Archive for the ‘Custom Rod Building’ Category

Over the past few months, I’ve been working on a new business launch with a longtime friend and associate of mine.  It’s been a lot of fun and a lot of hard work thus far, and we’re still not quite “there” yet, but one of the things we’ve been able to do and can offer immediately is bringing RodMaker Magazine, the one and only magazine dedicated to the art of custom fishing rod building, to Canadians.

About a decade ago, the magazine was available to Canadian addresses but due to some tragic circumstances that occurred to the distributor, it has not been available since.

My associate and I have worked out an agreement with RodMaker Magazine publisher, Tom Kirkman,  to bring the magazine to Canada, and from our offices, will be distributed to subscribers.  It’s a fantastic magazine for those who enjoy custom rod building either as a hobby or a business.

Canadians may subscribe here.

I had another enjoyable evening with my seven year old son! He’s the best! Well, all of my sons are the best although I don’t get to see the older three as often as I’d like. But I’m told that one of the older ones will be making the trek from Ottawa to Orangeville to spend some time with me over the Christmas Holiday, and I’m looking forward to that. Perhaps we’ll get Colin started in some fly tying too.

This evening, David (the wee one – but he’s getting big and soon won’t like being called “wee”) watched the Toronto Maple Leafs beat (finally) the Boston Bruins. But during the second intermission, we decided to skip the Hot Stove Lounge and tie up some flies. David has been itching to tie up a chironomid ever since he learned more about them.  He’s caught lots of rainbow trout with this particular chironomid pattern, but he hadn’t tied one yet. It’s an easy tie for a wee fellow and he really didn’t even need any help from me – he just watched what I did.

One of the challenges I face with trying to teach David how to tie flies is that he is left-handed, whereas I am right handed. So everything is backwards to me, and I get mixed up on giving him instruction. But we muddle our way through it and usually after some giggles with some hand movements that seem to defy what is possible, we get our flies tied. But I’m learning to try to be more cognizant of that difference and David is getting better at figuring out what he should be doing with each hand when both are necessary.

Ok.. onto another piece of very important news for Canadian custom fishing rod builders. After a very long time, RodMaker Magazine is now available to Canadian Subscribers! I’ve entered an agreement with a partner in regard to a new business venture, and part of that will be making available RodMaker Magazine. If you’re a Canadian custom rod builder, you might want to take advantage of the introductory special offer that is now being offered with a subscription to RodMaker Magazine in Canada.

“Surely you need some specialized tools and equipment to build that fishing rod,” an angling friend once remarked to me. It provided me with a great opportunity to talk about the craft of custom fishing rod building and motivate some interest.

Some people think that in order to build your own rod, you need expensive and specialized equipment. However, the fact is you probably have what you need in your home already in order to get started on your first rod.

Here’s a list of the tools and equipment you will need:

Round File

If you purchase a cork handle kit, where the cork rings have already been shaped into a grip, you will probably need a round file in order to enlarge the pre-drilled hole of the grip.

Masking Tape

Reel seats for most fishing rods come with an inner diameter that is much larger than the diameter of the rod blank. You will need to fill up this space, and a practical way to do this is with masking tape. You wrap masking tape to make a few “pillars” on the blank that will enable the reel seat to fit snugly. Expoxy is applied to the blank and masking tape pillars of course, prior to installing the reel seat.

Coffee Mug

Sipping coffee while building your rod can be comforting – but a coffee mug also has another purpose. When you put the guides on your rod, you wrap the feet of the guides with nylon thread. A coffee mug makes a great holder for the spool of thread while you are wrapping and keeps the spool secure.

A Couple of Heavy Books

When you are wrapping thread around the guide feet, you will want to have some tension on the thread. Running the thread under a couple of heavy books is a good way of obtaining the tension you need.

Scalpel or Razor Blade

When you finish wrapping thread over the feet of the guides, you will want to trim the thread very close. A sharp razor blade or scalpel is perfect for this.

Measuring Tape

A measuring tape is helpful to have a general guideline for where the guides will be placed on your fishing rod blank. Later, with some test casting, you can make adjustments to ensure the guides are placed perfectly along the rod in order to obtain the best casting and fish fighting performance.

And that is all you need!

Later, if you decide to pursue the craft of custom fishing rod building, you may want to invest in other tools such as thread wrapping machines that hold the rod between rollers as you wrap thread, a lathe if you decide to purchase cork rings and turn the handle yourself to the desired shape and diameter for your hands, and perhaps a small low rpm motor to turn the rod after you’ve applied finish to the thread wraps.

So take a look around and see if you have the tools and equipment you need already to build your first rod.