Orvis Superfine Touch 8'0" 4wt. 4pc.

[sagebass]

My last (I think) build for the year will be my "all around" rod which is an Orvis Superfine Touch (SFT) 804. I've read good reviews of the 804 including the Trout Underground review listed here:

http://troutunderground.com/2011/10/24/ ... m-fly-rod/

I am almost finished working on the reel seat insert which I turned from Spalted Box Elder Burl to match the SFT 663 I built a few weeks ago. I still need to do a bit more sanding before the insert is complete.

The hardware is N.S. uplocking slide ring set by Joel Lemke. I traded some rod building stuff with Shane Gray of Graywolf Rods in Michigan for the hardware. The hardware is a tad on the heavy side (I typically would not use N.S. hardware for a 4wt. rod), but it looks pretty sharp.

I intended to use a classic Orvis Lightweight reel made by Young that I received as a wedding gift from my grandfather about 6 months ago. The reel weighs 4 1/4 oz. and it balances about the middle of the grip with the fully loaded reel. Ideally I think the rod would balance best with a reel that weighed between 3 and 3 1/2 oz. (unloaded). Perhaps the rod will balance a tad better after I wrap and finish the guides and etc, and especially after I have about 30 feet of line pulled off the reel and stretched through the guides. Although I may keep my eyes open for a Cortland Retro II reel as an alternative as it is about an ounce lighter than the Orvis reel and I can abuse the Cortland. But my main goal was to pair the classic Orvis reel with a nice Orvis rod.

The grip is a Struble Ultrafine Flor grade grip that I modified by adding the inlet to accept the uplocking hardware.

Here are a few preliminary photos of what I've accomplished so far:

[hook549]

Beautiful job so far.If you want to make another reel seat from that box elder i would be glad to purchase.

[Fly Goddess]

Absolutely spectacular! Love the ring seat.

[appalachian angler]

An original CFO III reel should be just right for your rod!

aa

[bobbyg]

I don't know. I love the J.W. Young/Orvis reels. Looks real sweet on the Superfine!


Nice work and aesthetic!

[Midwest Custom Fly Rods]

Looks good I like the seat!

Steve

[sagebass]

Thanks guys. Hook, the guy I get my reel seat blanks from has a bunch more similar to this. I think the Vintage Orvis/Young reel matches up pretty good with the unsanded Superfine blank.....it's kind of an "old meets new" combination. I haven't had a chance to do any further work on this rod yet. I plan on finishing sanding the seat tonight....but we'll see what I have time for. I'd like to start wrapping the guides this weekend. It seems like its gonna be a good weekend for staying inside and working on a rod.

[Lotech]

Nice looking stick. I too, like the reel seat. BTW, do you find that mortised or un-mortised wood seats work best with a ring seat? I'm a big fan of mortised burl amboyna, but your's looks great.

[sagebass]

Lotech: Thanks for the comments. I've tried both a mortised and un-mortised wood inserts using sliding bands/slide ring seats. I think that the mortised inserts offer a little more security and they do help prevent the reel from slipping/spinning around the seat. I think this is even more true when I use cork inserts as I cannot tighten my rings quite as much when the insert is made of cork without damaging the insert. However, mortising an insert can be difficult unless you have the right tools and have some decent wood working skills (which I lack both).

My mortises are sufficient, but they are not perfect by any means. I have created my mortises by taping off the dimensions of the mortise using masking tape and carefully (*VERY CAREFULLY*) using a dremel to start removing some of the wood. Then I hand sand the remainder until I can get the ring to slip over the reel seat foot securely.

The hardware set that I'm using on this rod is from Joel Lemke and the uplocking ring that is housed in the inlet of the grip creates kind of a pocket....so my "mortise" does not have to be too precise. Then the back ring just needs to be able to clear the reel seat foot and lock the reel forward.

You asked a great question....one that I've played around with on the last few builds. I have recently built a Sage TXL and another Orvis Superfine Touch 663 that both feature dual sliding rings. I did a mortise on the TXL, and I tried the SFT 663 without a mortise...but I ended up going back and adding one as I preferred the seat with a mortise. I think the mortise is even more important with dual sliding bands....but that's just my opinion.

[Lotech]

Thanks for the reply sagebass. Some years ago, I tried to duplicate the Orvis Superfine using other components. I used a mortised teak downlocking cap & ring (I think from REC), half wells grip and mounted them on a Batson RX7, 4 piece, 7 1/2', 5 weight blank. I used a green agate stripper with double foot guides. I believe it's a faster rod than the Superfine, but man I really like the way it fishes and casts. I've used it so much, that the grip has developed a really nice patina. Good luck with your build. Now that I'm retired and on a fixed income, I do miss building rods.