# rod dilemma



## sergeant69 (Sep 24, 2015)

need advice/help w/a rod. i posted the scenario on the Rod Building forum here at 2CoolFishing but will recap here. i built a coupla bass rods and i also put finish on the burnt cork handles which really made em pop. my 96 yr old dad saw em and and basically said YOU built these?? thanks dad. he wants me to build a flyrod for a doctor buddy of his. ****. all he saw was the bling of the handles. i tried explaining the diff. mindsets of fly fishing v.s. bass fishing but he was walking off by then. he wants it to be a suprise so i can't ask the end user. so i checked out several fly fishing outfitters and nary a bling rod did i see. the way i see it is my best alternative is to dress up the handle w/some fancy cork or wood. other options? HELP


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## 8weight (Mar 24, 2016)

No clue. Hopefully you'll get some answers in in the Rod Building subforum.


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## My Spot (Mar 30, 2012)

Since you don't have a clue as to the fly fishermans preference your just left with making a pretty outfit. One idea for the cork is to put contrasting color cork to dilineate the weight of the rod. Fiberglass rods can be as pretty as any. Blue halo makes nice color blanks. Kabuto blanks make beautiful rods. I think for a fly rodder instead of bling less is more. A white kabuto blank with black guides sitting on the blank with clear thread and epoxy is awesome. I have one and can't fish with it. Afraid to mess it up. You may get some ideas from the FIBERGLASS MANIFESTO. Good luck.


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## sergeant69 (Sep 24, 2015)

My Spot said:


> Since you don't have a clue as to the fly fishermans preference your just left with making a pretty outfit. One idea for the cork is to put contrasting color cork to dilineate the weight of the rod. Fiberglass rods can be as pretty as any. Blue halo makes nice color blanks. Kabuto blanks make beautiful rods. I think for a fly rodder instead of bling less is more. A white kabuto blank with black guides sitting on the blank with clear thread and epoxy is awesome. I have one and can't fish with it. Afraid to mess it up. You may get some ideas from the FIBERGLASS MANIFESTO. Good luck.


the white kabuto w/black guides...do you have a pic i can see? or any of the others too? i totally agree that less bling is more to a fly fisherman, and thats my dilemma. all they saw was the bling. the one getting the rod was not in the "they" group.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

I have a dad that occasionally tries to give me unfunded mandates. I think first you have to know the budget, then proceed from that point. Fiberglass is definitely hot right now. Swifty (epic) rods , Graywolf rods, a builder of swifty blanks is something to check out. Steffen Brothers is another producer of esteemed fiberglass blanks and rods.


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## sergeant69 (Sep 24, 2015)

yep. he gave me a budget of $300 and i will never see a penny of it. so if i google swifty rods i will see blanks etc for sale? reason i ask is that i can buy from either good places or bad ones and i know you guys buy from the good ones.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

sergeant69 said:


> yep. he gave me a budget of $300 and i will never see a penny of it. so if i google swifty rods i will see blanks etc for sale? reason i ask is that i can buy from either good places or bad ones and i know you guys buy from the good ones.


I think the epic (swifty) might be outside the 300 bones, but blue halo should be well inside.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Reddington has a butter stick that I hear good things about. I like the idea of fiberglass. Something retro, but new. I have a Cabelas, 3 actually, fiberglass rods and love them. Fiberglass sweet spot is the lower weights. Let's say your dad's friend has a premium graphite rods or 3. Some Winston boron or whatever. How could he not appreciate a nice build of a beautiful sky blue blue halo blank?


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

http://bluehalostore.com/retroflex-ii-b-5wt-blank/
149 for the blank. Not cheap, have no idea about all the components, your time...


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

http://thefiberglassmanifesto.blogspot.com/p/rod-shops.html?m=1

Lots of different makers in one list


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## My Spot (Mar 30, 2012)

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/images/attach/jpg.gif

I think this is bling enough


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## sergeant69 (Sep 24, 2015)

no kidding!!! beautiful! thanks


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## sergeant69 (Sep 24, 2015)

my time....priceless. meaning it will be free. 
thanks for the infor. and help. now i have a place to start.


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## sergeant69 (Sep 24, 2015)

karstopo said:


> http://bluehalostore.com/retroflex-ii-b-5wt-blank/
> 149 for the blank. Not cheap, have no idea about all the components, your time...


something fishy (pun intended) bout this site. shows price as $149 but when you click on it, its in the $250 range


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## My Spot (Mar 30, 2012)

That $250 may be for the completed rod. Check the glass rod blanks from Anglers Roost. They have a glass blank for $29. I have built three of them and they are fine fishing blanks. Last time I looked they only had an orange color. They may be just what your looking for. Best I remember they offer three different lengths and two or three weights per length. I built one of each length and fish them often.


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## Goags (May 28, 2004)

sergeant69 said:


> something fishy (pun intended) bout this site. shows price as $149 but when you click on it, its in the $250 range


'Unclick" the $100 full rod replacement option


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## sergeant69 (Sep 24, 2015)

Goags said:


> 'Unclick" the $100 full rod replacement option


ooooohhhh


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## sergeant69 (Sep 24, 2015)

we've been talking about a 5 wt 4 piece rod. would a 7 wt. 8'6" 3 piece be ok too?


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## My Spot (Mar 30, 2012)

sergeant69 said:


> we've been talking about a 5 wt 4 piece rod. would a 7 wt. 8'6" 3 piece be ok too?


If you are talking 7wt glass rod I would suggest a 5wt or less. Three piece is fine. Fiberglass for me are in their element with short casts and the lighter weights for smaller fish . That is just a personal preference


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

My Spot said:


> If you are talking 7wt glass rod I would suggest a 5wt or less. Three piece is fine. Fiberglass for me are in their element with short casts and the lighter weights for smaller fish . That is just a personal preference


I sure like my Cabelas CGR 7-8wt. It is a pleasure to cast and at 7'6" is a great stand up in a kayak/skiff option. I use it in bay and marsh and it has great feel and bend and can reach out better than expected when needed. It's pretty good with some pretty hefty weighted flies I use too. Cabelas has had them for $65. I think that is a deal.


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## Fishsurfer (Dec 14, 2014)

Here is a 5 wt and a 8 wt I built in the last year, both on TFO BVK blanks. I put the grips together using Natural, burl and rubberized cork. Use the burnt rings on the grip it will look nice.


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## sergeant69 (Sep 24, 2015)

nice! hope mine looks that good. and no, you will not see it if it doesn't.
i see where you have also wrapped the ends that join the sections together to reinforcement them. is this a standard must do thing for a more than one piece rod or just because.


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## sergeant69 (Sep 24, 2015)

My Spot said:


> If you are talking 7wt glass rod I would suggest a 5wt or less. Three piece is fine. Fiberglass for me are in their element with short casts and the lighter weights for smaller fish . That is just a personal preference


did you get the PM i sent?


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## Fishsurfer (Dec 14, 2014)

sergeant69 said:


> nice! hope mine looks that good. and no, you will not see it if it doesn't.
> i see where you have also wrapped the ends that join the sections together to reinforcement them. is this a standard must do thing for a more than one piece rod or just because.


 I used to think it was decoration since the rod ferrule should be strong enough on its own, but the more you use them and the more fish you catch, they tend to get roughed up a bit. Any damage to the ferrule will severely weaken the integrity of the assembled rod. This little bit of thread and epoxy will help cushion it in that area against impact damage and reinforce the "hoop strength" of the ferrule itself.


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## sergeant69 (Sep 24, 2015)

cool. thanks


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## sergeant69 (Sep 24, 2015)

My Spot said:


> If you are talking 7wt glass rod I would suggest a 5wt or less. Three piece is fine. Fiberglass for me are in their element with short casts and the lighter weights for smaller fish . That is just a personal preference


PM sent


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