Might be a great opportunity to learn his first repair of a break!?!
Forum: rodboard

Want to put in my '2 cents ' pitch to rod companies....... that one piece rods are often a major hassle to urban fisherman who don't have a truck. More choices for two and three piece blanks for spin, casting and fly ( 3 piece) would be nice.
Forum: rodboard

Don't forget CP if you want that spring green to jump. I like to use Cason's cp on my Tiger Wraps. Finished one today and will post a pic. It was a deep blue and came out nice.
Forum: rodboard

Terry, could not find any of my pics of a Tiger wrap surrounding both sides of a hook-keeper. But I did post one of Tiger wraps on both sides of a snake skin wrap on the butt section. They take some time but look really nice in an area where weight is not much of a factor. I put them on almost all my nicer fly rod builds.
Forum: rodboard

If they want a hook keeper, it looks great on both sides. I put a tiger wrap on almost every fly rod I do.
Forum: rodboard

Glad you're not hurt Ray. WOW!
Forum: rodboard

The initial clarity of Cason's CP, combined with generous working time reminds me of the 50/50 solution I used to make with old 811 CP. However, Bill's CP maintains a solidly true consistency that was never present with the Gudebrod and it takes very little to get the job done. I have been more than pleased working with it on my feather, thread and snakeskin worK.
Forum: rodboard

You could have a serious accountant in the making?!?
Forum: rodboard

Many fly rod builders now put a 'one or two size' ( smaller than the stripper) "Tamer" guide between the the stripper and the normal spaced second guide. They usually put this tamer approx. 4-41/2" from the stripper. Purpose is to help quickly 'tame' the large, fast moving big loop of fly line that first hits the stripper. I have tried it both ways and I very much like the casti
Forum: rodboard

Great! A good silver & black tiger wrap is often very subtle and stunning.
Forum: rodboard

Marble first! Then weave.
Forum: rodboard

I would do black & white on the bottom and carefully make sure that I moved and swirled that bottom wrap quite a bit before I moved on to the next steps. I would do two or three coats of build up and then reverse wrap silver metallic on the top.
Forum: rodboard

Tim, on several occasions I have found myself low on finish and I have mixed lite with regular TM. I put equal amounts of lite ( hardener & resin) into my reg bottles of TM. I was very observant and careful when I mixed it up and put it on a rod. It was a rod for me. It worked just fine. Took longer than pure regular TM and less time than than pure Lite TM to cure. Came out clear and fi
Forum: rodboard

Herb, as I read this, I felt bad for Silvia and the Diamond 11 folks.
Forum: rodboard

Small truck equals multi piece rods for me. Very convenient for traveling quickly and much easier to build and wrap in my small rod building cave. Wish there were more choices for multi piece spin rods.
Forum: rodboard

My more intricate, quality components "eye candy rods", where 'fit & finish' and attention to detail are prime ..... usually involve 25 t0 30 hours of ' me with rod' attention. A solid no frill, 'meat rod' build takes about 6 hrs of 'me with rod' attention. They both cast about the same and have approx. the same sensitivity.
Forum: rodboard

My 1/3 hpr lathe is on a stand that I can easily move to a bench outside or to a bench in an old shed in the backyard. I believe this has been a major contributing factor to remaining married along with building a nice pink rod for her and never inviting her to go use it!
Forum: rodboard

Mark, if you put your whip finish thread in so that you have a little longer finish wrap to pull your tag back through.... then you can nip your tag short (right before you pull it back thru) and it will dissapear under the wrap when you pull it back and you will have NO tag to cut. Hope that made sense?
Forum: rodboard

Don't go ice fishing in the next few days!!!!!?
Forum: rodboard

Larry .... # 1 ... it is yours. # 2 ...it is understood that it represents the best you can do # 3 ... should be obvious to all that it took a fair amount of painstaking focus/ time / TLC to produce it # 4 ...it is a highly personal finish to an already beautiful custom rod # 5 ... it is also quite good (better than most of us can do) but above all it represents a high level of persona
Forum: rodboard

Mark, I can't make it this year for the first time in four years. I am already lamenting not getting in on the many great deals I have gotten before. I am running real low on so many of the basic rod building materials and especially rod blanks and I won't get to see several seminars that are (by themselves) worth way more than the small price of admittance. But above all that, the friendly, e
Forum: rodboard

Just my humble opinion but what true difference does it make if your penmanship is not a 'John Hancock ' level?!? If your Fit & Finish and rod building skills are at a beautiful, custom, high quality level (representing the absolute best your coordination, technique, knowledge and concentration can produce) then your signiture simply is what it is. If I were to be lucky enough to win a comm
Forum: rodboard

Is the Pac Bay thread their own or made by one of these other companies?
Forum: rodboard

That is refreshing to hear.
Forum: rodboard

Be sure the bottom wraps are side by side but loose enough to move them around for the moire affect.
Forum: rodboard

I very much prefer spin rods for the pond and small lake bass/bluegill/crappie fishing I do up here in Iowa. I primarily fish from small boats and do tons of finess casting to cover by the bank. 6' and smaller med light rods are my preference and I have evolved to a Tenn handle split grip. The reel is attached close enough to for-side of the handle that the index of my 'two- fingers- in-front
Forum: rodboard

Can't make the big show this year. Darn! I have made it the last 4 years and will really miss seeing friends, stocking up on components, semniars, great deals and getting out of this bitter Iowa winter for a few days. I purchased some nice Birch Bark sheets there the last few years and now I am out. Any suggestions for a good source for'sight-unseen' birch bark conducive to rod handles? Than
Forum: rodboard

Ron, just posted a few pics of eye candy on a pair of fly rods I made for some hunting buddies. Snake skin, Holo Tiger wraps, Feathered epoxy ramp, burl-cork-checker handle. They add nominal weight to the butt and definitely custom the rod for folks. Also have hook/silver chain inlay on the end piece.
Forum: rodboard

This post makes me seriously think about and consider all the fine rod builders I have become aware of through my near decade of participation in this great hobby. Several I have had the special privilege to meet, watch, question and have ongoing tutoring and help. These personal, hands on practice / hints sessions become the cornerstone of so much of our own evolving style. When I finish a rod
Forum: rodboard

Thanks Gary for your frank observation. I had heard some 'yellowing' concerns from one other source and wanted to see if there was any other confirmation on that.
Forum: rodboard