam where the hole was too big for the blank and it worked well. If you don't want to use masking tape use drywall fiberglass tape.
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Because I build a lot of wading rods, I keep the butt in front of my elbow when gripping the reel seat. Not past the elbow unless it is for casting off stationary points where I would be using a rod holder or need the length to battle larger fish. If you are throwing artificial lures / baits then you want it in front of the elbow and not past it.
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Another option for shipping is Southwest Cargo. The client will have to pick up at the airport though. I think it is animals that handle our packages sometimes. Just about any long package with rods or blanks in it will arrive with some type of damage.
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From personal experience a; wet noodle needs a different line than a broom stick. If there was a better way to pair the line to the rod than what is currently offered, it would certainly help. I guess we need to try to get the fly shops to have different lines we can also try with the rod of interest. I really haven't seen that. Most of them let you cast the rod your interested in but they don't
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A fly rod for a child can have a closer stripper, typically it should be just beyond the reach of the person casting so in my opinion the length will matter between a 7' rod and a 9' rod. With a four piece 9' rod there is usually no guides on the grip / reel seat section. When you said "son" I was thinking that you started him fly fishing at around the same age I started my children at,
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A locking wrap on all the single foot guides to the tip is not going to add any weight or at least not enough to notice. The tip section guides is where you may need it the most.
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How long is the rod? It depends on the length of the rod. Nothing is set in stone.
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Jim Ising Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Here is a quick photo of the first spinning rod I > grabbed. This a size 20 KL-H stripper showing the > amount of "web" in front of the guide that will > reduce or eliminate the guide epoxy popping away > from the blank. No pop, no corrosion. If you fill > the tunnels along the side of th
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I think the problem is that rod manufacturers (and blanks) are all underrated at this time. It is like they are making blanks that are supposed to be say an 8 wt but are actually an 8.75 wt. The line makers are making lines that are also underrated except with different head lengths and tapers. The AFTMA standard was established in 1962 regarding the weight of the first 30’ of the fly line. The c
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I use tape on the chuck so no matter what, it won't come out. It has happened to me before (more than once). If the epoxy is still somewhat soft then Todd's method along with a little sanding will work. Just use water to clean up the sanding dust, solvents will make the epoxy sticky and difficult to clean up.
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Just do a Forhan wrap as described in the Library (https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/forhan.html) and it will be plenty strong. I did single foot guides for years without any type of locking wrap and never had any problems. Every time a guide got knocked out of the wrap, it was so damaged that the guide had to be replaced anyway and that is also using CP on the thread. I have also removed guide
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The Fuji guides don't need much prep if any. Jim says you need to learn how to wrap without prep and that Fuji stainless is less likely to corrode if not prepped. I agree with the idea of jumping up on the foot and burnishing the thread back to the end of the foot tip, but sometimes it doesn't work out and you just have to bring the foot thickness down to make a better transition. I am not sure
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The decorative wraps add weight, so it depends on how much weight you are willing to accept before the function is affected. I have built identical blanks in different configurations and can tell you unequivocally that components, grip & guide positions and balance can make a difference in performance. Mostly in the casting ability but also in the way the lures are used and the landing of fis
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If we could "cherry pick" every blank we buy, but unfortunately we take our chances when we order online. I always roll mine on a flat level surface, then decide. If it won't roll, send it back and tell them you need a straight blank. If you send enough back they may take the time to actually look at it before they ship it. Good luck.
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It is what is and you may have to just live with it. I use the flex coat and know what to expect. Most of the time it is just fine.
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Do whatever you think is best or looks good to you. I would do a Fuji RV 6 and then KB 5s (6) and the rest KT 5s or 4.5s (3) and 5 tip top.
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Titanium frames will not corrode in saltwater environments. It is also a good idea to make sure the part of the foot that bends up to the neck is covered with epoxy. Don't leave anyplace where water can be captured against the blank and the guide frame, especially with Stainless Steel frames..
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Aaron, Looks like you handled the learning curve very well and have made a smooth transition to the power rod wrapper. Batson makes some great products and their service is excellent. Congratulations. Lance
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Yes definitely. Maybe two. It looks like it would break the blank between the 2nd and 3rd running guide. I agree with Norman; on a blank like that 9 to 10 guides total +tip top.
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