Hi, New member and it has been 30 years since I built a fly rod. Needless to say, technology, resources, and opinions have changed. I've already "binged" on a lot of very useful and interesting forum content (threads, FAQs, library) - but forgive me if I've overlooked the following. When I built my rods, I followed the advice of L.A. Garcia who, as I understand it, was a propone
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So I've seen a lot on guide prep about shaping and fililng down the leading edge of the guides. My question is can you also file down/shape the sides of the guide to reduce the gap when rapped. I have a guide that when rapped has a signifigant space under the thread that I don't think you could get filled with epoxy and stay hollow. I'm thinking of just reducing the guides edges to get a smoother
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With all due and deserved respect to Mr. Forhan, what actually “locks” the guide in place with the Forhan Locking Wrap? While additional wraps around the blank or guide leg may resist the guide from the dreaded “pull-out”, I fail to see how it actually “locks” the guide in place. What am I missing? I am here to learn.
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So, there has to be a better way of straightening guides. After I meticulously wrapped every guide perfectly, I stand back and admire my work and think to myself, I'm really getting somewhere now. Then I straighten the guides and for some, it causes a slight wrinkle, or it causes the threads to overlap just a hair at the foot, maybe scrunch up. If I used NCP thread or if I used Nylon thread with
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Any idea where I could find a tip top with a tube size .8mm and 1.0 mm (which is a 2/64 and 2.5/64)? I want to make a few ice rods and the tip top on the blanks are very small. Thanks Dave
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Dear sir, I have read as much as I can find on the KR system setup, rod templates and guide pairings etc. I am presently building a special purpose KR system, micro guide, 10', spinning rod. I think I understand guide size and basic placement. I have measured my 2500 size reel spool and multiplied this by 27 to calculate the choke guide location. Option A. Most information I have found sa
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Defining sensitivity as the transmission of subtle bites to the hand, and resonant frequency as the frequency of free vibration after the tip is deflected and released (butt tightly secured, no weight attached to the tip) , is sensitivity proportional to resonant frequency? In other words, the higher the resonant frequency the more sensitive a blank/rod is?
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I've read and participated in a few threads where people have wondered what things like the thread for guide wraps, and the finish to cover that thread, actually add to the weight of a rod. So I figured I'd post results for that kind of thing, and some other particulars, on the build I just finished on one of the new RX10 Eternity blanks. The blank is an ETEC72M-SS. It weighed 1.95 oz. I built it
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I would like to try my first ever spiral guide wrap and had a few questions. Background: I have read up on the different methods and the principal of how the line should flow through the guides. I have three rods ready for guides, an SJ736, MB765 NEO cut down to 6'9", and an MB 7108 for flipping Coosa grass and river brush. Fishing Alabama bass, Largemouth, and the occasional hybrid.
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Hello all, i had a minor incident and wanted to get your thoughts on best way to deal with this minor damage. I had a trunk lid close (not too hard) onto the rod, but it looks like more of a scratch than anything else. Still, i was thinking of using some UV resin or epoxy on the area to prevent any micro cracks from growing. It is on the second piece from the handle on a 4 piece rod. I hav
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What is the best finish for a turned burl fly seat? It is stabilized and I'm looking for a nice gloss finish. Is epoxy acceptable or permagloss. Thanks as always
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Latest build places guide about on the ferrule. First I have encountered this. Have not paid much attention to how other rods have been wrapped in this situation. If I wrap as usual I will have about 1/4 inch gap between my ferrule wrap and guide wrap. Do I do that. Or wrap it all as one. I typically do a trim wrap on both ends of the ferrule and a trim wrap on the guide wrap. If I do as one wra
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I have a 9 ft jig pole that I like the action because of the fantastic way it handles catching a fish but it's a jig pole and I am using it as a casting rod but need more cast length of very light jigs. The jig pole has jig pole line guides. The lowest line guides (butt guides and up) on a spinning rod are much larger than the other guides but on a jig pole, they don’t vary as much in size. I ass
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Spin-casters get to choose between monofilament and braided lines. Should the choice of using nylon monofilament or gelspun braid make any difference in which guides to recommend?
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I am getting back into making rods after having made 3 in the last ten years. Clearly many advancements have been made. Last I knew, Fuji New Concept in Alconite was the way to go. Small, light and more guides for stress distribution is clearly what i am seeing in factory and customs, not too different than in the past. Here is the big question that will surely get ideas tossed around....what
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Until I joined this site I never really heard so much about weight reduction. Since joining and reading most of the topics, it seems that there is a huge belief that the less weight...the better. I can understand that a fisherman doesn't want to cast a 2lb. rod all day when he can cast one in ounces. However, I really can't understand cutting grams will make a better more desirable rod. Are rod
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Hey! On my first rod when doing the static test I measured the distance between the blank and the line at its furthest point (running guide part) in order to get an accurate placement. I managed to get 7mm / 2/8inches. I am currently doing the static test for my second rod (spinning) and I was wondering what is your max distance from the blank to the line while static testing at 45 degrees?
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Hello, I’m building a my first rod for inshore use. Currently I have several rods, a Loomis, Kissler , and Waterloo. They all have small guides, I’m not sure if they qualify as microguides, but they are very small. At first I did not care for the small size, but over time I have actually gotten used to them and prefer them. I have a medium heavy, fast action, 7’6” blank from NFC for the build
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I'm building a UL trout spinning rod for our pastor. I turned a reel seat insert from boxelder burl which I bought on @#$%&, since my previous supplier, Steve Kincaid, retired. This block was much softer, generated more dust and didn't seem to be fully impregnated as those i had previously used. Also, the medium CA finish I applied had thickened in storage and, obviously, went on thicker than
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Hey! I am currently building a 1/8-3/8oz rod 7'2" for perch and I am trying to achieve somewhat of a light build. (micro guides + 5.6oz ci4 stradic 1000 + 1.9oz rainshadow blank) My question is: Apart from the rubberized cork butt end, is there a real durability benefit in adding burl/rubberized cork accent on the grips or is it purely cosmetic? Looked everywhere for the information
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I looked over my favorite fishing rods that get a lot of use the other day. Then, I made a decision. Time to do some restoration work on the grips. Sure, one can build a new rod and or modify an existing rod, but if a particular rod works very very well - it is nice to just freshen it up a bit. So, I took 16 of the rods that I use on a nearly daily basis and took them to the laundry
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I viewed a video a short while ago by Flex Coat demonstrating a locking technique for wrapping micro guides in order to help minimize the possibility of having the guide yanked free should one get the line wrapped around the guide for whatever reason, for example while fighting a fish. Is this...or should this be standard technique for these small guides, especially for saltwater application? I
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As the title suggests, what is your favorite blank for a skagir rod" Tight lines and frisky fish. RJF
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I plan on making a couple ultralight rods that I will use 8-10 lb braid on, probably either Sufix 832 or Power Pro. My typical UL reduction train is a Fuji 16H, 8H, 5.5M, then down to runners with KBs as needed. I have read in various places that since braid is softer with virtually no line memory, it does not benefit as much from the larger stripper guide. Can I go down to 12H, or 10H? Other par
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Why are Fuji KTs available up to size 10 while KBs are only available to size 6? With the larger foot of the KB, I would think it should be the other way around. While 95% of my saltwater rods employ conventional reels, I would like to build a 20lb live-bait spinning rod utilizing a 4000 size reel with 50lb braid. As many of you might suspect, I am using a vintage Conolon blank that has a 9/64in
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So, I started building rods a few years ago. Some of my fishing buddies started urging me to build some for them. I look at this site, and I see how technical everyone is, very technical with the guides, how many, where to place and weight. the weight of the guides! Rods and there flexes, composites, graphite, fiberglass, actions and power. So the other day a co-worker wanted a 7ft inshore rod, M
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I have been looking at Microwave guides, and reading reviews. Lots of people think highly of them. Can anyone point me to data that looks at the casting distance one might get from them vs, for example, a Fuji KR Concept setup? I have been using Fujis for years and have been pleased. Always happy to try something new if there is good reason to do it. One reason I hesitate is that the running guid
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Sorry if this sounds like a trivial question, but I always find contouring the guide feet in general to be a pain in the neck. On most small guides, I have always used sand paper for the most part...sand paper in one hand and guide in the other. This was usually for fly rod guides. It was still a pain in the neck, but at least the guides had some length to them so you could have some meat to h
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Although coming from the composite industry, I just recently fabricated my first foam-core, CF-skinned grip. Observations of the pre, actual, and post process has prompted me to offer my experience of the process and end results. Admittedly, they do not fall in-line with what I have learned to be the accepted properties/attributes/qualities of foam-core grips; specifically weight (objective) and
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Hi:I looked in the library but no mention of this. When locating the spine on a 4 piece fly rod do you spine each piece individually? Seems like this would be necessary except for the butt piece maybe...
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