Creating a Banty Rod - Help

[SteveW]

Good morning,

I was on a family vacation to Oregon last summer and recieved an older cane rod called a Roaring River Special built by Ben Cagle in 1970. It is in bad sahpe and needs refurbished. It is by my best estimate an 8-10 weight rod. It has three sections that measure about 3 1/2 feet per. I love fishing the small creeks of NW Arkansas and Southwest Missouri and a refurbished 8-10 weight would not suit the small creeks and tight cover I fish.

I have been doing some research and came upon the Banty ord idea. Last night, I put the top two sections together and gave it a wiggle or two and it seems fine for a Banty rod. However, the 2 sections measure about 6 feet 6 inches when put together.

Now comes the questions:
1st- Is 6'6" too long for a conversion using the top two sections?
2nd - About what line weight would the conversion be?
3rd - Are there any good books about refinishing a bamboo rod or converting one into a banty rod.
4th - Is there any rod builders on this form or do you know of somebody I could contact about letting me call and or email them during the process when I have a question.

Just trying to get some ideas in place, before I get started.

Thanks
Steve

[mr. blur]

1-no
2-line weight would prolly be the same.
3-michael sinclair's book on rod restoration. I forget the name, but it's $75 and worth every $.
4-dleo on this board does fantastic work and is very helpful when I started a refinish earlier this year.

[SteveP]

Mr. Blur I must dis agree with you on #2 I have built many banties wit just the top two pieces of a boo rodand I found that most times when I want a 3/4wt. I need to find a 8/9wt. sometimes a 7wt. I just finished an 8wt that casts my 3wt trinagle taper like a dream and both top sections were 6ft. combined. I love to build banties and have to date built about 10-12 formyself as well as others and love them for dinking around with big blue gills they really can bend the snot out of a 3wt 6' boo rod. I really can't tell you what your rod weight might be but I have had some 9wts that came out in the 2 - 5wt. rangs and it really depends on the taper that the rod was originally built on because in the same breath I finished a 7wt. that turned out to be a nice 4wt after all was said and done. As far as books go I really can't tell you anything there I have never seen a book about banties but there are a ton out there about refinishing boo. 6'6" is a great length for a banty matter of fact I wish I had a 66er all the ones I have made for myself are 6' and shoreter to 5' so a 66er would be great.

Steve

[mr. blur]

Mr. Blur I must dis agree with you on #2 I have built many banties wit just the top two pieces of a boo rodand I found that most times when I want a 3/4wt. I need to find a 8/9wt. sometimes a 7wt. I just finished an 8wt that casts my 3wt trinagle taper like a dream and both top sections were 6ft. combined. I love to build banties and have to date built about 10-12 formyself as well as others and love them for dinking around with big blue gills they really can bend the snot out of a 3wt 6' boo rod. I really can't tell you what your rod weight might be but I have had some 9wts that came out in the 2 - 5wt. rangs and it really depends on the taper that the rod was originally built on because in the same breath I finished a 7wt. that turned out to be a nice 4wt after all was said and done. As far as books go I really can't tell you anything there I have never seen a book about banties but there are a ton out there about refinishing boo. 6'6" is a great length for a banty matter of fact I wish I had a 66er all the ones I have made for myself are 6' and shoreter to 5' so a 66er would be great.

Steve

I'll buy that.
you've got more experience w. it than I do.

[Bamboozle]

Steve:

No experience here but an idea and an opinion:

A little duct tape and a reel or two with a few line weights will better tell you what line weight is best for your banty.

A 6'6" rod is an EXCELLENT length for a banty. I recently ran into a banty builder on a small stream and he and his partner were fishing SWEET 6'6" rods. I was fishing glass and I have to say I was a bit jealous.

Good luck with the project.

[Kaboom1]

Steve

Just strip a few yards of line off of a reel and stick the reel in a pocket. Works great!

Brad

[MontanaMoose]

Hello SteveW, there's also the option of creating a separate handle that the mid and tip sections plug into. In this way you can easily make the 6'6" into a 7' or a bit more if you like.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[bamboo1963]

SteveW,
Go to your local hardware store and pick up a 1" wooden dowel. When you get it home, cut off a length anywhere from 10-12 inches long.
Take the male ferrule from the mid-section of the rod and match it up to a drill bit that is just a tad smaller than the ferrule.
Drill a hole into the middle of one end of the dowel, being careful to drill as straight as possible.
Slide the mid-section of the rod into the dowel making sure it is a snug fit. Tape a reel onto the the dowel and try casting it.
This should tell you two things:
1) Will it make a good casting rod that is worth refurbishing.
2) What size line works well with the rod.
If you feel the rod will work well with just the two sections, you can make a handle section with just a reelseat, grip, and a female ferrule. This way you can restore the whole rod and be able to have a two or three piece rod, whatever the water you are fishing dictates at the time.
The rod completely put together may make a good bass fishing rod.
I had a rod restored a few years back and then had Mike Longuil make a handle for me, so that I can use the rod either way and did not lose the integrity of the rod in case I decide to sell it someday.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
Bob
P.S. Here is Mike Longuil's website: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1wz7o/bamboomike1.html

[Spoonplugger]

Steve,
I'd first CC the rod to see what your really starting with, than CC the two sections to see what you'll end up with. Quick and easy answers before you put to much work in.

[RS1]

What is a banty rod?