There are three kinds of CF grips that I have seen so far: 1. Tube Type: Open at one or both ends (like the NFC Soft Touch). These are hollow and/or have a foam arbor installed in a part of the tube. 2. Sausage Type: (like some NFC and CFX). These are enclosed, with material folded over both ends. 3. Tenon Type: (like some NFC and CFX). These have a tenon cut into one or both ends to fit a r
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I wish you all the best Tom! Thank you for your own personal skill, knowledge and experience invested in all of us! I was thinking the other day about all the things I learned from you and others through your site. I reflected on the three ICRBE's I attended and the people I met there (including you, via Karen Hapka in 2011 - I helped run her booth that year). What a marvelous journal of le
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Alconite is great and I have used it for years. SIC is also great, but overkill for my expectations/needs. I remember when we all drooled over Carbaloy Guides! Ha! (Never saw one of them wear out, btw) What are your values for a particular build? I try to weigh cost, confidence, conditions, and cosmetics. I do get the "weight is not great" angle, too. I need to get my scales o
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Room for a Lazy Susan? Things like this can help make good use of a corner space or otherwise 'wasted' space.
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Would it be wise to wear a mask if creating CF dust? I have read that it is.
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Ditto everything Roger said. My suggestions from my own experience: I built an "L"-shaped bench in one corner of my basement with an island bench that is parallel to it; the benches and island make a rectangle when viewed together. For me, having the extra work surface area is helpful. I like to have plenty of room to spread things out. Also, think about storage spaces! I ins
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That MHX popping blank (P843) looks great to me! I throw a shad ton of SR 7's up in Canada on a St. Croix 69MLXF. Yes, extra fast action, too! The versatility: I can put a 3/8 jig on it if I want and backtroll; pitch a T-rig fluke into weed beds, or deadstick a CD-9 drifting points. Might even be better if I extended the 6'9" to 7'3" or so.
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Tom has given us all so many excellent tips! I remember the ICRBE of 2011 and a fellow there had brought a 9-foot fly rod with like 16 or more guides on it. He let me cast it around. That rod cast very well! It felt smooth and not at all "heavy." I told him he might not get that rod back from me. Anyway, it was an eye-opener!
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I agree with you, Jim! And I think this IS still on topic because what you just shared is about the guides/angles maximizing the business end of the blank. The 'sales pitch' is how the blank makes the cast and how it handles the lure/bait. 'Closing the Deal' is about how the guides handle the catch/fight. That means the line angles in the guides count thrice: cast, control, and catch. The rod
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One consideration for a series of partial flexes, instead of going to a full 90-degree or max flex only, is that it helps me achieve correct spacing on the running guides. At a 90-degree flex test, the front 1/3 to 1/2 of the rod (depending on the bend profile or action) is straight more or less; pointing at the fixed load point. There is little to no bend in the tip section between the guide
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This is a great topic for me because I just set up and static tested an NFC DS6100 X-Ray blank for a spinning reel build. My initial thoughts and observations of this particular blank were to use it as a jerkbait rod for smallies here in Kansas. For this light spinning rod, I went with the KR Concept "Guide Group" of K-16H: K-8H; and K-5.5 M Reduction Guide train. First, I put the st
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Andrew, Awesome advice and suggestions here! Like I am vulnerable to doing, let me tell you a story to make a relatively simple point or two to reiterate what you have already read here and encourage your efforts: Love the Float and Fly technique (learned it on Dale Hollow Lake) ! I built a rod on a Loomis GL3 fly blank with a cork Tennessee Handle back in the day (late 80's as I recall
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Thank you all for this discussion! I follow closely every time I see Norman Miller's name as part of the thread/topic! (Okay, Roger Wilson, too...ha!) I am building on some NFC blanks once they arrive (yes, yes, I know, I know) and have been researching some styles and materials for the seats, grips, and the bling parts. Angler's Resource Handle Book is genius, IMO, and a great starting
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