Rod Build Thread
- Thread starter JimNovo
- Start date
The rod looks great
An experiment right out of the Clemens book I always wanted to try... A 6' 8" 8 piece #2. Made from 2 cheap, identical, 6.5' 4 piece #2/3 blanks, one for the rod itself and one for the spigot ferrules. It packs into a 14" graphite tube. Teamed with a cheap, tiny reel and a small assortment of flies, it takes up little luggage space. Perfect for me, someone who rarely vacations with another angler.
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6xAdams(Jones)
Well-known member
Now that Ron Popiel is no longer with us, you can market this as the next "Pocket (Fly) Fisherman."
Love the single foot guides, multi-color wraps, and the twill pattern on the blanks. That blank looks nearly identical to a couple of 2-weights I made last winter. Were yours purchased from an outfit in PA?
bigjohn358
Well-known member
I like that color scheme! Turned out nice!
The blanks were rated as 2-3wt. I was hoping for deep bending, slow blanks because I knew all those spigots would stiffen things up. I also used heavier spin guides to hopefully add some weight, especially to the tip, to fight the stiffness. It worked! The spigots are uneven in length, but everything fits and I lawn cast it when done, settling on a WF-2. We'll see what the real verdict is when I get it on the water.
No, they were Chinese and as cheap as I could get them. If the whole experiment was a " learning experience", I didn't want it to be an expensive one.
Gray Wolf offers their truly professional version of this. They are beauties compared to my diy effort. For me, it was, "can I pull it off"? And "what did I learn"?
Thanks. It looks better in pictures. Kinda Frankenstein in person. The metallic wraps at the ferrules was a bit of a nod to "blued" metal ferrules. I took the term literally and liked the looks of the three threads. They match the reel seat acrylic colors.
Wanted to share I just finished up my McFarland GTX glass 8’6” 6wt yesterday. Went with a stealth build on this one . Black wraps , carbon fiber grip and fighting butt , rec titanium guides . This is going to be my all around round this summer. Super excited about this one . Thanks for looking
6xAdams(Jones)
Well-known member
That's a really nice rod, Vt.
I plan on making a glass rod someday, but I'll probably keep it more traditional.
If you had gone with black guides, it would have really been "murdered out" as the kids used to say about black cars with no chrome.
A few questions...
Not a fan of hook keepers?
Who makes the reel seat? (Carbon fiber or powder-coated metal?)
Is it more/less difficult than cork to hollow the carbon fiber grip to accept the blank?
Did you use a stent for the grip/reel seat?
(Finally) Did you gloss the whole blank, or was it made that way?
Thanks.
6XAdams(Jones)
I don’t hate hook keepers I just don’t like the look of them , don’t feel a need for one , when I can hook my fly on the stripping guide.
The reel seat is made by Alps and it is aluminum.
The carbon grip reams out as easy cork does to fit the blank. I have found though that if you use a sandpaper reamer that tje carbon grip holds some little pieces of sand from the paper and will scratch your nice blank when test fitting, that’s why only use a round file for reaming them ,
I have never used a stent on any builds of mine . I can usually find a reel seat that fits the blank .
The blank came that glossy . I just put glossy spar varnish on the wraps.
I don’t hate hook keepers I just don’t like the look of them , don’t feel a need for one , when I can hook my fly on the stripping guide.
The reel seat is made by Alps and it is aluminum.
The carbon grip reams out as easy cork does to fit the blank. I have found though that if you use a sandpaper reamer that tje carbon grip holds some little pieces of sand from the paper and will scratch your nice blank when test fitting, that’s why only use a round file for reaming them ,
I have never used a stent on any builds of mine . I can usually find a reel seat that fits the blank .
The blank came that glossy . I just put glossy spar varnish on the wraps.
