fly fishing rod blanks
Hobby in the off season?
Well, fishing season is over, for me anyway, and instead of having to go through fishing withdrawal I decided I want to learn a new hobby during the winter. Better than cleaning all my reels…five times over! lol.
First, I want it to be fishing related and it would help if it is as addicting as fishing itself. I’ve thought about fly tying, but I’m not a fly fisherman. Maybe when I get into fly fishing in the future.
So, I decided I want to learn to build custom rods, I think its a great hobby for ANY angler. For the freshwater, saltwater and fly guys. Making a rod that you made and one day making it so good it becomes your favorite rod to use.
So my question, how do I get the blanks, wrappings, epoxy’s, etc. Who sells them? Any dealers in the Northeast area (NY)? I’d like to see all the necessary items in person. Plus any information I would first need before even trying to attempt building.
Anyone with experience rod building please chime in, thanks.
At least in my part of the country, many of the larger independent tackle shops sell rod blanks and components. Most tackle shops which advertise custom rod wrapping will sell the parts. (I haven’t seen them at chain stores, or at little hole in the wall bait shops.
You can also buy components online, which is fine for guides and reel seats and so on, but you should always get the blanks in person, so you can inspect them for flaws.
I learned years ago from a book by Dale Clemens (probably long out of print), but the basics are available online. I searched “rod building instructions” and found the links below.
I’ve found that you can’t always go “by the book” with guide spacing — you can start with what they give (note that the second link is for fly rods, so that won’t apply at all for spinning or casting rods), so tape the guides on, run some line through them, and test-bend it to see if they’re spaced correctly.
The other thing I’ll emphasize is to make sure the wrapping thread is TIGHT. Loose thread allows guides to wobble, finish to crack, and the thread to tear off after a while.
SAGE ZXL Fly Fishing Rod Review – Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters
