CTS, four models to choose from, I have an Affinity X 863-4, its is a great rod for tiny dries in spring creek conditions. Don't let the "fast action" label of this blank scare you off, it is a power house for a 3wt, but it is a 3wt, 4wt lines overload it in my opinion. CTS has a new series called the Affinity N, that will be somewhat similar to the Sage LL, I have not built on them
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As far as I know, Stuble is still in business. I do not believe they are selling reel seats anymore. They are selling Agate Guides and Winding Checks. I ordered some stuff from them about a month ago. I would make a phone call before you file a paypal dispute, you'll probably get an amswering machine, but Jeff will call you back.
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CTS is still a top of the line blank manufacturer, I build on their Fly Rod blanks, both Carbon Fiber and Fiberglass, in my opinion their Carbon blanks are the best compared to other companies. Their Fiberglass is equal to a couple of other small fiberglass blank manufacturers.
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I do a lot of indicator style nymphing, both with a "float" for the indicator and dry dropper combos. Larger guides are not going to help anything out except put more weight on the blank. Now my personal experience for the best rod for using a "float" as an indicator with several nymphs under it is a CTS Affinity X 905-4 or the 906-4. I'll go with the 5wt most of the time,
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How big are these salmon he wants to tangle with? A 12wt in some cases might be over kill. Look into CTS, they can make any line weight, length and taper you want.
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Eric, the Dremel tool will work and their is another tool that will go in a power drill, Crafty's Cutter, several of the sponsors sell it. Another option, I would bet there is a local builder that could help you out. Visit the tackle shops in your area, most will probably know of a builder, wheather they are a pro or hobby builder.
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Your decision between the 7 and 8wt should be based on how large of a bass bug you want to cast. The 8wt will turn over the bigger stuff much easier. I do a lot of bass fishing with an 8wt, both in Glass and Carbon Fiber. I rarely reach for my 7wts for bass, one reason is many of the waters also hold pike too. The RX-6 would be okay, but take a look at the Rod Geeks offerings if you want to s
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Many of the well known Bamboo builders use a Marine Grade Spar Varnish. McCloskey Man O War, Helmsman Spar and Epifanes are popular brands. Also many of the folks building Fiberglass fly rods use Spar Varnish too. The Spar Varnish is available at some hardware stores or marine supply stores. There is a bit of a learning curve, like any other thread finish and the Spar Varnish's do have a longer c
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I'm with Spencer, CTS Affinity X.
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Mark, I have built several of the 8-6 Vintages in 5wt, plus I own one myself. It is a much softer blank than the Affinity MX. I don't have any CCS data for them, but in my opinion they loaded up very well with several different 5wt lines. If I want more distance I put the Cortland Finesse on it, for closer work the Cortland Precission Platinum. My firend who owns one loves the Rio Trout on his.
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I'll second Ron's color choice, thats is my favorite color for a blank of that color. Rust or a Dark Orange will also look very cool. Best bet is to buy a couple of colors and do some test wraps on the section where the grip and reel seat go. Get both regular and ncp thread in the same colors, you might be suprised at the look of NCP thread for a full guide wrap.
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John, according to my Vic Johnson books, it was 1966. Described as a merger which brought Jimmy Green, Don Green and Phil Clock and probably some unmentioned talent together. And like John mentioned, the Fiberglass Fly Rodders forum is a great place to research and ask questions, several members that know the Fenwick stuff lurk on there.
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A guy named Victor Johnson Jr wrote a book on Fenwick's history. You might want to try and find a copy, they do show up on the internet sites that sell books. Vic did a couple of other books too, the one on Fiberglass Fly Rods does have a bunch of Fenwick history in it also, but there is a book totally about Fenwick. Grizzly made Fenwicks early blanks, then Fenwick bought Grizzly, not sure on
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I would also strip and re wrap them. I have also repaired a few of those rods, the stuff they use is very brittle and did come off with ease.
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The Flex Coat you used, did you "thin" it with anything or apply it straight up? Reason I ask is that I saw a similar problem once where a builder used a Solvent to thin the finish.
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Recoils are a very good guide, would be right at home on that blank. Yes, I would go with your second option of 12-10, then 3's rest of way out, but, the 3's could be a bit "large", 2's would work as long as your knots/connections will pass thru them. If your worried about possible Ice in the guides, then stick with the 3's. The weight difference between a 2 or 3 is really not all that
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I was in on that same order with Craig, CTS has really improved delivery times and once Herb gets the blanks, he gets them on their way. I have never had any issue with buying thru Herb.
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I do the same as Tom K, I do ask the question to customers, but I have never had one request one that is removable.
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Snake Brand Universal light weights, best double foot on market for light weight rods. The Snake Brand are expensive, but they have a very small foot print on the blank, are concave and have a very low profle.
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I also use both, on an 8wt I would lean more towards a Snake Guide. If you search around there are several brands of Snake Guides that are very light in weight and the feet are relatively small, so added weight to the blank is not any different from a single foot. Use the smallest guide that will pass your connections and the least amount of changes in guide size as you go from butt to tip, 3
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Ron sells the Lemke cap and ring seats, very nice stuff and you can also look at Snake Brands site (Lemke made harware), its very nice stuff and both have great wood. REC also has this type of seat.
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I have used the same methods as listed above, all with mixed results. The water method has worked a bunch of times, but every once in while you get a seat that just won't budge. It really depends on what type of glue or epoxy was used in the first place. If it was glued up with something like Rod Bond or Ultimate Epoxy it is on their for the long haul, that stuff holds! If they used a 5 min e
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You might try an outfit called Goodwinds, they are in Washington State. You can get either solid or hollow fiberglass and grahite material for making spigots.
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Bruce, spend the extra dough and get yourself a CTS Affinity X or Affinity MX. My main nymphing rods are built on the Affinity X blanks, plus they will do dries with ease. The MX has a slighly softer tip and is a better dry fly rod, but will do nymphs well. They are also great Dry Dropper blanks, both the Affinity X and MX. Herb L is the guy to get them for you, although you might prefer to
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I would try to stay with something in a short length, 7'-6" or 8' unless he is big for a 10 year old. They tend to find it easier since they have smaller bodies compared to adults to learn to cast. Couple of years ago my nephews all around the same age as him got RX-6 7'-6" 5wts for starter rods. The boys learned real quick on them on how to cast and feel the rod load. Either Baston RX
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There is nothing wrong with spigot ferrules. Many of your top manufacturers of quality Fiberglass Blanks use Spigot Ferrules, McFarland, James Green, Tom Morgan Rodsmiths, Kabuto, Larry Kenny, Tomo Ijuin, Mark Steffen, list goes on. Some of these folks roll their own, some are rolled by others to their spec's. Some of these folks that have the blanks made for them get them without ferrules and th
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Eric, without mentioning the name I know the brand of blank you bought. Your issues are not uncommon and some other people that I know have had the same issues. Poor Quality Control on the part of the blank manufacturer. First, the issue of the butt and middle sections coming to close together, you can trim the female section back a bit, take off .125" increments at a time and check fit,
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If you not looking to spend a lot of money, try one of the Anglers Roost glass blanks. I have heard from some friends that do cast pretty well. The only thing that some of them have stated that maybe a drawback is that the ferrule (female end) may need to be trimmed back a bit for a better fit, thus reducing the overall length of the blank. In most cases it was only .25 to .50 of an inch, so not
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You might want to check out 2 other websites, Fiberglass Fly Rodders and the Fiberglass Manifesto. Both have a load of info on glass and listings for blanks and finished rods. You really cannot go wrong with a CTS or Epic, yes they are expensive, but they are some of the best out there. The Epic Blanks are made by CTS, if you didn't know that.
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I would stick with a CTS Blank, an Affinity X in either 7 or 8wt. More on the side of the 8wt. CTS blanks are in my opinion the best. What your friend may really need is some casting lessons. Bones are weary fish and it is going to be windy. Not many anglers are really ready for this and some good old casting lessons will make the trip much more pleasurable. A 10wt is overkill.
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