A little trick that makes a difference: Use the thread end(s) to make a ramp onto the guide foot.
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I wrap my ferrules mostly for appearance. Many times I just apply two coats of epoxy to the ferrule area and leave it at that. I don't think that thread makes a difference, since there is nothing attached to the blank and there hasn't been a fracture. I have never had a wrapped ferrule break.
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I'm in the process of building a 7.5 ft fly rod on a Steffen Brothers blank. I want to keep a traditional feeling and thought I might try using a Mildrum stripper. It definitely looks "pre-ceramic industrial" and it is quite heavy. So want do you think? Modern stripper, Mildrum, or agate?
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It's too bad that the meaning of "action" has changed over time. In Dale Clemens' "Fiberglass Rod Making", copyright 1974, he describes action as the time it takes for the tip to recover from being flexed. Because a fast action blank flexes mainly in the tip it recovers faster than a slower action, which has a lot more material (weight) to straighten. Therefore it takes mor
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There is one caveat. Decal Connection is now accepting only vector artwork. That means that if you have a logo in a jpg or gif format it will have to be converted to a line format, either by you or by them. Knowing this will save you time with your order.
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A fly rod is a flexible beam that should be balanced at the desired fulcrum. I prefer that to be at the point on the grip where my index finger falls, not in the middle of my hand. You can put anything on the reel seat of the proper weight and it will balance, even a rock. The size and type of fly reel does make a difference. An important factor is the circumference of the spool. You want it
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I use the thread(s) that I am wrapping as a ramp onto the foot of the guide. Make sure you cut the thread(s) so that the end reaches or actually is on top of the end of the foot. This technique was taught me by Russ Gooding of Golden Witch.
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Thanks for the info, Tony. That much information helps all of us who are considering using Recoil guides on our rods. Jim
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If there is tension on the line during casting or fish fighting there is no sag (or an imperceptible amount). I look for even stress distribution throughout the blank when doing static testing, period. I don't worry at all about line sag when there is no tension. As I recall from watching Steve Rajeff and Ed Jaworowski, there were no extra guides on their rods when they were casting farther th
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I place the first guide anywhere from 4" to 5" from the tip top depending on the action of the blank, 4" for fast action, 4.5" for medium fast, and 5" for medium. I disagree with Emory: there is definite bend in the first few inches, especially when casting aggressively or bringing a fish too close to the fisher. I like to distribute stress as evenly as possible through
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Because New Mexico is in the middle of a cold (sub-zero) spell, I brought my portable heater into the room where I epoxy. I turn it on (low) for an hour before I start and the room temperature gets to be a nice toasty 80. When I'm done with the drying, I turn it off to save money. BTW, for those of you who think that New Mexico is all desert, we got 38" of snow over New Year's. The NM
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I have just read the article in Rodmaker about fly rod guide sizes. As usual in the magazine, the article was "right on". I differ with one point though: the recommended use of a size 12 stripper guide for fly rods "6 wt and under". For me, 12 is borderline for a 5 wt, and IMHO is overkill for smaller rods such as a 3 wt or below. A 10 is much more reasonable for the light
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I have previously built rods with the lightweight Recoil guides, but I didn't care for the noise when shooting line. Granted, this was lawn casting, so the line was dry; I didn't try it on the stream. Do the standard weight Recoil guides (as recommended on this forum!) also make noise when shooting line? Jim
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Has anybody weighed the standard vs large tip top to determine the weight difference? Jim
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One of the above posts said that the reason that Wal-Mart is to make money. The most successful businesses that I respect and patronize put the customer first and realize that by doing so they will 1) satisfy and keep the customer, 2) earn a profit and 3) stay in business. The last time that I heard a similar comment about making money was from an oil comapny executive that was trying to justif
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By mistake I ordered a few large loop fly rod tip tops. When I began to think about it I wondered why virtually every fly rod uses the Perfection-type tip top. It's generally smaller than the guides and the height of the top of the loop isn't far from the blank height. In the large size, the loops are almost round, so that regardless of what direction the pressure is put on the fish, the line i
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Hook and Hackle is one of the sponsors listed on the left. They have some excellent, inexpensive kits and will be happy to answer any of your questions. I highly recommend them. Jim
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Stay tuned. I'll let you know Jim
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I wish that they didn't charge the Federal excise tax to those of us who are exempt. It adds up when you place a lot of orders with them. And I do place a lot of orders with them -- they're my #1 supplier. Jim
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Russ Gooding at Golden Witch sells hexagonal brass mandrells with the ends bored for a live center. I like these better than round mandrells as there is no grip slippage. Jim
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My guess is that you're looking at the blanks on @#$%&. I won a Partridge blank in an @#$%& but it hasn't arrived yet. The seller's @#$%& feedback has been very good. Remember to factor in the shipping as part of the total cost! Jim
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I line up the guides first by eyeball, then with a laser level. Forget the "level" part. The device emits a very narrow laser beam that I line up with the tops of the guides. Since the guide tops are never aligned vertically I have to move the beam up and down a little. This is overkill since I've never seen a perfectly straight blank, but it's fun and helps out when I'm not sure if
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I find that the hexagonal brass mandrels from Golden Witch work best for me. They come in a set of two (different lengths) to use with cork rings with a 1/4" bore. Jim
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I have mixed feelings about grinding guides that are either coated with TICH or are made of titanium. Grinding them to the usual shape removes the coating on the former, and is a tricky process on the latter. A ground guide may look better a aesthetically (to some) but historically some of the finest rod makers did not grind their guides much, if at all. The small "bump" mentioned ab
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I use two small plastic "sample" spoons that I got from our local deli. You may get similar, more colorful ones at Baskin-Robbins. They are the perfect size for me to get scoops that are close in size, and I have labeled them "R" and "H" for resin and hardener. I use a wooden coffee stirrer to mix the two scoops. Yours for fast food utensils, Jim
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I build a lot with Lamiglas blanks; IMHO they give the best return for the buck. The IM700 is a very nice rod for nymph and streamer fishing. It has both the power and action you want. The XMG 50 is too fast and brittle. It's built for extreme lightness and rapid response, two qualities that you don't want for this type of fishing. No ads push these kinds of fishing, although they are the mo
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The best method that I have found (via Russ Gooding) is to find the spine of the tip section. Then attach each section in turn, flex the sections, then rotate the last added section until the original mark is on the inside of the bend. When you're done, all sections will be lined up, and the most flexible section -- the tip -- will bend optimally. That said, with light blanks, it's best to
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Hola, You don't need too much. Just make sure that you have covered the surface of one ring thinly and completely, but try to stay away from the center hole. When you apply each ring, rotate it on top of the previous ring surface to make sure that you get complete contact and an even glue distribution. When you have glued all the rings together, compress the grip about 1/4" in a clamp.
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I think that Custom Tackle Supply was at the end of the second aisle. The only booth I remember facing away from the other side at the end of an aisle was G. Loomis, where I had a nice chat with Steve Rajeff.
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How's this: a local guide broke his favorite Sage. He asked me to make him a new rod (6'6" 3 wt), so I did -- on a Rainshadow blank. Guess which one he liked better? Jim
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