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Thread: What happened to rod building?

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    Garden Valley
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    1,076

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    I got interested in rod building a few years back, and pretty quickly got hooked on it. A good portion of the rods I use are those I built myself, and I’ve built a few for friends and family. Some have turned out to be really special, and it does add a lot to the overall experience for me. Two rods really stand out for me: one is an 11’6” 6wt Sage One switch rod I built for my Dad and has been used since for countless hours and fish; the other is a 12’6” 3/4/5 Meiser Highlander Classic that has been pure joy on the Klamath and Trinity this fall for Steelhead. Both rods cast beautifully, and have grips that fit just so in the hands, and I love the way both of them look as finished rods. I wish I could build a lot more... if only “time and money” weren’t in the way. I don’t know that I’ve saved any money yet, but honestly if it were about saving money I wouldn’t be fly fishing at all.
    JB
    "Lord help me to be the person my dog thinks I am"
    - unknown

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Fresno, CA
    Posts
    2,749

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    I still have a Powell Summer Run. I bought it when they first came out. I bought it from Alan Clemens who was the manager at the time. Bill, is that correct.. you can remember the old days
    Jay Murakoshi

    Commercial Fly Tier

    Travel Coordinator

    Web site: http://www.fliesunlimited.com/

    Email us at: jaysflies@me.com

    Call us at (831) 809-4221

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
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    23,837

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Murakoshi View Post
    I still have a Powell Summer Run. I bought it when they first came out. I bought it from Alan Clemens who was the manager at the time. Bill, is that correct.. you can remember the old days
    Chuck Campana cast the Powell IM6 "Summer Run", 9'6" #7/8 in 2 piece, at one of the sport shows.

    He is a superb caster and said he could throw the entire 105 feet of the Cortland SL green WF7F.

    Chuck and I each bought one......
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Tejas !!
    Posts
    792

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    Quote Originally Posted by John Sv View Post
    I have a friend on the east coast who builds beautiful custom rods and gear. He says blanks are becoming harder to find. Orvis and st croix are no longer selling their blanks, only rods.
    I have wound up a couple of rods as fun projects with my dad, but pretty infequently. I think he does it because of a ‘why pay someone else if you have the time and the skill’ Kinda the same way my parents are remodeling their bathroom themselves at age 77. Notable rods we’ve done (to me) are a powell ‘summer run’ rod we did around 25 years ago. It is green blank with purple thread and wierd guides. We just did a 9 wt sage vxp a couple of years ago.

    I have built a number of rods over the years, and its becoming hard to get blanks, like John said. It's fun but the time and cost does make it a labor of love and not economics.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    alameda
    Posts
    448

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    I have built on many blanks over the years starting out in the early 70's with a Herter's fiberglass blank. I have built on fiberglass, Bamboo and graphite.

    When my son's wanted to get in to fly fishing I helped them pick out a blank and cork and thread and hardware and we built rods together. It's lots of fun and useful knowledge.

    Mudhole still carries several brands of blanks and all the things you need to build a rod.

    I also taught the boys to tie flies and I bought spinner parts awhile ago and taught a group of Boy Scouts to make their own lures.

    Back in the day my friends and I would make jigs, spinners, spoons and hand carved plugs for poppers/topwater and bass-o-reno style diving plugs.

    I have not built a rod in about 6 years but I have stripped and redone at least one of my older rods every year. They all seem to be in good shape now though.

    Regards,

    Tim C.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Ahwahnee, Ca.
    Posts
    9

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    Built my first rod on a True Temper blank in 1965 when I worked as a deckhand on the sport boats in San Diego. Bought the blank and components for under $10.00 at Midway Bait & Tackle.

    We have some great rod builders on the west coast such as Doc Ski and Jim Trelikes , that being said the largest number of rod builders are found east of the Mississippi. We have a gathering of custom rod builders in North Carolina every Feb. at the "International Custom Rod Building Expo" with over 2000 attending.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    My own planet...no doubt.
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    1,163

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    Say hey Pappy,
    I just wanted to say a big howdy. I think the last time I saw you was when we worked the Renzetti Show in Florida! What's your email address bud?
    Cheers, Ken
    Last edited by k.hanley; 11-28-2019 at 09:01 AM.
    Love the challenge...What try? No try. Just do!

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis Papike View Post
    Built my first rod on a True Temper blank in 1965 when I worked as a deckhand on the sport boats in San Diego. Bought the blank and components for under $10.00 at Midway Bait & Tackle.

    We have some great rod builders on the west coast such as Doc Ski and Jim Trelikes , that being said the largest number of rod builders are found east of the Mississippi. We have a gathering of custom rod builders in North Carolina every Feb. at the "International Custom Rod Building Expo" with over 2000 attending.
    Hi Dennis.....

    1) You live way out.....?

    2) I am sure you have some good stories about the San Diego offshore fishing.

    3) I heard stories about all the custom salt water conventional rod building in Southern California back in the day.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Ahwahnee, Ca.
    Posts
    9

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    Hey Ken, Good to hear from you !!! My addy is cwcr123@gmail.com

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Ahwahnee, Ca.
    Posts
    9

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    Hi Bill, I live in Mariposa nowadays ! Still building customs but most of my time is spent designing and building prototypes for Spiralite.

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