[phearless]

How many of you out there in cyber fly fish world are planning on building/rebuilding a rod or rods this winter?
I have a few.
11'6" 6/7 rainshadow/forecast

Rebuild 6100 RPL tip ( oops )
" 8100 it is just time

I also have a few blanks in reserve.
Pisces 9' 6 wght.
Several Kennedy-Fisher Blanks
9' 8wght Sage RPL ( the lost blank from 12 years ago--- gold )
Guess I should look around, I might have more kicking around yet.

 

[kettlefisher]

Too damned busy fishing...haven't even got time to tie flies......but I have to admit I am ice fishing and today I got skunked.......2nd time I've been skunked on any knid of fishig since I moved here.

Bud........aka Kettlefisher

 

[Mike D.]

I hope to build my beginner 7wt set up, than build a sage 8wt, than a sage 9wt, and than a lamiglas CP and than a couple lamiglas sturgeon rods, and than tie about 200 pink flies, 200 chum flies, and 150 coho flies, 100 chinook flies, and a few trout/steelhead flies for next winter.....and try to fool some winter steel and cuts as well.....can it be done?

Mike <")))))><

 

[jbarns]

I've been trying to finish a Five Rivers FT 9' 8wt for steelies. I've picked out some nice orange thread with gold accents on a dark grey blank with a gold Islander Lx to match. I'll post pics when its finished. It should be a cannon.

There is never enough time to tie flies!

 

[phearless]

fini?

Did anyone actually finish a rod?
I didn't.
Where does all the time go?

 

[Sparky]

Finished one sage 4 wt for a friend- three more of various size/variety waiting in various stages of completion.

 

[phearless]

various stages

I have a bunch in various stages myself.
Now I have a sturgie rod half done.
I must learn to finish one before starting another.

 

[phearless]

Well?

I will finish my rods.
I will finish my rods.
I will finish my rods.
I will finish my rods.
I will finish my rods......................

 

[PuntledgeTyee]

I will do the dishes after I finish my new 7 wt.
I will do the dishes after I finish my new 7 wt.

good one Phearless !

 

[herkileez]

I'm going to try my first rod; a 10' 8 wt for beach coho...have heard good things about Batson RX7 blanks (they don'y make the RX8 in 10')
Any thoughts/recommendations on blanks ?

 

[Speynut]

well seeing as our winter started in October of last year and still isn't quite over, I've managed to build 17 rods (still 2 sitting on the bench) countless repairs including 9 tip section re-wraps for Sage warranty repairs, and now that the weather is starting to improve I'm predicting a big rush of builds and repairs over the next 2 months. Oh yeah, guess I need to start tying flies soon as well, never enough time.

Colin

 

[btree]

Any tips or taking the cork grip off a rod? Want to change the reel seat... How should I approach this? Any good books out there I should look into, or youtube videos etc.?

 

[Speynut]

Any tips or taking the cork grip off a rod? Want to change the reel seat... How should I approach this? Any good books out there I should look into, or youtube videos etc.?

First off do you really need to remove the grip? Most seats are arbored and should slide off the butt end of the blank quite easily with a little heat. I tape a zip lock bag over the seat and grip and immerse in boiling water the same depth as the seat, for most factory rods the seat should just drop off after a couple minutes of this (custom rods may take longer).

If you do have to remove the cork a pair of channel-lock pliers are your best friend, I find it easiest to just twist off the individual rings, you will end up with some residue on the blank that can be easily sanded down to almost the bare blank (notice I said almost, don't hit the blank with sandpaper), then I ream out the new grip to fit.

Tons of info on all sorts of rod building stuff here http://www.rodbuildingtutorials.com/

Colin

 

[btree]

Awesome - thanks for that tidbit! I'm a total rookie when it comes to rod building/repairs. The rod in question is a canadian tire special, so it's probably crappily made. Will give the boiling water thing a try for sure. Then I'll have to have a look at that link you posted - thanks again.

 

[btree]

Ok - next step - attaching the reel seat? I assume epoxy? Any particular kind? I think I have 5min epoxy... will that be ok?

Also, removing the eyes - heat or knife? They are on broken bits of old rods, so I don't care about the blank they are on and just want to get them off. I assume that a heat gun is the ticket since I can't exactly dip them in boiling water

If I am going to get into rod building, should I bite the bullet and just get a heat gun?

 

[professori]

Heat gun isn't necessary (although I do use one to release air bubbles), and unless you are really into recycling for some philosophical reason, new guides are a very small expense and are more likely not going to have any micro grooves cut into them (unlike the used ones). All that said, a heat gun can be had at Rona for about $20 if you buy the cheapo, no name one.

If you don't care about the blanks, cut them into small pieces near the guides and drop them into boiling water.

Never use 5 minute for anything. The shorter the cure time, the weaker the bond. For reel seats I use a 20 minute at the very least.

 

[btree]

Thanks there Prof - I never considered the simple solution - chop the blanks and put in water - K.I.S.S. for sure. I'll also head out and get some 20min epoxy!

I'm not super into recycling, but just wondering how to use what I have at the moment.

Oh, and I assume that what ever pot I use, it's probably not a good idea to use it again for food... I assume that as the epoxy melts off, it goes into the water and will likely coat the pot in an unhealthy way...

Also, any good step by step books out there? I'm finding that the info on the internet is not really well suited for the rookie, though lots of tid-bits for those looking for info on specific issues/techniques.

Thanks again.

 

[btree]

Success! Boiling softened the epoxy enough to cut it like butter with a utility knife. Just popped the reel seat in the pot to see about that. In 10 minutes, I managed to twist off the fighting butt, but still waiting for the reel seat. Should go soon though! It's amazing what can be done with some hot water. Thanks for the tips guys!

- up date - getting the reel seat off took over an hour of boiling, and I had to have the water level about 1" into the cork but I got it off!

Now to try the same with my good rod and swap reel seats - I hope I don't wreck the cork Might wait a bit for some feed back about this since I don't want to have to re-do the cork, especially since the cork came off with the reel seat on the last one there...

 

[professori]

I had a friend who used to refurbish old (like wooden shaft) golf clubs. He did a lot of water softening, but always double or triple bagged the component to be immersed, in plastic bags. This ensured the wooden parts (like a reel seat insert) would be damaged by the water.

 

[professori]

Also, any good step by step books out there? I'm finding that the info on the internet is not really well suited for the rookie, though lots of tid-bits for those looking for info on specific issues/techniques.

Thanks again.

Handcrafting a Graphite Fly Rod, by L.A. Garcia, Amato publications. http://www.amatobooks.com/2011_catalog.pdf
It's all I had when I built my first rod, and I had all the information I needed.