Maryann, Sorry for butting in here but this is a bit of a pet peeve that I have. The term "switch rod" was, and should be, meant to describe a rod that is designed to be casted either overhead (OH) or anchor-point (Spey). While a light TH rod can certainly be casted with one hand - why in the world would you wish to. One of the reasons to use a TH rod is to use two hands to make lif
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Quin, Obviously you have a male ferrule if it is a Spey rod. Give me a PM or email and I will describe how to do it with zero chance of damaging rod. Herb
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90% of my fly builds are for stripers in the surf. I only use REC single foot heavy wire recoils for the runners. I also use their Recoil tip-top. MAkes a big difference in performance. All runners are the same size. I have experimented with both #3's and #4's - I see no difference. You can use the REC Recoil stripper in #20 and the next in a #12. I use the #20 not for its opening but be
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Hands down CTS Affinity-MX - if you like a moderate action. But you should really - for pike - try something a littlle faster and faster like the CTS Affinity-X. Regards, Herb
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Go on CTS' website and see many colors. ctsfishing.com. Cost is $16 for any number of blanks. i.e one blank painted is $16. Multiple blanks painted the same color is the same $16. Herb
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Unhide your email Herb Ladenheim
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I use West System epoxy for all of my work and it is much less viscous than most - therefore it is easily injected. They sell syringes for that application. I developed a system using sharpened thin-walled brass tubes that you can get in a hobby store. They come in all diameters. If you inject, you will need two holes. An entry point and a exit point for the trapped aiChallengenge is to fi
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I Haven't spoken or dealt with Dan in a few years - but he was always great to deal with. I am pretty sure that the FT line of blanks are pretty much standard fare - so to replace a section is easy. Again - my experience goes back 5-6 yrs. Dan's FT's are almost to the performance level of CTS "X" series - but not quite. They are heavier and not as lively - but nice. Interesting that
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Hey Bill, On my CTS 13'6" rod built on CTS' switch rod specs my lower grip is 5.5" and the upper grip is 13.5" I agree with mark - what I do is to temporarily attach the guides and lawn cast the rod without a grip (reel on the ground). wherever my upper hand feel good, add and inch, is where I make the grip. Which CTS blank is that?? Herb
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I have an order in with CTS now - if anyone wants they can piggy-back on my shipping from NZ. Expect delivery in about 4 wks. Any interest email me to discuss details. I have owned - or own - or wiggled - just about every CTS fly blank. So I might be of some help. hladen@hotmail.com Herb
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Christopher Tan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- Reason i decided to do it with TLSG4 (mudhole > is selling them), to cut down the weight in front > and hopefully not slow it down by too much.. THIS WOULD BE VALID IF THE ROD COULD HANDLE SOMETHING HEAVIER - BUT IT CAN'T AND YOU WOULD BE ADDING TOO MUCH WEIGHT WITH THE CERAMIC RINGS. THEY ARE GREAT GU
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I don't think Fuji makes a TLSG in 4.5. I think a 5 is the smallest. But even if they did, that rod would be a "noodle" with ceramics as running guides and worthless as a casting tool. I am not a fan of ceramics on any fly rod - but on a 2wt rod? And lose the ceramic tip top. I would go with REC single foot runners in # 1 or 2. If you want a ceramic stripper use a single foot 10
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The only time I was succesful in boilg a seat off is with a factory rod that had used masking tape. To get my seats off I use a small butane torch. The foam arbor protects he blank. More importantly all that work may end in disaster anyway. There is a huge force exerted on the rod using it as a 2 hander. My guess is that you will break something. Also, at best, best it will be a so-so perfo
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Lorenzo, I understand that the seat epoxy is probably now cured - but i'm having difficulty picturing what went wrong. How much space was thre between the seat and the blank. Why did you not install an arbor? Herb
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Rich, You are showing your age - "nose" oil - or forehead oil is for metal ferruls Herb
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George, Parafin is works great, even on moden graphite rods, to seat and hold the sections in place. BUT - if you EVER get sand in the female ferrule you are in for a tough time unless you are home and can clean it out. If you are on the beach you cannot install the sections for fear of damaging the ferrule. I used to use parafin exclusively. Not so much any longer due to the sand thing.
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All thread will turn translucent and show the blank color after finish applied - unless you apply color preserver - or use NCP thread which will not turn translucent. The color preserver comes with its own problems - sometimes turns milky after wet - finish will not migrate through wraps to bond to blank.Any "light" colored thread - i.e. anything but black, dark purple, cobalt blue, da
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I got tired of trying creamic running guides on fly rods - even up to 11 wt one-handed rods and 12 wt two-handed rods. They add a lot of weight - especially if you add a ceramic tip-top. I am talking of Ti SiC Fuji's here, which are the lightest. Yse, they are everything that Tom says they are - but they kill performance. Now I am talking running guides - not stripper and 2nd two-footed guide
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Ditto re Jeff's comments. Neoprene - or any other non-slippery material is a really bad idea. The slippery "casters used to slide furniture are much better - but nothing beats wheels. Herb
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Why not glue directly to the blank and turn the whole thing on the blank. Herb
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First of all - you do not want to foul-up your wrapping area with cork dust. I use the Flex coat cork lathe and highly recommend it. Better than any conventuional lathe. Why would you want to use a cordless drill?? Get a $40 7Amp Rigid from home depot. The only control you need is a light or heavy touch with the sand paper. I have never needed to adjust the speed of the drill motor (25
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Maryann, Send me your email - or unhide it - and I will send you some pics. Herb
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Todd is correct - your hands will be sore. Herb
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Maryann, Just be aware of the fact that how the naked blank 'wiggles" without guides attached will be totally different once you attach components. So if the blank feels just-right to you w/o guides - it will be too soft once guides, and especially tip-top, are installed.
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I wiggled the Sage One #6 - stick with the CTS - in any configuration. Herb
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Sorry, Switch rod is meant to cast either "overhead" or "anchor-point" (spey). never one handed. I hace switch rods up 11wt, 13'6" and you cannot cast them with one hand. Also there are rods designed to be cast anchor-point only and those to cast overhead only - the latter would be beach rods. The only reason I can see NOT to have a split grip is that you will retr
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Kevin, I was referring to the size of the guide. On a 9' rod you will use a total of 10 guides. On an 8wt you could use two (2) double-footed guides at the butt sections and 8 running guides. I feel more comfortable using larger running guides directly after the double footed guide - as in one #6, one #5 and six #4 if going with snakes. If you decide to go with single foot (s/f) guides as ru
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Fred, Not for me!! But if you want to do it that way, why cut in the middle of the reel seat?? Why not at the after end at the seat/rear grip interface. Pull the reel seat off intact - repair arbor and re-install,as you said. Herb
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Kevin, Re thread. On all of my fly rods I use "A" thread for the two footed guides and "00" for the runners. It gives the wrap a lower profile and does not need as much finish to keep it as light as possible in the tip area. You will have some prob getting "00" in many colors. I get it in black (my fav), royal blue, maroone, garnet. Re guides. On a #8, I woul
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Hi Mo, Go to the Fuji site and they have all dimensions. Herb
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