My First Custom Fly Rod

1376 Views 22 Replies 10 Participants Last post by PatrickH, Feb 26, 2017

PatrickH

Discussion Starter · Feb 23, 2017

12

Finally finished my first fly rod build.
I was contacted by a guy I sold some flies to a few months back and he said he liked the rod I was building when he seen it on the dryer while picking up his flies, which was only my second spinning rod build.
He said he wanted a 8wt fly rod. So I said ok, I need some money for parts. So he stopped by, gave me some cash and said have fun with it. Tried to get a idea of what he wanted, but his only response was have fun with it, do whatever you want. I said ok, ordered some parts and this is what l built.
The epoxy on the tip section got a little high up the front of the guides and I wasn't able to fix it while coating.. But other then that, I think it turned out pretty nice.
I also got the flu half way through.. still lingering, bit i was able to get it done.

Rainshadow RX7 Revelation 8wt 9' 4pc.
Full Titanium SiC Fuji guides.
REC Black Tip and REC hook keeper.
Custom full wells cork grip and fighting butt turned on drill lathe.
Alps double locking reel seat with matching winding check.
Silver metallic twist, 9830 Pewter metallic, ProWrap 767 Chocolate and 755 Chestnut thread.
3 coats of Diamond II epoxy.

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typhoon

· #2 · Feb 23, 2017

Nice build. Wraps and epoxy work look very clean. You can fix the epoxy creep on the top guides by removing it with a razor and adding another thin coat. scuff the existing epoxy with 400 grit if it has been drying for more than 24 hours.
What made you want to go with a wire tiptop and ceramic running guides?

Delete MeToo

· #3 · Feb 23, 2017

Nice work, very detailed.... I'm on my second fly rod build, it is alot of fun, but also nerve wracking when it comes to wrapping guides and incorporating trim bands.

Reactions: 1

PatrickH

Discussion Starter · #4 · Feb 23, 2017

typhoon said:
Nice build. Wraps and epoxy work look very clean.
What made you want to go with a wire tiptop and ceramic running guides?

Thanks.
For the tip, I wanted something high quality and unique.
For the running guides, I just felt I needed something better then a wire. Wire is traditional, but I went with a guide that looked more modern and unique for the build. Also, since they are full titanium guides and a single wrap on each, the blank will be as light as posible to get the full effect of the action.

PatrickH

Discussion Starter · #5 · Feb 23, 2017

JACKspASS said:
Nice work, very detailed.... I'm on my second fly rod build, it is alot of fun, but also nerve wracking when it comes to wrapping guides and incorporating trim bands.

Thank you.
Yeah, I feel the same.
What is most stressful is shaping the grips and the finish epoxy. So many steps in rod building you have to get perfect the first time since there is no going back.
Guide wraps is the only thing you can really go back and try again, but alot of work when doing decorative wraps.

JohnB

· #6 · Feb 23, 2017

I'm glad you keep posting these Patrick. The rods you've built are super cool looking.

Reactions: 1

PatrickH

Discussion Starter · #7 · Feb 23, 2017

JohnB said:
I'm glad you keep posting these Patrick. The rods you've built are super cool looking.

Thanks.
I got 4 personal builds coming soon.

Only 1 fly rod though. Building my fly rod soon as I just sold the store bought ones I had.

typhoon

· #8 · Feb 23, 2017

PatrickH said:
Thanks.
For the tip, I wanted something high quality and unique.
For the running guides, I just felt I needed something better then a wire. Wire is traditional, but I went with a guide that looked more modern and unique for the build. Also, since they are full titanium guides and a single wrap on each, the blank will be as light as posible to get the full effect of the action.

I think you might defeat the purpose of going with ceramic running guides for shootability by going with a wire tiptop. Might be worth a test cast with a ceramic tiptop.

Salmo_g

· #9 · Feb 23, 2017

Those guide wraps look really nice. Good job!

Reactions: 1

veilside180sx

· #10 · Feb 23, 2017

Love of the look of burl corks, but am unwilling to use them for anything more than small accents after weighing them vs flor cork.

Reactions: 2

typhoon

· #11 · Feb 23, 2017

veilside180sx said:
Love of the look of burl corks, but am unwilling to use them for anything more than small accents after weighing them vs flor cork.

A small amount of extra weight near the hand has a low impact on swing weight (a key characteristic of rod "feel") and has no impact on rod action. Go with what you like.

veilside180sx

· #12 · Feb 23, 2017

It's not a small amount.

.55 oz for a flor cork full wells vs 1.34 oz for a burl cork full wells.

That's too significant of a weight difference for me. .79 oz...that's more than half the weight of a good 5 wt blank.

Randy Lindahl

· #13 · Feb 23, 2017

Wow this looks beautiful!...Nice work!

Reactions: 1

typhoon

· #14 · Feb 23, 2017

veilside180sx said:
It's not a small amount.

.55 oz for a flor cork full wells vs 1.34 oz for a burl cork full wells.

That's too significant of a weight difference for me. .79 oz...that's more than half the weight of a good 5 wt blank.

Rod weight is a bogus marketing number. Real rod comparison tests use swing weight.
If you care that much use a foam arbor and bore out the burl.

Reactions: 1

veilside180sx

· #15 · Feb 23, 2017

typhoon said:
Rod weight is a bogus marketing number. Real rod comparison tests use swing weight.
If you care that much use a foam arbor and bore out the burl.

The beautiful part of building...you build how you want...I'll build how I want.

Weight is not just a bogus marketing number though, but you can tell yourself what you want. Both swing weight in addition to overall weight play their roll in it.

Nick Clayton

· #16 · Feb 23, 2017

typhoon said:
Rod weight is a bogus marketing number. Real rod comparison tests use swing weight.
If you care that much use a foam arbor and bore out the burl.

Or, he could just not used burl cork... As he stated.

Reactions: 1

freestoneangler

· #17 · Feb 26, 2017

Nice job! Usually I see a bit too much Clear-Kote on the wraps for newbie wrappers, but you did good.

I recall my first rod build - a GL2 bait caster. J. Toycen, one of our TU club old timers gave free lessons. It turned out really nice and I still have it today. I was hooked from then on, building more bait and spin rods, then many fly rods. I drew up and built my own rod wrapping bench (which I also still have).

Being able to personalize colors, guide spacing, reel seats, etc. makes it very unique... and of course they fish way better.. right? For a few years, I started building for others - pretty much at cost for friends and family just because I liked the craft. Of the 20 or so rods I own, only 4 are off the retail shelf.

Time to start thinking about the next rod while the mojo is running hot

.

Reactions: 2

PatrickH

Discussion Starter · #18 · Feb 26, 2017

Thanks.
I sold all my store bought rods once I started building. There's just no way i can fish with store bought anymore.
All my others are spinning rods.
Friends get the friend discount. Gives me something to practice on while still producing a quality rod for someone.
This hobby is expensive and no way could i afford to build as much as i need to with my own money.
Things are catching up though and the addiction is taking hold, so now i have 5 builds of my own waiting for me to start lol

Here's my latest build i finished just before this fly build. This personal rod I will never sell. Turned out close to perfect, just how I wanted it.

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freestoneangler

· #19 · Feb 26, 2017

Good point. Back when I started building in the 80's, you could save money doing so... but that changed as the years rolled on. Also, places like Shoff's Tackle in Kent and Anglers Workshop closed their retail stores making it tough to go and hand select components - particularly reel seat wood and cork. Still, it's a fun hobby.

Reactions: 1

PatrickH

Discussion Starter · #20 · Feb 26, 2017

I'm lucky to live about 10 minutes from Gregs custom rods. Good place to get blanks from and small orders and misc items when needed.
The hobby can be frustrating with lack of detail online on so many products and not many picture references on special parts.
Before, i could not see myself spending more then $60 bucks on a rod, now all my builds cost over $200.. but i think of it as if you build it right, if will last a lifetime, so it turns out to be worth the investment.
Nice to learn a skill though that can bring in extra money once in a while a keep you busy with something to show for.
I thought fly tying was cheap, then i found out later that it was just a illusion..

I think now days, the price goes up based on how fun or how cool it is.. fishing use to be cheap, now look at it..

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