When I grew up in Sacramento in the 1960s we went to the iconic Edwoldt's Rod & Reel Repair on Del Paso Blvd in North Sacramento.

Mike and his parents, Lee and Wanda Edwoldt, taught us teenagers how to build fiberglass fishing rods of all types.

They helped us pick a blank and all the hardware then they professionally installed the cork and reel seats for us.

At first all we did was wrap on the guides and fishing the wraps.


Seemed like we had blanks, all the hardware and rod building supplies in our fly shop for years.

I think the Lifetime warranty and good casting inexpensive imported fly rods killed rod building in the fly shops?


Maybe 20 years ago the rod building seemed to go to catalog sales then online sales with extreme specialty companies?



Nobody would build a fly rod today to save money when you can buy an imported fly rod with a Lifetime warranty for $100?


Rod building was very popular in the rural areas up north of here, especially in the winter.


It is fun to build your own rod and tie your own flies and tie up your own leaders........I did it all.


Are you building rods today?