Eric, i use Hotshots and a bunch of other MHX blanks and like them all. Excellent value blanks,just never their Steel-head ones.
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Lorenzo, Karen at Bingham does, as do Utmost both on the left.
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If its that small, some brass rod from big box store, epoxy and grit. Just be VERY sure to get it all out afterward from the hole, else when you test fit, you will scratch your blank. Old rod top as mentioned above is best as its tapered: but when you are talking real thin brass might be easier to put into a drill.
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Another good reason to go to the ICRBE.......
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Todd, i think you have hit on the main reason i use white or yellow braids and very good sunglasses. Sure a good rod helps. BUT:the visible braid does way more for me than any other thing since i learned to sharpen a hook in increasing catch rate. With braid i can tell you when my drop shot weight comes off gravel and onto oysters or mud in Pickwick. Nylon and Floro, not so much. With the colore
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I must be missing something. I buy blanks from MHX ( also Castaway and Amtack ) , so they have to know know who i am as they need to ship it to me. I get a catalog with every delivery with some companies, none with others. I register the blanks in my name and that is it. I tell the customer about the warranty and that it is transferable. I normally ask where they want the MHX decal put on t
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Bill, email sent with link.
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Bob, as always you guys are a class act!
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There were some interesting results from a fellow who froze his mixed epoxy about 6 or so months back. Do a search.
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dang and i placed my order late last night!
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I guess its true what my wife says: I am getting senile. I was filing some new build specifications away last night and found the build sheet for a 9 wt TFO that i made with a reversible butt so it can be used as a spinning rod. That pilot still raves about it. It used Minima 4's in size 4 with 9 wt line. The butt guide setup cut spinning cast distance a little(maybe 10 to 15 ft with nylon, l
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Thanks Tom!
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Tom, Thanks. But my whole problem is no frame of reference: My lightest current fly rod is a 9 weight. I have no idea if a 6 ceramic will pass a 4 wt fly line and nail knot to backing.
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I use minima 4 fly and spinning guides for most my spinning and casting rod builds. Now i am venturing into an area i seldom go: light fly rods. I want to build a small 8 ft 4 wt fly rod to use this winter. First question: Using a 4 wt line and nail knots for leader and backing what size guides would i use? Would 4 or 5's be too small? Second Q: For my stripping guides i was tossing around t
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If you can get the smaller diameter EVA in another color like black, you could add pink trim rings or stipes. You can buy pink sheets of eva at most the hobby shops. A 24 pack with a whole bunch of colors is around $3 so you could candy stripe it . Pink and black look great in combination.
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On the CP: some you can heat some you will get crystals in it if you heat it, depends on the brand. You CAN heat flexcoat CP. I do it all the time with a hair drier on low. But don't assume just because the surface is dry its ok to coat with epoxy, depending how thick you put it on, and how many coats, it can still be wet underneath. My rodbond and quickbond both dry to a hard consistency i c
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Maryann, this is how i do it for what that is worth: I get that glue stick very cold. I take a nutmeg grater and grate it into little particles. I then keep particles in a medicine/pill bottle. Its about like a fine grind Parmesan cheese. I use a small pinch in the tip top and heat until it just sizzles(a second or two is all it take) put the tip top onto the rod and when almost seated well sp
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Tom, I am reading that to mean that you are replacing last year's photos and we need to submit new ones or are these in addition?
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If you apply the x/16ths rule: A size 4 vibrax is 3/8ths oz i seem to recall. A 6 weight blank would work if you are not going bigger lures than that. A 6 fly should also deal with 10 to 12 LB class line. I have used a TFO blank in 9 weight to build a spin/fly combo for a pilot that obviously travels a lot. I used Minima 4's in size 6 ( about a regular size 8 guide) as running guides and 16 t
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Tom, i fish amongst the pier rats from time to time and have seen that setup too. From your GSP pier through to Fort Walton it is a common rig. You can get more for an green Mitchell or old Penn down there than they were ever when new many years ago. Stood next to them with one of those Castaway discontinued blanks (blue color) that cost $15 a year or so back. Its a 4 or 5 power mag bass bla
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The rod blank that works the best for me for powerbaiting trout is a Mudhole CRB IS561L stretched out to 6ft 2in. The rating is fast but in reality it feels more med to me and with powerbait that is a very good thing. Much beyond a med to med fast and the pea sized piece of bait flies off on the cast. You often have to use a single barbless hook like a mosquito style one in #6 or #8 : that does
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I have been very happy with Thread-master Lite for thin epoxy work (some types of marbling, transparent wraps and other good penetration requirements).
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I have just come back from a Perdido key trip where the SJ9000 from Mudhole landed reds up to 18 lbs. Not from a yak but from the side, and i use the aero grip too. 10.5 inch handle, split grip.Never once felt like i was running out of stopping power.Fly #4 Minima 4's as running guides, 25,16 8 M frame minima 4's to get the line there,ALPS #6 tip and a 2500 Daiwa with 8# stealth braid. Used the
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Right there those two seminars make my journey from Memphis worth while. Thanks Tom for going to the effort.
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That size 50 reel for 8 or 10 LB line on a 7 ft rod sounds like its on the large side to me. Maybe its a species/fishing technique specific requirement but if not i would be looking at a size 25 or 30 reel tops.Smaller if you are using braid and or Daiwa reels as they have deeper spools. The lower diameter, longer spooled reel will cast further many times and reel manufacturers often tout that
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Tommy you have mail.
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Dave, use a gun case for your travel rod. BPS has them from around $15 and there is a massive choice. Its flat and that gets around all your objections for packing. Wallyworld carries them too.Your reel can go in it too and it goes in the trunk and you can pile stuff on top of it no problem.You can custom cut the foam inside to suit whatever you want to carry too.I build rods for my buddy's int
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On a multi piece rod i like to join the pieces by pushing the pieces together but off by 90 degrees. Then the last bit twist clockwise so they are no longer off. Sort of screw them together if that makes sense. I make alignment marks with feather hackles or little decal dots. This twisting stops what you are referring to and over a few years fishing actually wears a very slight thread where they
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Phil, i would doubt it, but would love to know about a method if there is one somebody has found that works. I have tried boiling, that just weakened the cork and made it mush. Pressure cooker same.Dye in strong solvents like acetone and some MEK i had lying around. None worked better than a coating of acrylic paint and looked considerably worse very quickly. I currently use a powdered filler f
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Tom, yes most folks are not aware of that difference between line class and line test,sadly true in many big box tackle stores where my conversation and testing took place.
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