Well I finally went and did it. Got everything ordered for my first ever fly rod build. For the reel seet I got Blue Hawaii Acrylic Fly Reel Seat. Pictures of this guys work are on another post here or can be seen at http://www.cichlidrecipe.com/winslowrods/reel-seat-inserts.asp. For the cork handle I got a 1"diamiter reverse half wells in the highest grade portiguese cork. The guides I chose were Hopkins & Holloway in the gunsmoke color. The reel seat is done in gunsmoke trim also. The winding check and hook keeper are also in gunsmoke. This will be a 9’ 4wt fast action rod. I am building it for a very good friend of mine. The worst part of the whole build is the blank which is a rainforrest blank. I am either going to do a feather inlay or a diamond wrap on the butt. I have not done either before so this should be interesting. Now for the fun part, I called my friend and told him my wife wanted to have a rod built for me and what were his suggestions. We have the same style of casting and fishing. Here is what he said
9’ 2 piece, medium action, anything faster then that you would have to practice practice practice cause casting a fast action is a whole different world and I find them worthless unless you practice a lot. My heart sunk cause I had already ordered everything. Then he said now if I could get my wife to do that I would spend a minimum of 4 hours a day practicing cause that would be a rod worth casting a lot. Anyway I may post pictures as it comes along. Any suggestions or comments let me know. Ol Blue thanks for posting about the reel seats, I would never have found them.
I diagree with your idea that you bought the wrong blank, you bought a very good blank for a beginning fly angler.
Rod action has nothing to do with casting stroke speed or if you will learn to use a rod quickly or not.
Anyone can make a fast or extra fast rod out of any of the materials used in fly rods now or in the past.
All you need is a stiff butt and soft tip for that discription to be valid, it will also not discribe the performance of the blank in anyway, as every one of the materials will make a completely different end result.
I’ve fished many Pac Bay Rainforest rods and they are pleasant, easy fishing rods that get the job done nicely.
Sounds to me like you got a dandy project ahead of you.
got the reel seat today and WOW It is everything I expected and then some. Ol blue I can not thank you enough for refering us over to winslows rods. This guy does excellent work and is very helpfull.
I agree with the earlier post – you have purchased very nice components for a first build. The reel seat you ordered is beautiful – and I marked the web site.
For a first build, would have suggested an inexpensive all inclusive kit to start with – as there is a learning curve to building a really nice - esthetically pleasing rod and think this is your goal based upon components you have purchases. You will have little screw ups along the way so trying on a less expensive blank and with less expensive components makes some sense to gain some experience.
I thought my first rod was really good until I built a few more and then went back and looked at the first ones. There is no comparison and the first build is almost laughable in terms of finish, etc. I thought the guides were lined up perfectly – but no so— I did the first by lining up guides by eye – now I use a lazer level. Epoxy finish kind of wavy and too thick – now I have that figured out pretty well. Little things like that.
I don’t want to discourage you from building this rod; however, I would say maybe hold off on using all the high end stuff and do a trial run on a kit from say Hook and Hackle – I think you can buy the whole thing for about $80 for an acceptable blank and very adequate components – and this will give you some (lots if this is your first build) experience – and give you a very usable rod. Remember or write down where you made errors so you won’t make them the second time. You’ll make all new mistakes on the second build.
Please post pictures as you go through the process as I want to see how it all comes out.
Thank you everyone for the advise and concerns I have wraped several spinning rods so have a idea what I am doing just a little unsure as this is a fly rod not a spinning rod. That and I do want the guy I am giving this to to be totally amazed and pleased.
Well everything came in for the fly rod and looks fabulous. Only one problem the cork grips have a crack in them. I will have to have that replaced. I will post pics of the materials and then as I go along with it. I would just fill the crack on the grips but it is in the inletting. ONe thing I should say here is I am a big fan of U-40 for finishing the wraps. It does not look as nice as some but I like the ease of use and the way it protects the wraps. Also has anyone used the U-40 cork sealer and is it worth the time to use it? Some of the stuff I am using is new to me. I am so nervous I don’t want to disapoint anyone and hope this rod comes out better then my fly tying LOL.
IMHO cork sealer is unnecessary, and takes away from the character of the cork. When my grips get dirty, I just clean them with some dish washing detergent and rinse with clear water. They come back like new. With cork sealer, if you get a chip in the cork and make a repair, the repair sticks out like a sore thumb. If the cork is left natural, then the repair can be sanded out and blend in with the rest of the grip. Of course, if one never damages the cork, it should never be an issue. But if does happen…
As far as the U-40 finish for the wraps, if you use Flex Cote Lite and do it in two coats, applied sparingly, the finish should come out beautiful. Here is the last rod I did with Flex Coat Lite in my 3 rpm dryer:
Well as promised here are a couple of photos of the start. Just got everything glued up and waiting to cure. photo one is the grip and reel seat
the second photo is of the winding check. Yea I know I am being a tad bit silly here but I am excited. Can’t wait to see the finished product but I sure am not going to rush it
I know I love the color of the rod blank and hope I can do it justice
Very nice. I particularly like the knurled winding check. It’s the small details like the winding check that differentiate production rods from custom rods. Take your time and keep up the good work.
I agree with you there Joe. A winding check really dresses up a custom rod. Another thing I like are custom hookkeepers. I have one on a McFarland glass rod that looks like a miniature stripping guide.
I know you mentioned you didn’t like cork sealer on your grips. Have you ever tried Tru Oil? I do it to most all my grips and it brings out the beauty of the cork, whether it’s white or burled.
BTW Harley, I do like that blue acrylic insert. I think your rod will come out a winner. I wonder how a dark green would look on a Winston BIIX blank :? …
RS1 I am not sure but I think he may have that set up on his site. It is winslowsrods.com I do believe. Talk to dave if you call he is a great guy and very helpfull. He has all colors of acrylic and wood. Well worth the look see. If you can find it on the posting not for everyone here on rod building ol blue lists his site. That is how I found it.
Well the final test was put to the first fly rod I built. I gave it to my friend. What I did was tell him I got him a rod case to carry his fly rod with cause he carries it in a pcv tube. He opened it to check out the way it was built on the inside and there was the rod. He was so excited and wanted to go fishing right now. LOL. He took it over to his dad who was very impressed with it and would not give it back. He was very impressed with the balance of the rod with the reel I chose to go with it. Must have done a good job on it LOL. I was just so glad he like it.
Thank you John and ope you had a good x-mas and new year. Might just get to see that rod in person my friend and I are going to try and get up to your neck of the woods this summer
Well the final test was put to the first fly rod I built. I gave it to my friend. What I did was tell him I got him a rod case to carry his fly rod with cause he carries it in a pcv tube. He opened it to check out the way it was built on the inside and there was the rod. He was so excited and wanted to go fishing right now. LOL. He took it over to his dad who was very impressed with it and would not give it back. He was very impressed with the balance of the rod with the reel I chose to go with it. Must have done a good job on it LOL. I was just so glad he like it.