Wanting info to get started...
.....on learning to build fly rods.
I have been considering for a good while the merits of building my own rods.
Frankly not too many come to mind except the same thought that came to mind when I started tying my own flies to save a buck. No one WARNED me about that one (many happy hours and oh so much poorer).
Now is the chance to warn a guy. Can a buck be saved by building a rod yourself. I am not talking of over the top high end rods . Just good (ok maybe a little better than good) and
decent quality rods that I wouldnt normally be able to afford.
Thoughts and opinions are hearby being sought out from those who should know (or maybe should know better :) ).
Where to start for beginners books . Simple ,easy to understand (lots of pictures too) and again inexpensive.
Thank you in advance for any input that is offered.
Perch
To build or not to build...
In my limited experience, (3 rods built,) you can save money by building top end rods, or you can build a mid-range custom (like my Sage VT-2) with better than standard components and the satisfaction of having done it yourself. You won't save anything on the cheaper end rods, but the satisfaction (for me) offsets the cost. My last project was on a Cabela's Traditional II blank that only ended up costing about twice what a complete rod was, but that's because I couldn't resist the beautiful reel seat in my local shop.
I say go for it - a H&H kit and Al's tutorial on this site are great places to start!
Cliff