thought I'd give this a try

[EclecticAngler]

Hello everyone, I'm the proprietor of The Eclectic Angler. A lot of people have been visiting our site coming from this thread! That's how I discovered it.

whheff, great job on your reel! I like the way the bluing turned out.

I'd be happy to answer any questions or provide more details on our kits. The instructions are available for all of our products for download so you can see what you are getting in to.

My book, The Reelsmith's Primer, was also published last year and it shows you how to make a similar reel but starting with raw materials instead of a pre-cut kit. My "reel" mission is to show and teach anglers that they can make their own reels. I'd been tying flies and making graphite, fiberglass and bamboo rods for decades and always wanted to build my own reel. So I spent a few years figuring it out and now, teaching others how they can do it too. Once you've made the first reel, the possibilities for modifications and customization are endless. Here are some of my reels that are from this basic design:

I'm sure you can see the family resemblance!

cheers,
Michael
aka The Eclectic Angler

 

[bikerfish]

Michael, thanks for posting here! love the pics. my girlfriend is working on hers now, she's in no hurry though, which is a good thing, I told her to just be patient and not rush it and it will come out awesome.
will post pics when finished, I'll send some to your blog as well.

 

[EclecticAngler]

That's the right approach, just be patient and follow the directions! It will come out great and I am looking forward to seeing it!

cheers,
Michael