Pics of my first rod build

[Jim Flamming]

This is the first time I have ever uploaded some photos, so we'll give this a try...

Finished up my first rod build, and had a chance to photo and cast it last night for the first time. An H&H Forecast 9' 6wt kit upgraded with a big game reel seat and fighting butt. Will be for jerk strip streamer fishing and smallmouth fishing. Rounded the package out with a rod back from the good folks at Los Pinos and a tube from REC. The sponsors here at FAOL are absolutely top flight, and I am thrilled with the way the rod performs! Very accurate! I am happy with how the rod looks too, even though I got a little heavy with the finish on the wraps. I ended up using two coats of the one coat finish cause I wasn't all that thorough with the first coat. But in the end the wraps look real smooth, just a little heavy.

Thanks for all the advice and help everyone. Enjoy the photos!

[ET custom flyrods]

Jim, I'm a little confused about the second picture(rod section to ferrule). Wrapping the ferrule goes without saying, but why the wrap ahead of the furrule? It's not needed and makes your connection look bad.
As for what you call wavy wraps, it just looks to me that you applied the epoxy without evening it out the first time then tried to correct it with the second coat. That usually doesnt work and you wind up with a "Fat Wrap". This is a common beginners mistake. This by the way is strictly constructive citicism. Remember when in doubt ,less is best when it comes to the final coat. Next time try the FlexCoat light.
Apply a thined coat enough to cover your wraps only. You can always go back when dry with a 2nd. coat. To even out your epoxy your rod should be turning,and you can use the thin side of the brush to even the coat out..........All in all Ron, for the first rod, its not bad. You learned what not to do and hopefully build from that. Fish that rod , and know that your a more knowledgeable person from your experience.
Good luck with any future builds and happy fishin'

Jim,

Good job! It looks pretty good for a first rod. I agree, if you aren't using alignment dots, you don't need wrap or finish on the male section of the ferrule, but it isn't really hurting anything either, so don't let it bother you either way.
As for the finish, I've built a few with footballs on them in my early days, and I've finally gotten past that now. I put slightly too much finish on the wrap, and then let it turn for a couple of minutes and really soak into the thread. Then I come back using my application brush that has had the finish wiped off and remove as much as I can from the wraps. It leaves a thinner coat of finish on the thread. If you need another coat, you follow the same process again. It should help avoid the heavy build up, and works with regular or lite formulas.
Aren't those little Forecast blanks great? I've built a lot of them, and everyone I've built them for have really liked them. Enjoy your first rod. It will serve you well, but you probably ought to start saving your pennies right now, because these things are worse than those potato chips. One just isn't going to do.

[Jim Flamming]

The wrap ahead of the ferrule is similar to a wrap that is on one of my Orvis TLS rods. I liked the look so I copied it. Personal preference. I think I will try the Flexcoat Lite, but I could also just take more time and make sure to get a thorough coat on the first try. The wrap finish didn't come out wavy, just a little heavy. From my first time lawn casting the rod, it still can put a fly in a tin can at about 30-40 feet, so the little bit of extra weight on the wraps didn't really affect anything. It still has it where it counts.

[Greg F]

My friend builds his own rods. He likes a couple good coats of epoxy on his wraps. When I showed him my new 4 wt that I built with one coat of epoxy he asked why it was so thin. To each his own.

Jim, you're gonna be smiling catching fish with that fine rod.