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okay here is my situation. i am in the market for a new fly rod like what i see but i am looking in the cabelas magazine and you can buy blanks and a kit for rather cheaper then buying the rod. i guess i have few questions.
1. do i need any special tools?
2. they come with "directions" it says will they be helpful enough?
3. is it going to be a mess to were i just waste money because its my first and i will have a little idea of what to do properly?
any information would be great!
Deon
Deon,
Check out this link; http://www.flyanglersonline.com/begin/graphite/
Then get with Steve at Mid West Custom Rod Builders. He's a member her at FAOL. He's very helpful and a great guy to deal with. You can also check out Hook & Hackle. They are sponsors here and also very helpful. Most of all;
Have Fun,
I built my first rod with a cardboard box with notches cut in each end for a wrapper. thread tension was controlled by how many books I stacked on top of the one the thread was run through. Your first rod will have flaws. Chances are your hundreth rod will have flaws too; they just won't be as evident to anyone else. One of the things you lose in building your own is the manufacturere's warranty. Blanks are usually warrantied but you lose any components you can't salvage and have to do the rebuild even if you found that you don't like rod building that much. If you follow directions you will end end up with a fishable rod. If you follow directions carefully you will have a rod you are proud of.
so you guys think i should go for it?
Deon
Absolutely! My first was built using a cardboard box like rainbow chaser describes, and my fly tying bobbin hanging off of the side for thread tension. It worked fine. Do your research, take your time and ask a lot of questions. You can build a nice rod on your first try if you are patient. :)
I built my first one in 2001. It's still my favorite 7 wt. I have a crooked guide, but it fished fine. I just did not double check the guides lining up before applying the finish to the wraps. But it catches fish just like other rods. I am about to do my second rod. Long time in between but I'll do more, I am sure. I have no special tools. A guy gave me a rod wrapping stand that is simply two wood V-Blocks with felt lining. But like others have said, a cardboard box would do the same thing.
Go for it!
I would say yes, go for it. You don't need special tools unless you are building a lot of rods. Read Al Campbell's 12 part series cited above. Mudhole.com has several online videos that are helpful.
http://www.mudhole.com/Rod-Building-101/Videos
You may find you really like rod building. At worse, you will end up with a fishable rod.
Like others have said, do lots of research. Check out as many rod building websites you can find. Along with the previous mentions sites, Jann's Netcraft http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/rod-building/ is a great source.
There are many Internet videos and book available on the subject. I found Art Scheck's book: Fly Rod Building Made Easy very informative. it covers the entire process. Start with a book to see what all the process's are, then watch videos of each process to learn how each process is done.
Only if you have room in your life and wallet for another addicting hobby! :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by deon
Seriously though it is pretty fun. There is something special about catching a fish using a rod you built. My first rod looked like crap, granted I was 13 years old when I made it, but it worked just fine and I still have it. Give it a try. At worst your out a few bucks. You'll end up with a fishable rod either way.
Yonks
Deon,
By all means go for it. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to wrap a rod. Even I can do it. That must mean it's easy to do. You do get a great amount of satifaction from doing yourself. If you get stuck you can always ask questions here, guys are great at giving great advice here. I've bought several Cabelas kits and they are a quality kit. Have fun and let us know how it's going.
Beaver
Another good resource is www.rodbuildingforum.com
I'm in the process of building my first rod. I'm also lucky enough to be working with a guy from my fly club who is really into building rods. It's great to have someone with experience to demonstrate and give you advice, plus the fact that he has ALL the equipment needed to build rods. Look around and see if there is anyone near you that can give you a hand the first time. It will help eliminate some of those rookie mistakes.
Besides Al Cambell's series I read Handcrafting a Graphite Fly Rod by L. A. Garcia. Good information, good pictures to guide you through the steps.
I think the other posters are right. This may become as addicting as the fly tying and fly fishing. I'm going to need a bigger area in the basement.
CJ
Deon,
Check out my interview with Ron Weiss, the owner of Hook and Hackle. It's on this very subject. I think it'll give you the final little push you need. Just click on the podcast #4 at the bottom of the home page, and then scroll down to find the archives of podcasts. Click on the one that has hook and hackle in the heading. You should be able to listen to it on your computer without downloading it to an ipod!
Can't wait to see your finished rod,
TT.