When I was a young man, had a chance to talk to Dick Swan, and we worked on a rod design to fish for smallmouth bass with light line. He build me an 8 foot -1 peice rod, he called a "bike rod". He had never built a rod like it, but made one up. Because a one piece blanks that long did not exist, he used a two piece rod blank and built the handle on the butt section of the rod, with
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Check out the Microlite blanks from Janns NetCraft.
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Look at Jann Netcraft Sportsman series IM6 blanks. Easy on the wallet, slow and not too expensive.. Great bang for the buck..
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Harry, get with me some time, and we can go thru some basics.. also have a couple of two handers we can work with. If you can snap a towel, you can fly cast..
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Bill is a Class Act. He came to the Michigan Rod Builders round up and gave a presentation that covered all of his products, and the industry as a whole.
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I use it a lot. I got the ultra fine multi-colored glitter from Michaels. A little will indeed go a long way, I use the high build with glitter in it, and it really does give the rod little subtle flair.
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Hi Harry, Did you make it to the Round-up.. If so, I missed you.. I am building a 4 wt 7 1/2 fly rod as we speak...
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Why bother with the transition from the fireline to the mono.. I fish the fireline directly tied to 1/32 oz jigs in clear water, and tied directly to small crank baits. It works fine. I really like the Microwave system Nanolite guides ..
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See you there...
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Just a thought, but what about Coats and Clark trilobal silver (ART D87 C2 230)?
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See you there...We had a great time last year.
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I have built several using the American Matrex 3 wt 7'9 inch blank, matched up with KG guides and 4 lb nanofil. Usually with a 1000 series reel. In open water, they will handle trout, smallmouth, and small pike, and are perfect for throwing 1/32 to 1/16 oz jigs. If the rod is going to be used in the river, I would go a little heaver. Still waiting to build on a batson inshore poping rod..
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Looking forward to the gathering. Last year was nice, and the presentations were very good. Great Sponsors and a nice place to meet..I think I may bring smoked chicken this year, and two new builders... Thanks Don .
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I have used several of the rod blanks from Janns Netcrafter. The microlite blanks have a black and orange paint finish on them that can be sanded off. The blanks are ultra light depending upon which blank you get.
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American Matrix 3 wt fly-rod blank. A finished rod wiill throw 1/32 oz jigs on 4 lb nanofil like it was chucking a stone... I am building a new one with Microwave guides as we speak.
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Look at the kits from Janns NetCraft too. Nice blank, and the kit is complete with everything you need.
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I have built several Ice rods using the Microlite blanks available at Janns NetCraft. Janns also has the tiptops for the blanks, They are 2/64th inch, so that gives you an idea of how fine they are at the top. I use fly rod guides on my rods, and trim some of the extra metal off of the feet of the guides before I wrap them on. The blanks are black with an orange tip, and come in lengths up to
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I have just finished 3 panfish rods. 2 from fly rod blanks, (AMX-792 and Janns 7'6" 4 wt blank -both with Fuji-K guides) and one with Fuji Y guides on a ISP-842. All three use nonofil 4 lb test or fireline 4 lb test and are very light and very good casters, casting 1/32 tube jigs and 1/16th jigs with great feel. I am in the process of building an IP-840, and am thinking about using the
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Batson 840 popping rod blank in 7 ft..
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Just talked to Carol at Utmost the other day, and she sent me an E-Mail the same day, Monday of this week. I am calling from Coldwater, Michigan, and have been doing business with them for over a year. Usually not a problem contacting them.
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I built and use the If 1087 7 wt switch rod. It is a beast!!! Absolute best Bang for the Buck out there...!
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2 ways to go. .... 1) *get some Morton's Smoke Flavored Sugar Cure... Keep the skin on your fish, and rub the sugar cure into the flesh. Place the fish in a large pan, skin side down, make sure the pan is large and deep enough that you can lay the next piece of fish directly over the first, flesh to flesh. Put it in the frig overnight. In the morning, there will be a nasty liquid that wi
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I plan on being there, Lord Willing..
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4 lb Nanofil has been my line of choice lately, but you need to make sure that when you tie the "Nano knot", you get it good and wet. It cast like thread and has no stretch..
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I've been waiting to see something on this blank, I have been fishing UL and building rod from fly rod blanks for years, and even had D. Swan build my first custom rod for me back in the early 80's. That rod was an 8 ft 1 piece rod built on a Lamiglas blank, and I had it for several years until it was broken in transit. I then started to build on fly rod blanks, but could never find another 1 p
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The anglersroost enterprises reels are a great buy/ bang for the buck. I have one of the 104 spey reels, and have seen 3 of the 201 reels. They are the real deal.... If you want a click pay, try and find an Islander IR reel. Probably the best click paw reel ever made.
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I have built 3 spinning rods using the micro KB. They work very well. They sit on the blank nicely, and the thread runs up the guide foot with little problem.
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I am in Coldwater, Vic Heal is in Bronson, Pete Secrest is in Muskeon Hts, and Jerry Haight is in Otsego.. there are a few out state builders around.
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We also have a face book page, if you want to join, just go to Michigan Rod Builders on Face book and ask to join... Great bunch of guys.
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Best of both worlds... Coat of Epoxy over PermaGloss...
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