Which rods for 2nd and 3rd?

[localwaters]

I decided to start with a 5wt 9ft for trout in the great lakes area, then I purchased a 7wt 9ft, and 8wt 9ft which covers most other freshwater species. That's my personal .o2.

Also as you move into the larger wt rods you may want to consider a tip flex which makes for some easier casting and presentation.

 

[trowpa]

UPDATE: Here is the current plan (giving fair chance for someone to talk me out of it)

Building both rods.

1st - cheap kit to practice the process - looking at the 7'6" 4wt Cabelas IM7 kit for $70. It will give me a backup rod and a shorter rod to use for my wild stream adventures. Yet its cheap enough i don't mind using it to learn how to build and make mistakes.

2nd - for my "nice" rod that will hopefully become my new all around rod, I've decided on the Dan Craft FTXL. 9' 5wt.
http://www.dancraftent.com/detail/index.cfm?nPID=2346


I have some cabelas gift certs and will take a trip there tonight or tomorrow to get a few things for building as well as possibly a new vise so i hope to pick the kit up if they have it.

And while i get used to the rod building process and read every tutorial and watch every video known to man about it, start picking out components for the FTXL .

Ok - anyone want to talk me out of this plan??

 

[MattBoyer]

I built about 10 spinning rods and 5 fly rods before I bought a "nice" blank. I'm not saying it won't turn out well, but I was learning for quite some time. That being said, none of my "practice" rods have broken yet, they just weren't as pretty as some of the later ones.

Boyer

 

[jayL]

Towpa,

Go for it.

My first and only build is my primary use rod. I got the 9' 5wt loomis gl3 kit.

The wraps aren't too great.

I left a "nipple" at each spot where I trimmed the thread.

I've had to reattach the tip top and the reel seat/cap. I used zap-a-gap, and froze the reel seat rings in the process. I broke the reel seat when I tried to free them, and fished with a reel that spun around the blank for a year. I finally fixed that with more zap-a-gap. It's just an ugly, yet totally effective rod now. I love it dearly.

I'm not big on making it look great. I am content with fishing with the fruits of my labor, no matter how mediocre. If you want to go for looks, then by all means wait until you are comfortable with that aspect of building.

Go for it, and don't worry.

 

[trowpa]

Matt - thanks for the warning. If that's what I find with my cheap kit - that it looks too ugly for me to want to attempt the dan craft, I guess I have the option of practicing more by buing more cheap blanks or if i'm impatient to have the ftxl built, paying a builder to do it for me.

Its hard to tell how I'll do at this without trying it - so its good to get a dose of reality from people like you who have done it. thanks.

 

[trowpa]

Jayl - thanks - guess that's the other side of the spectrum from matt. I'm no perfectionist (anyone that has seen my flies can tell you that). I use my equipment and flies as tools, not art. However i do have one custom surf rod a friend of mine built and I do enjoy owning that rod for the sheer beauty. So i will do my best, but won't stress if its not perfect as long as it is functionally correct and fishes well.

I'm excited to start though. This will be an adventure.

 

[afishinado]

Great plan. I did the same, I bought a cheap blank with a kit and built my first rod. I took my time, and it actually came out pretty well. I learned from that rod and progressed as I built a few more. Go for it! Just take your time and enjoy. Post your progress too.

 

[jayL]

I should clarify that I definitely do my best to make it look good. I take pride in that.

I guess my point is that I had no problem with going straight to the kit I wanted, and accepting the results as long as it worked like a prettier rod would have worked.

I expect improvement in my next build, and I expect it in any builds I do after that... it's just not a requirement.

 

[PennKev]

You can practice your thread wraps and finishing prior to actually building a rod. This will go a long way toward building a good looking rod.

I would recommend buying an extra set of wrap finish epoxy along with your kit. (The cabela's kits have small pre-measured packs of finish and there is no extra.) With the full-size epoxy kit you will have enough to practice as much as you would like. Practice your wrapping and finishing on carbon arrow shafts. They work well as they are very similar to rod blanks. Wal-mart sells cheap arrows that will work and most archery shops have piles of damaged shafts for free. Put a few wraps on the shafts and then finish them as if it was a rod. Learning what it takes to get a nice clean wrap and a neat coat(s) of finish is the biggest obstacle for beginner rod builders and really sets apart the beautiful rods from the disasters. The beauty is in the execution and not so much the complexity of the wraps and finish. Also, there is plenty of info on the web to help you. Once you are satisfied with your wrapping and finishing technique you can move on to the real deal.

Kev

 

[trowpa]

UPDATE on this thread:

I finished my first build last week. a 7'6" RX7 4wt kit from H&H. had one casting session on it so far, but haven't got a chance to fish it yet (this weekend was CRAZY with work).

The build process was fairly easy and enjoyable. Its not perfect by any means, but it is functional and handsome.

Rod casts very well - slightly faster than my current 8'6" 4wt. Should be a nice rod for my wild stream adventures and I'm glad i did it.

I will probably build more rods in my future, but stay with cheaper blanks. Perhaps build a 6 or 7wt in the future with a decent "value" blank. It really is enjoyable and satisfying.

I love the Z-axis and think that i'd rather go factory for that versus build.. as I want the easier warranty (replace a built rod versus a blank), love the look of the factory wrap colors anyway, and don't want to hamper the action by my own mistakes. I will compare the 2piece and 4piece versions and cast the exact rod I want to buy. Expensive for sure this route, but for my MAIN rod i will keep for a decade or more - yes. worth it.

Now - to find the $$$$ ...