Custom Fly Rods?

[Wooly Bugger]

Why custom fly rods? What attracts anglers to build or buy a custom rod? What are the advantages versus buying a Sage or St. Croix? Is it the joy of catching a fish on something you built (similiar to catching a fish on a fly you tied)? If you don't build your own, why would you buy a custom rod? Just thought I would throw these questions out there for discussion.

Wooly Bugger Fly Co.
www.woolybuggerflyco.com

Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." (Mark 1:17)

[LNelson]

Lots of reasons. First is that you can have a blank set up exactly as you like in terms of quality of cork, shape of grip, reel seat style, number and placement of guides, style of guide wraps, color of guide wraps etc.

Second is that most custom rod builders that charge for their services do a vastly superior job than does the typical builder in a factory. This is especially true now that a significant proportion of rods now sold are being wrapped off-shore.

If you want to see some of the finest "non bamboo" rod builders in the world, check out the Fiberglass Flyrodders forum.

Grip style is probably my biggest reason. I don't like the western style grips used on 99% of today's rods. I can have a custom builder use the best cork available and spin me a modified wells grip that fits my hand perfectly.

Downside is resale value and warranty.

[Dave E.]

I’m in the process of selecting the components for my next rod, that process will take far longer than the actual assembly and finish. There's not much I could add to LNelson's first paragraph or to yours Wooly Bugger, “ the joy “, those things sum up the usual motivating factors for me.

The way I've built for myself, using the components I tend to use, the idea of cost savings never enters into the picture. It's an aesthetics thing for me, a look that can't easily be related to another or purchased, the feel of fine cork married to a great action.

The biggest drawback these days for me, is that many of the fly shops that once carried rod building components in stock, no longer do. That makes selecting that perfect wood insert or a near flawless cork in person a bit tougher. That and we still don't have an accepted industry wide blank rating system that allows for reasonable comparisons between all of the blank manufacturers.

Anyway, that's just me.
Regards, Dave

[Terry Imai]

For some crazy reason, I like having a "fighting butt" on my rods and usually get my #6+ rods with that feature. When I wanted to get a Sage Z-Axis in #5 10' for nymph/indicator along with swinging flies, I know from previous experiences with other non-fighting butt rods were very tiring doing the nymph/indicator bit. I've built a few rods before and the best things you can say about my "custom" rods is that you can catch fish and that's about it.

I contacted Gary Anderson at the January 2011 Sacramento Sportsman Expo to meet and order my custom rod. It took a few months for the rod to arrive and he put together a wonderful rod for me. I can sit on the shore of my favorite river or stream and just admire this wonderful fishing instrument with the just the perfect embelishment of the winding but not too ornate along with the quality handle that fits my hand perfectly. That rod is my favorite and I can cast all day and enjoy fighting fish.

BTW, the price was of this rod was the same as a shop's regular price along with the same Sage warranty of breakage and repair.

[GA_Boy]

For me, it comes down making a rod the way I like it. Original reel seat, wraps, wood insert, etc. Something to make the rod stand against the thousand other mass produced 9 ft 5 weights.

Also, I think there is a good bit of savings to be had. My last build was a Sage SLT and the total cost was a little over half of what the same model retailed for... And I think mine looks a LOT better than the factory model.

There is also a good feeling when you catch a fish on a fly you tied and a rod you built. And it is not that hard to build your own... If I can do it, anyone can!

But to each their own...

[troutless]

For the spey caster, the custom guys offer a broader set of possibilities: wider range of weights and lengths, "hybrid" rod systems (single/double hand conversion), lines custom matched to your specific rod, detailed consultation on what rod works best for your intended pursuits. They're also in my opinion further out on the innovation curve.

That's in addition to the fit and finish options already discussed.

In "custom" for this purpose I am thinking of shops like Meiser, Anderson, Burkheimer that may also have a limited retail distribution. My all-time favorite rod is an ACR ultralight trout spey I picked up off the rack from Kiene's. Nobody else makes anything like it.

[Rich Morrison]

All of the above posters are right on. An additional thing I like is to talk action/application with my rod guy. We'll talk and I'll tell him what I want to do with the rod...what I want it for or who I want it for. He'll reccomend a blank that will perfectly suit that (given his experience and knowldege he nails it every time) and then we move into component selection etc. Some of the best gifts I've ever given to friends and familly have been custom rods built just for them to suit their style and ability. I gave my 10 year old daughter a custom built 7'6" 4 piece 4wt this past Christmas. I had it custom built after talking to Jim about what/who I wanted it for. As usual it turned out beautifuly. And it's a great light rod that will be good for her to fish for years...and until she becomes a more accompished caster. And I had her name put on the rod which she thought was the coolest. It's something she will treasure and the whole process was just a kick for me. I could never get that kind of service and satisfaction from a store bought rod. And just like Mr Imai, I find the cost is usually comparable to buying a produciton rod. In the case of my daughters rod, it was less.

[RenoLipRipper]

I have to agree with all the previous reasons posted also. I have a friend who started out building rods as a hobby. Now, over the past 5+ years I think he has built over 2,000. He builds fly, salt water spin and anything else for many people. It is still part time for him. No way a factory rod can have the detail and he is very meticulous with every phase he does. All the way from the blank he uses (Sage usually) guides, grips, thread, color of thread, and any personal info you want on the blank, which for me and some others is your name on the rod. I like to support someone like this. Come to think about it, I did get his very first rod built. Any breaks, tips usually for me he takes care of for me. Haven't bought from him for a while, so not sure if he is cheaper or not. Last rod I bought anywhere was a Cabella's 8wt. L-Tech for Pyramid. Not a bad rod for the money. And times are a bit tight as far as money goes. Also bought a Cabellas RLS3 reel. Usually buy Ross etc. but the price was right.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I have been involved in rod building sense I was a teenage but it seems to have drop off quit a bit in the last 10 to 20 years.

I think it it is attributed to several facts:

1) You can buy very nice fly rods for under $100 now.

2) All new rods have an unconditional lifetime warranty.

3) People are busy doing other things.


Having a different grip size/shape is a good reason.

Having a fighting butt on smaller rods is a good idea too.


PS: Changing the size, amount and spacing of the guides is not a real good idea because that has more to do with the casting action than anything else.On a trip to Christmas Island with the Sage Company we all tested some new rods that Jerry Siems was developing. They were a 9' #8 rod in A, B and C prototypes. The only difference was the amount, size, type and spacing of the guides.

PS2: The top rod designers like Steve Rajeff and Jerry Siems have already done all the R&D trying to get the smallest, lightest, least amount of guides on the rods so they will be very light without giving up any measurable casting performance/distance. Unless you have your own tournament caster and tons of different guides it is best to use the exact same guides and spacing as the factory.

If I was going to have a custom rod made I would have a veteran/professional like Gary Anderson make it for me.

.

[PaulC]

I actually finally pulled the trigger on a 10'6" rod from Bob Meiser recently and just got it in the mail.
This will be a nice two hander for the local surf fishing down here in the shadow of the Channel Islands, and it will get some river duty when I head back north to visit family and friends.
The custom rod builders make some real nice sticks and most are cost competitive with a Sage or a Winston.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/Cronin/Meiser_rod_1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/Cronin/Meiser_rod_3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/Cronin/Meiser_rod_2.jpg

Looking forward to breaking this in on some local surf residents this weekend.
-Paul

[chainsaw510]

i can build two custom rods for the price of one factory rod.and they are the exact way i want them.building rods are easy.I would never buy a rod retail.too much dough.either wait for deals on the classified or build your own.my motto.i've built 20 or so rods now and yes it is awesome catching pish on your creation.

[LNelson]

"PS: Changing the size, amount and spacing of the guides is not a real good idea because that has more to do with the casting action than anything else.On a trip to Christmas Island with the Sage Company we all tested some new rods that Jerry Siems was developing. They were a 9' #8 rod in A, B and C prototypes. The only difference was the amount, size, type and spacing of the guides."

PS2: The top rod designers like Steve Rajeff and Jerry Siems have already done all the R&D trying to get the smallest, lightest, least amount of guides on the rods so they will be very light without giving up any measurable casting performance/distance. Unless you have your own tournament caster and tons of different guides it is best to use the exact same guides and spacing as the factory."



Bill,

Some manufacturers have used fewer guides on models to reduce the cost in materials and labor, thus making the rod less casting friendly than it would be otherwise.

I have owned 2 very expensive rods, Diamondback Golden Shadows, with the only difference being one had a single stripping guide on the butt section of a two piece blank while the other had two. The two rods behaved very differently, with the rod having the extra stripping guide casting and shooting line far nicer.

I have also played around with a lot a vintage fiberglass rods that have had 5 snake guides and cast awful. You take those blanks and increase the number of snakes guides thus changing the guide spacing and placement and they turn into pleasant casting fly rods.

The top graphite rod designers are focused(Too focused IMHO) on making the lightest, maximum distance rods, not necessarily those that are pleasant to cast within normal fishing distances. This is why there has been a resurgence in interest in fiberglass rods and full flexing graphite like the original Scott G and Winston IM6 series, at least for those that primarily fish for trout and other freshwater species.

[Darian]

I'm in agreement with the idea that rod manufacturers change their products and not necessarily for the better in order to achieve cost savings. An example of this was the Fenwick company. Somewhere around the late 70's or early 80's, Fenwick decided to reduce the cost of producing their rods by using a lesser number of guides and lowering the overall quality of the reel seat, etc. I owned one of the original FF 85 rods (purchased in 1968). It was a very good rod, cosmetically and performance wise. During the late 70's, I purchased an FF 858 rod and found that it had a lesser number of guides and the stripping guide had been changed to a cheaper model. The reel seat was a lighter metal and the finish on the rod/windings really appeared cheap. I was very disappointed.

Nothing new here.... :neutral:

[pgw]

With a true custom rod, you are involved in the development of the rod.

That "R & D" is the major expense in production rods regardless whether they are a Sage, Scott, TFO, Orvis, or others. If you build a rod (the ones I build tend to have 12-14 cork ring grips and very short thread winds on the guides) or have one made to your specifications...not the builders', you have an individual piece of work.

In 1983, I had Russ Peak build me a rod that was developed through phone discussions between him and I about intended use. That rod traveled between his shop in Pasadena and my home in the Bay Area 3X as it evolved from a 8' 6" to a 8' 9" rod. The first time I cast it, there was no reel seat, the cork grip was a temp and all the guides were taped to the blank; I sent it back with comments and the next time I saw it, the butt section was completed (different & longer than before) and it had a tip section (with a different action than before) with the guides still taped on. After casting it, I retured it to Russ with comments and the finished rod ended up matched to my casting style and fishing requirements. $375 then was a lot for a rod but it works out to about $13.40 a year for a great rod. I recently picked up another of his rods on Ebay, not made for me but mint and fully functional for me in a different fishing application.

Paul

[Charlie S]

I have to agree with all the previous reasons posted also. I have a friend who started out building rods as a hobby. Now, over the past 5+ years I think he has built over 2,000. He builds fly, salt water spin and anything else for many people. It is still part time for him. No way a factory rod can have the detail and he is very meticulous with every phase he does. All the way from the blank he uses (Sage usually) guides, grips, thread, color of thread, and any personal info you want on the blank, which for me and some others is your name on the rod. I like to support someone like this. Come to think about it, I did get his very first rod built. Any breaks, tips usually for me he takes care of for me. Haven't bought from him for a while, so not sure if he is cheaper or not. Last rod I bought anywhere was a Cabella's 8wt. L-Tech for Pyramid. Not a bad rod for the money. And times are a bit tight as far as money goes. Also bought a Cabellas RLS3 reel. Usually buy Ross etc. but the price was right.

Wow...over 2,000 rods in 5+ years. I have been building rods seriously since 1958 (really amaturish prior to that time). I have completed almost 1900 rods in that time. I have to question the ability of someone to build 2000 rods in 1825 or more days. That would be more than one rod per day with no days off.....don't think so. Even in my heyday of building when I was doing them commercially I could get at best 7 rods in five days and that was busting my rear to do so. Building a custom rod is a work of the heart. I still build them for friends as gifts and each one is special to me, and hopefully to them.

[C J Dodge]

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s34/Abundantjoy_photos/Jackson%20Hole%20Cabin%20and%20Surrounds/cabinandsurrounds007-1.jpgHi Dave,

Sounds like a fun project! Have you tried to mudhole.com, jannsnetcraft.com?

Hey if you are interested in a road trip in May, we have a cabin in Jackson, Wyo. Pictures follow (I hope!)


http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s34/Abundantjoy_photos/Jackson%20Hole%20Cabin%20and%20Surrounds/