When it comes to choosing what you want on your fly rod, or what kind of fly rod you want, the options seem endless. For those of you trying to find that one special rod it can get confusing & maybe a little overwhelming, too. The purpose of this page is to discuss topics of fly rod design for you to consider. Some of these topics, I'm sure, are at the top of your list when choosing a fly rod while others may have been overlooked. Purchasing a rod from a custom maker is a lot different than buying one from a catalog or retail store because of the control you have about the elements that make up your rod. The purpose here is to give you some things to think about.
If I haven't covered a topic here that you'd like to read about, or if you have any questions at all, please email me with any questions or comments you have.
Rod Action
The topic of a rod’s action can be a very confusing subject for many anglers. It’s no wonder this is so, with so many ideas, theories, & so much terminology associated with the subject. There are many different ways to discuss rod action. Here I hope to clarify the topic some with as little technical & confusing jargon as possible.
The action of a rod is the result of it’s taper. Taper is the diameter of the rod along its length or; the shape & distribution of rod material. For anyone other than a rod maker it isn’t necessary to get down to that level of detail to understand how a rod will perform, or how it compares to other rods. So when thinking of a particular rod’s action, let’s not get its taper thrown into the mix. For a basic understanding of rod action, it will only add confusion.
I have found that the easiest way to understand rod action is to think of it as “feel”. Rod feel is, in my opinion, a better description. So, the “action” of a rod is how the rod “feels” to you when the rod is flexed, cast, & when landing a fish or mending line.
That being said, rod action is mostly divided into three categories:
1.) Fast Action: The rod has a stiff feel when flexed. When casting a line, etc the rod straightens quickly.
2.) Medium Action: These rods are more flexible & pliable than fast action rods. They straighten a little more slowly & have a smoother feel. Medium rods will bend more than a fast action rod under the same line weight.
3.) Slow Action: These rods are very limber & have a much softer feel than the other actions. A slow action rod flexes much more than fast or medium action rods. This flexing, or bending, is felt much farther down the length of the rod, usually to the butt section & maybe even into the grip.
No matter which action you prefer, a good, well designed fly rod will flex progressively from tip to butt under different loads.
Also consider the number of ferrules in your rod. Obviously, multiple piece rods have more ferrules than one or two piece rods. Any ferrule will, to some degree, interrupt the action of a rod. Ferrules are (by their nature) stiffer than the rod shaft. For this reason - & not considering the practical needs of transporting & storing your rod – a two piece or one piece rod is best for feeling the action of a rod. In other words, the less ferrules your rod has, the less the action of your rod will be interrupted.
What’s the best general use fly rod? This is a common question. In my opinion, for most anglers a medium action rod is best. A medium action rod is the most adaptable to the angler’s individual timing & reflexes. Medium action rods are much more forgiving than fast action rods & they also protect delicate tippets from snapping. By making slight changes to your casting you can “speed up” a medium action rod a little, but it can be very difficult for most anglers to slow down a fast action rod. Still, the choice of rod action is a personal one & it is very important, too. Before you purchase your next fly rod, you may want to give some considerable thought to the action of the rod you choose.
The action of a rod is the result of it’s taper. Taper is the diameter of the rod along its length or; the shape & distribution of rod material. For anyone other than a rod maker it isn’t necessary to get down to that level of detail to understand how a rod will perform, or how it compares to other rods. So when thinking of a particular rod’s action, let’s not get its taper thrown into the mix. For a basic understanding of rod action, it will only add confusion.
I have found that the easiest way to understand rod action is to think of it as “feel”. Rod feel is, in my opinion, a better description. So, the “action” of a rod is how the rod “feels” to you when the rod is flexed, cast, & when landing a fish or mending line.
That being said, rod action is mostly divided into three categories:
1.) Fast Action: The rod has a stiff feel when flexed. When casting a line, etc the rod straightens quickly.
2.) Medium Action: These rods are more flexible & pliable than fast action rods. They straighten a little more slowly & have a smoother feel. Medium rods will bend more than a fast action rod under the same line weight.
3.) Slow Action: These rods are very limber & have a much softer feel than the other actions. A slow action rod flexes much more than fast or medium action rods. This flexing, or bending, is felt much farther down the length of the rod, usually to the butt section & maybe even into the grip.
No matter which action you prefer, a good, well designed fly rod will flex progressively from tip to butt under different loads.
Also consider the number of ferrules in your rod. Obviously, multiple piece rods have more ferrules than one or two piece rods. Any ferrule will, to some degree, interrupt the action of a rod. Ferrules are (by their nature) stiffer than the rod shaft. For this reason - & not considering the practical needs of transporting & storing your rod – a two piece or one piece rod is best for feeling the action of a rod. In other words, the less ferrules your rod has, the less the action of your rod will be interrupted.
What’s the best general use fly rod? This is a common question. In my opinion, for most anglers a medium action rod is best. A medium action rod is the most adaptable to the angler’s individual timing & reflexes. Medium action rods are much more forgiving than fast action rods & they also protect delicate tippets from snapping. By making slight changes to your casting you can “speed up” a medium action rod a little, but it can be very difficult for most anglers to slow down a fast action rod. Still, the choice of rod action is a personal one & it is very important, too. Before you purchase your next fly rod, you may want to give some considerable thought to the action of the rod you choose.
Rod Size
This discussion assumes that you’ve chosen which type of material you want your fly rod made of: graphite, fiberglass, or bamboo.
These days more than ever you have many choices available of fly rods. There are many fly rods of different line weights, lengths, configurations (2, 3, 4 piece, etc), & rod actions available. With all these possible fly rods, picking the one you really want or need can get confusing. So, how do you narrow down the choices? Well, here’s some food for thought:
Different fishing situations call for different rods. There are a few sizes, actions, & weights of rods that will cover most general fishing situations, but most anglers should have at least a few rods to cover the different situations they will find themselves in. I don’t say this just because I’m in the fly rod business. No, you will find that fishing with an inappropriate rod for the situation will not be as fun as it could be.
After you’ve decided what kind of material you want your fly rod made of, consider what types of fishes you pursue most often, where you fish the most, & the size of the majority of fish you catch – not the size you dream of catching, but the size of the fish you hook up with the most. For example, an angler in Montana consistently catching 18” to 22” trout would probably do better to leave the 2 weight rod at home. They could probably use a longer rod that will handle a heavier fly line & deal with a strong wind. Likewise, an angler catching small, 6” native Pennsylvania Brook trout in small streams with low overhanging trees would be happier with a shorter fly rod & does not need the 7 or 8 weight rod that the person fishing for small mouth bass needs.
The appropriate fly rod for your angling situation will give you plenty of “sport” when fighting a fish without the fight lasting too long for the survival of the fish. If you don’t have enough rod to quickly bring an exhausted fish to hand you’re using the wrong fly rod & you will most likely kill some fish unintentionally.
These days more than ever you have many choices available of fly rods. There are many fly rods of different line weights, lengths, configurations (2, 3, 4 piece, etc), & rod actions available. With all these possible fly rods, picking the one you really want or need can get confusing. So, how do you narrow down the choices? Well, here’s some food for thought:
Different fishing situations call for different rods. There are a few sizes, actions, & weights of rods that will cover most general fishing situations, but most anglers should have at least a few rods to cover the different situations they will find themselves in. I don’t say this just because I’m in the fly rod business. No, you will find that fishing with an inappropriate rod for the situation will not be as fun as it could be.
After you’ve decided what kind of material you want your fly rod made of, consider what types of fishes you pursue most often, where you fish the most, & the size of the majority of fish you catch – not the size you dream of catching, but the size of the fish you hook up with the most. For example, an angler in Montana consistently catching 18” to 22” trout would probably do better to leave the 2 weight rod at home. They could probably use a longer rod that will handle a heavier fly line & deal with a strong wind. Likewise, an angler catching small, 6” native Pennsylvania Brook trout in small streams with low overhanging trees would be happier with a shorter fly rod & does not need the 7 or 8 weight rod that the person fishing for small mouth bass needs.
The appropriate fly rod for your angling situation will give you plenty of “sport” when fighting a fish without the fight lasting too long for the survival of the fish. If you don’t have enough rod to quickly bring an exhausted fish to hand you’re using the wrong fly rod & you will most likely kill some fish unintentionally.
Reel Seats:
When you employ a rod maker to create your fly rod there are many aspects of the rod you should consider. Let's consider just one aspect: the reel seat. There are many choices & options available today for reel seats - more so now than in the past. The reel seat's primary goal is, of course, to hold the reel onto the rod. Aside from that, the seat is one part that can really add to the individuality of your rod.
First off, you need to decide if your reel seat will be up-locking or down-locking. Working with a rod maker, decide which seat you prefer or which is best for the rod you're having made. Each style has its pros & cons, but the down-locking reel seat is the traditional style. The popularity of the up-locking seat (which has an inlet in the back of the grip to accept the reel foot) is a fairly modern fashion. For many decades the down-locking seat was what was seen on most fly rods.
The next thing to consider is the locking mechanism for the seat. Here you have two choices: slide band (cap & ring), or screw locking. Some folks just feel safer using a screw lock seat, but as long as it's well designed, a good cap & ring seat will work quite fine to hold the reel to the rod. There are many antique heavy bass & salmon rods that employ a slide band seat. Some only use two rings to secure the reel to the seat. If the seat is made well with quality in mind, there's no reason not to consider a cap & ring seat.
The insert, or spacer (main body), of the reel seat is another thing to think about. Here you have tons of choices & there seems to be a never ending supply of different materials. The traditional choices are between wood & metal. In the late 1800's & early 1900's it wasn't uncommon to see an all metal reel seat. You can still find these today, especially with an all aluminum spacer. They are particularly popular on spey rods or for any rod that could be exposed to salt water. The wood spacer, however, has been the standard choice for reel seats for many years & remains quite popular today. A wooden reel seat spacer can add a “high class” look to your fly rod. Consider it the equivalent to leather interior in a luxury sedan. The choices of woods used in reel seats runs the gamut of standard American hardwoods, to exotic foreign woods. Walnut & other woods like cedar have been the traditional woods used through the ages & are still good choices today, but you can also have woods like bubinga, teak, bocote, cocobolo, bird's eye maple, etc. Today reel seat spacers are also made from modern materials, like the popular woven graphite material. These can come in a variety of colors & are very durable. However, with split-bamboo fly rods you should consider aspects of tradition & not opt for a modern material on a bamboo rod. Still, the choice is yours.
One of the debates when choosing a reel seat in regards to the metal used is the choice between aluminum & nickel-silver. Contemporary rod maker Jeff Wagner has this to say about the subject:
"Aluminum is a totally acceptable reel seat metal, and in fact carries some advantages. First, it is considerably lighter than nickel silver, yet when highly polished it takes an expert to tell them apart. It is also considerably less expensive. The use of nickel silver in screw lock seats is a recent phenomenon, and such esteemed makers as Payne and Leonard used aluminum in screw lock seats. It's hard to argue they did so to cut costs or corners."
I offer fly rods in different grades, or levels, of price. One of the reasons I can do this is by using reel seats with aluminum hardware for the less expensive rods. What the aluminum allows me to do is offer a rod to a broader range of anglers who want a custom rod, but are on a tight budget or to those that have a limited amount of money to spend on a rod & want to invest it into another rod feature. These folks get a rod that is similar to one sporting a nickel-silver reel seat but without compromising on functionality or detracting from the overall appearance of the rod. Not to mention on some rods (no matter what their grade), aluminum is the best choice. This is critical with very light weight rods.
As you can see, your choices abound when deciding which reel seat to have on your fly rod. I highly recommend discussing reel seats with your rod maker. Bounce ideas off of them. Remember, these are choices you don't get when you purchase a fly rod from a corporation - you get the reel seat they've decided on for you without your input. Most rod makers will be happy to share with you their thoughts about reel seats & help guide you in making your decision.
First off, you need to decide if your reel seat will be up-locking or down-locking. Working with a rod maker, decide which seat you prefer or which is best for the rod you're having made. Each style has its pros & cons, but the down-locking reel seat is the traditional style. The popularity of the up-locking seat (which has an inlet in the back of the grip to accept the reel foot) is a fairly modern fashion. For many decades the down-locking seat was what was seen on most fly rods.
The next thing to consider is the locking mechanism for the seat. Here you have two choices: slide band (cap & ring), or screw locking. Some folks just feel safer using a screw lock seat, but as long as it's well designed, a good cap & ring seat will work quite fine to hold the reel to the rod. There are many antique heavy bass & salmon rods that employ a slide band seat. Some only use two rings to secure the reel to the seat. If the seat is made well with quality in mind, there's no reason not to consider a cap & ring seat.
The insert, or spacer (main body), of the reel seat is another thing to think about. Here you have tons of choices & there seems to be a never ending supply of different materials. The traditional choices are between wood & metal. In the late 1800's & early 1900's it wasn't uncommon to see an all metal reel seat. You can still find these today, especially with an all aluminum spacer. They are particularly popular on spey rods or for any rod that could be exposed to salt water. The wood spacer, however, has been the standard choice for reel seats for many years & remains quite popular today. A wooden reel seat spacer can add a “high class” look to your fly rod. Consider it the equivalent to leather interior in a luxury sedan. The choices of woods used in reel seats runs the gamut of standard American hardwoods, to exotic foreign woods. Walnut & other woods like cedar have been the traditional woods used through the ages & are still good choices today, but you can also have woods like bubinga, teak, bocote, cocobolo, bird's eye maple, etc. Today reel seat spacers are also made from modern materials, like the popular woven graphite material. These can come in a variety of colors & are very durable. However, with split-bamboo fly rods you should consider aspects of tradition & not opt for a modern material on a bamboo rod. Still, the choice is yours.
One of the debates when choosing a reel seat in regards to the metal used is the choice between aluminum & nickel-silver. Contemporary rod maker Jeff Wagner has this to say about the subject:
"Aluminum is a totally acceptable reel seat metal, and in fact carries some advantages. First, it is considerably lighter than nickel silver, yet when highly polished it takes an expert to tell them apart. It is also considerably less expensive. The use of nickel silver in screw lock seats is a recent phenomenon, and such esteemed makers as Payne and Leonard used aluminum in screw lock seats. It's hard to argue they did so to cut costs or corners."
I offer fly rods in different grades, or levels, of price. One of the reasons I can do this is by using reel seats with aluminum hardware for the less expensive rods. What the aluminum allows me to do is offer a rod to a broader range of anglers who want a custom rod, but are on a tight budget or to those that have a limited amount of money to spend on a rod & want to invest it into another rod feature. These folks get a rod that is similar to one sporting a nickel-silver reel seat but without compromising on functionality or detracting from the overall appearance of the rod. Not to mention on some rods (no matter what their grade), aluminum is the best choice. This is critical with very light weight rods.
As you can see, your choices abound when deciding which reel seat to have on your fly rod. I highly recommend discussing reel seats with your rod maker. Bounce ideas off of them. Remember, these are choices you don't get when you purchase a fly rod from a corporation - you get the reel seat they've decided on for you without your input. Most rod makers will be happy to share with you their thoughts about reel seats & help guide you in making your decision.
Grips:
The grip on your fly rod is a very important part of the rod that, many times, is overlooked by both rod makers & anglers. The grip plays a vital role in the use of the rod. A comfortable grip allows you to fish for long periods of time without fatigue to the hand & wrist, allowing you more time of pleasant fishing.
Cork is the standard material for fly rod grips & for good reason. Cork is durable, light in weight, yet rigid enough to transmit rod forces from the hand to the rod shaft without too much loss of response. Likewise, cork allows the action of the rod to be transmitted to the angler’s hand, giving a “feel” of the rod & line in the water. Cork is comfortable on the hands & doesn’t feel nearly as cold as other materials would when it’s freezing outside. The same goes for when the temperatures are high; the cork will not absorb the heat as readily & won’t feel hot to the touch, even in intense sunlight. Other grip materials, like foam for instance, are usually too soft for fly rods. This results in the rod being less responsive to your hand. Generally, the softer the grip, the more unresponsive the feel of the rod becomes in your hand. Cork allows for responsiveness while being comfortable to the angler.
Through the years many different shapes of grips have appeared on fly rods. Many have been a passing phase in fly rod fashion. Today you see three shapes, or styles, of grips more than others. These are:
Cork is the standard material for fly rod grips & for good reason. Cork is durable, light in weight, yet rigid enough to transmit rod forces from the hand to the rod shaft without too much loss of response. Likewise, cork allows the action of the rod to be transmitted to the angler’s hand, giving a “feel” of the rod & line in the water. Cork is comfortable on the hands & doesn’t feel nearly as cold as other materials would when it’s freezing outside. The same goes for when the temperatures are high; the cork will not absorb the heat as readily & won’t feel hot to the touch, even in intense sunlight. Other grip materials, like foam for instance, are usually too soft for fly rods. This results in the rod being less responsive to your hand. Generally, the softer the grip, the more unresponsive the feel of the rod becomes in your hand. Cork allows for responsiveness while being comfortable to the angler.
Through the years many different shapes of grips have appeared on fly rods. Many have been a passing phase in fly rod fashion. Today you see three shapes, or styles, of grips more than others. These are:
Half Wells:
Reversed Half Wells:
Cigar (or variation of cigar shape):
The trend these days among fly rod manufacturers seems to be outfitting their rods with grips that are longer than in the past (approx 7 inches & longer) & grips that are thinner in diameter than before. While these grips may look good on a rod, a grip that is longer than it needs to be will generally make a rod feel less responsive. Should the grip be too small in diameter for your hand, your wrist & hand will tire from casting & fishing sooner in the day than a grip with a larger diameter. This is why I make the grips on my rods a little different than many on mass produced rods. While I fulfill any client’s request for grip shape, the overall standard grip shape on my rods is a very simple one. My grips are shaped with a gentle slope towards the front of the rod & mostly leveling out for the length of your hand. This would be called a variation on cigar shape I suppose, but I don’t necessarily think of that when I shape the grip. Instead, I focus on how the grip feels in the hand by stopping & holding the grip many times as I shape it. There are a lot of different shapes of grips for fly rods & this can sometimes be confusing when you’re trying to design a rod yourself. That’s why I feel the shape I use as my standard grip works best on most fly rods for the majority of fishing rods & situations.
The grip is more than just a place to hold the rod. It plays a very important role in the overall quality of the rod. It helps transmit information to & from your hand while helping you to cast & fish the rod comfortably for long periods of time. Do yourself a favor & don’t overlook the grip when purchasing your next fly rod.
Winding Checks:
A winding check is the ring you see on most fly rods just in front of the grip. It has two jobs: it protects the cork where it meets the rod shaft from chipping & it gives a visual transition from the grip to the rod. Some fly rods don't have winding checks, but the vast majority do (those that don't usually have a long thread wrap up the front of the grip).
There are many types & styles of winding checks. This variety allows us, when we're designing your rod, to have more options. We can make a bold statement with the check, or we can be subtle - such as matching the knurling on the reel seat hardware with some knurling on the check. It's stuff like that that can really make a rod nice.
Some winding checks are made of rubber or vinyl. I suggest you avoid these. They will, in time, dry out & crack & break. They are not meant to last a lifetime like a good Nickle-Silver or aluminum check. In fact, one way to judge the quality of a rod at a glance is to look at the winding check. If it has a cheap rubber check, chances are the other components aren't of top quality either.
On six-sided bamboo rods, the round check looks good against the polygonal rod shaft. The small spaces where the round doesn't meet the shaft on the flats gets filled up with varnish anyway, so there's no worry of water ever getting down in there. It's a classic, elegant look you see on the vast majority of bamboo rods.
However, one option some choose for six-sided bamboo rods is to have the winding check match the shape of the rod shaft. Hence, the six-sided winding check on bamboo rods is also an option.
Going with a metal winding check also allows us to match the color of the other hardware on the rod. A fly rod with bright, polished chromed components will look great with a check that's also polished. If you went with black or blued hardware, get a check to match that in color. Nickle-Silver checks & components can be blued, or oxidized, & aluminum checks are available in a black, or anodized, finish.
So you have a lot of options when it comes to that little ring in front of the grip. Choosing a nice winding check can really add something to your custom rod. All that said, to me you can't beat the simple elegance of a nicely shaped, plain Nickle-Silver winding check. The plain design does add a subtle touch of class to any fly rod.
However, one option some choose for six-sided bamboo rods is to have the winding check match the shape of the rod shaft. Hence, the six-sided winding check on bamboo rods is also an option.
Going with a metal winding check also allows us to match the color of the other hardware on the rod. A fly rod with bright, polished chromed components will look great with a check that's also polished. If you went with black or blued hardware, get a check to match that in color. Nickle-Silver checks & components can be blued, or oxidized, & aluminum checks are available in a black, or anodized, finish.
So you have a lot of options when it comes to that little ring in front of the grip. Choosing a nice winding check can really add something to your custom rod. All that said, to me you can't beat the simple elegance of a nicely shaped, plain Nickle-Silver winding check. The plain design does add a subtle touch of class to any fly rod.
Line Guides:
The job of line guides is to distribute the forces of the rod to the fly line. When casting, they take the energy from the rod & transfer it to the line in a controlled manner along the length of the rod. When playing or landing a fish, they distribute the forces on the fly line along the length of the rod & allow you to use the rod as a lever. In other words, line guides are pretty important to the over all function of - & your satisfaction with – the fly rod.
On fly rods today line guides are made from light weight bent wire. This is to reduce weight & friction on the fly line. The tip top guide is made of a metal tube which has a pear-shaped loop soldered onto the tube top. This tube is placed over the top of the rod tip shaft. On fly rods, more than any other type of fishing rods, it is very important that the line guides not be too heavy. That would greatly affect the action of the rod. Also, the guides must be spaced apart correctly so that the line does not come in to too much contact with the rod shaft while casting. That would cause friction that could dramatically slow the speed of the line down.
The number of line guides used on a rod is very important. There are always exceptions, but a good rule of thumb is that good fly rods have a tip top plus a number of guides equal to the rod length, in feet, plus one. For example, a good 9 ft rod probably has a tip top plus ten line guides. This is one way some production rods are available at a lower price – by not putting enough guides on a rod the cost of manufacturing is less. Also, how the guides are spaced along the rod is extremely important. As you progress from the tip of the rod down to the grip, the distance between guides gets larger. A couple may be spaced the same distance apart, but rarely (if ever) closer. Guides also get larger in diameter closer to the grip with the smallest guides being closest to the tip top. It’s very important to use the correct size guide in the right place on a fly rod. Many cheap rods, in addition to not having enough guides, also use the wrong size of guide, or too big of a guide near the tip of the rod.
There are two types of snake, or bent wire, fly rod line guides. There’s the standard guide that we see on almost all the fly rods today. Then there are British, or English, line guides. British line guides are made from the same wire as standard guides but they have a more rounded shape, with the wire bent in a gentler sweep. Some folks claim that the British guides are more suited for slower, or softer, action rods.
Line guides & tip tops come in different finishes. They are available in black, Bronze, & Titanium guides are available as well. Guides also come in hard chrome. These are cheaper in price than titanium or bronze & will hold up to heavy use well, continuing to look good after many decades. This is why I prefer chrome guides & use them as my standard guide. On bamboo rods its best if certain traditions are upheld, but on graphite rods which have less ‘history’, more choices are available. For instance, you should never put single footed guides on a bamboo rod, but they’re acceptable on a graphite rod.
The stripping guide is located closest to the rod grip & is the heaviest. It’s made from a complete ring in a soldered base of bent wire forming the two feet of the guide. On bamboo rods stripping guides are made with rings of tungsten-carbide or of a cut & polished agate stone ring in a nickel-silver bezel. Modern graphite rods tend to use stripping guides made from other, more modern materials like ceramic, etc. On graphite fly rods I prefer to use the traditional stripping guides that you’d find on bamboo rods. I think this is a way to bring the traditions & history of the sport into today. Plus, in my opinion, you cannot beat the looks of traditional components.
Stripping Guides:
Bluing, or Darkening, Metal On A Fly Rod
Bluing is a chemical process that darkens certain metals, turning them from their natural shinny appearances to a darker color. It's a common treatment to many firearms & some fishing rods. The idea behind this is that by darkening the metal, it won't reflect the light as much & won't give away your location &/or scare your prey while you're afield hunting or fishing. Bluing is a surface treatment only. Any surfaces that are blued must be coated with a protecting layer of either varnish or clear coat, or the bluing will quickly wear off. The darkness of the metal can be somewhat controlled by the person bluing it, making it lighter or darker. It's important to know that bluing doesn't make the metal exactly black, but a dark shade of gray. Perhaps the best way to describe its color would be "gun metal gray".
On fly rods, bluing is typically considered only with bamboo rods, but it can be done on some synthetic rods as well. Traditionally, rods with darkened metal are made from bamboo that's been flame treated more, giving the cane a darker look. That is to say, it would look a little odd to see a blonde rod with blued metal. However there are exceptions to every rule & I have seen blonde rods with only their ferrules blued.
So what all gets blued on a fly rod? Typically the darkened parts are:
-ferrules
-winding check (metal ring just above the grip)
-hook keeper
-metal frame of an agate stripping guide
-cap & ring of the reel seat
Remember that the idea is to reduce your visibility to the fish by not having any shiny metal flash in the sun & scare away the fish; & also remember that, based on the traditions of bamboo fly rods, there are always exceptions to the rules (more on that later).
What about the line guides? Well bluing is a surface treatment & any bluing will quickly wear away that isn't protected by a clear coat. If the line guides were to be blued in the normal way, the bluing in the guides where the line comes in contact with them would be gone in no time flat, even with a protective coating. So today rod makers use either black line guides that have been blackened by a commercial process (much tougher & harder than normal bluing) , or guides made of titanium.
Okay, but I haven't mentioned the screw-locking style reel seats. Here is the big exception to the rules. When the screw-locking reel seat was invented there was no process available that would allow the threads to be blued without the bluing quickly wearing off. So the fly rods with the early screw-locking reel seats that had their other metal parts darkened left the metal of the reel seat "natural" & not blued. This became the tradition & standard of bamboo fly rods....but only when the rod had a screw-locking style reel seat.
Today it's perfectly normal & acceptable to see a rod with blued ferrules, etc but a natural, non-blued screw-locking reel seat. However, if you let tradition set your rules, whenever you see a rod with a cap & ring style seat, the cap & ring are blued to match the other metal on the rod. In fact, it would be odd to see a bamboo fly rod with a darkened screw-locking reel seat.
But you might have seen them. It is possible to darken the threads on a screw-locking reel seat. However, it can only be done by an expensive commercial process. In fact, I don't believe these seats are available anymore as the only company I know of that offered them went out of business. So basically, forget about them. The practical justification for not bluing the screw-locking reel seat metal was that the reel seat is under your wrist or forearm when fishing anyway, so it really can't be seen. Well.....okay?
I think the reason most anglers choose to have rod with blued metal is because of how it looks. That's fine. Many rods with blued metal have a classy, distinguished look about them. I've fished with both blued & non-blued rods & I can't honestly say that it helped me or hurt the number of fish I fooled (or lack there of). No, I suspect better casting & fly presentations would have probably helped me more.
Thread Wraps
The thread wraps on a fly rod are literally the wraps of thread that go around the rod over the feet of the line guides, hook keeper, in front of winding checks, over the base of the ferrules, etc. They are probably the most noticeable feature of a rod & the first element the eye is drawn to.
In fly rods as well as in fly fishing, certain traditions are usually upheld. This is true with the wraps on a rod. For instance, the thread used on a bamboo rod is traditionally silk thread, while the more modern nylon is commonly used on graphite & fiberglass rods.
Silk thread gives a smoother, flatter wrap on a rod than nylon. Silk is also a lot thinner than nylon thread & lays down flatter on a rod giving a smoother, even appearance under varnish. If applied correctly, wraps of silk thread will appear “painted” on a rod after the finish is applied. The lighter colors of silk thread will become translucent, showing the guide feet, under varnish. This is a very traditional look.
The color scheme of the wraps is an open field where you can have any colors you choose on your rod. Some folks prefer to stick to more subtle & traditional colors such as red, brown, etc while others prefer to go for bolder colors & shades of green, purple, blue, etc. There are many different colors of thread available today. Also, on older rods &/or more expensive rods, you may find the wraps ending, or tipped, in another color. This is called “tipping” which gives definition to the appearance of the wrap. Tipping is usually done in a neutral or contrasting color & is very thin, consisting of only a few turns of thread.
When choosing wrap colors, it’s always best to consider the color of the rod itself, so that you’ll have an idea of the overall appearance of the finished rod. Also, the colors of the thread, unless treated with a product known as “color preserver” will appear much different under varnish than as it comes on the spool. This is where the guidance of a rod maker is valuable in helping to guide you when choosing wrap colors.
On the overwhelming majority of graphite rods today you will find the wraps made of nylon thread & an epoxy finish over the wraps. Most are bulky wraps (even on the best of rods) & appear to me to look more like an imitation ant fly pattern you might use at the end of your line: many little symmetrical bumps along the length of the rod. On all my rods (bamboo, graphite, & fiberglass) I choose to use silk thread for the wraps & finish the wraps with a traditional varnish. This results in smooth, flat wraps that do not boldly stand out in shape & size from the rod shafts. This follows tradition on bamboo rods & gives graphite & fiberglass rods a traditional appearance. Trends in fishing tackle come & go, but these traditional looking wraps never go out of style & give your rod a timeless appearance. Take a look at an older bamboo or fiberglass fly rod & compare the wraps to those on modern graphite rods. You will see what I mean about smoother, flatter wraps.
When purchasing a rod from a custom rod maker you can have a wide choice of colors for the wraps. This is one more choice that makes your rod as individual as you are.
In fly rods as well as in fly fishing, certain traditions are usually upheld. This is true with the wraps on a rod. For instance, the thread used on a bamboo rod is traditionally silk thread, while the more modern nylon is commonly used on graphite & fiberglass rods.
Silk thread gives a smoother, flatter wrap on a rod than nylon. Silk is also a lot thinner than nylon thread & lays down flatter on a rod giving a smoother, even appearance under varnish. If applied correctly, wraps of silk thread will appear “painted” on a rod after the finish is applied. The lighter colors of silk thread will become translucent, showing the guide feet, under varnish. This is a very traditional look.
The color scheme of the wraps is an open field where you can have any colors you choose on your rod. Some folks prefer to stick to more subtle & traditional colors such as red, brown, etc while others prefer to go for bolder colors & shades of green, purple, blue, etc. There are many different colors of thread available today. Also, on older rods &/or more expensive rods, you may find the wraps ending, or tipped, in another color. This is called “tipping” which gives definition to the appearance of the wrap. Tipping is usually done in a neutral or contrasting color & is very thin, consisting of only a few turns of thread.
When choosing wrap colors, it’s always best to consider the color of the rod itself, so that you’ll have an idea of the overall appearance of the finished rod. Also, the colors of the thread, unless treated with a product known as “color preserver” will appear much different under varnish than as it comes on the spool. This is where the guidance of a rod maker is valuable in helping to guide you when choosing wrap colors.
On the overwhelming majority of graphite rods today you will find the wraps made of nylon thread & an epoxy finish over the wraps. Most are bulky wraps (even on the best of rods) & appear to me to look more like an imitation ant fly pattern you might use at the end of your line: many little symmetrical bumps along the length of the rod. On all my rods (bamboo, graphite, & fiberglass) I choose to use silk thread for the wraps & finish the wraps with a traditional varnish. This results in smooth, flat wraps that do not boldly stand out in shape & size from the rod shafts. This follows tradition on bamboo rods & gives graphite & fiberglass rods a traditional appearance. Trends in fishing tackle come & go, but these traditional looking wraps never go out of style & give your rod a timeless appearance. Take a look at an older bamboo or fiberglass fly rod & compare the wraps to those on modern graphite rods. You will see what I mean about smoother, flatter wraps.
When purchasing a rod from a custom rod maker you can have a wide choice of colors for the wraps. This is one more choice that makes your rod as individual as you are.
Rod Varnish (Bamboo Fly Rods)
The following pertains to the varnish on split-bamboo fly rods:
The varnish on a rod not only should look good, but offer protection to the rod. Obviously, you're going to be using your fly rod around water & you don't want the raw bamboo exposed to moisture. Plus over the years, you will put the rod through it's paces & things are bound to happen. So the rod has to be protected from the water, bumping into objects like rocks & bramble bushes, exposure to the sun, etc. A good varnish will also need to be flexible, allowing the rod to bend naturally, while still remaining hard enough to protect the rod.
Rod makers overwhelmingly choose to use a marine-grade spar varnish. This type of finish has all the properties needed to protect a rod, while allowing it to flex. Sometimes though, rod makers will use a tung-oil based finish - especially when they want a low-build, satin finish on a rod. These types of finishes are usually applied by hand, while spar varnish can be brushed or poured onto the rod. Spar varnish can also be applied by dipping the rod into a tank of varnish.
Eventually after many fishing seasons, your rod will need to be re-finished. There are rods in use that are 100 years old. The trick to a rod that age is keeping the varnish in good condition & having it re-finished when needed. No matter what kind of finish you choose to have on your rod, you want one that will look good without bumps & runs & will protect the rod for many years.
The varnish on a rod not only should look good, but offer protection to the rod. Obviously, you're going to be using your fly rod around water & you don't want the raw bamboo exposed to moisture. Plus over the years, you will put the rod through it's paces & things are bound to happen. So the rod has to be protected from the water, bumping into objects like rocks & bramble bushes, exposure to the sun, etc. A good varnish will also need to be flexible, allowing the rod to bend naturally, while still remaining hard enough to protect the rod.
Rod makers overwhelmingly choose to use a marine-grade spar varnish. This type of finish has all the properties needed to protect a rod, while allowing it to flex. Sometimes though, rod makers will use a tung-oil based finish - especially when they want a low-build, satin finish on a rod. These types of finishes are usually applied by hand, while spar varnish can be brushed or poured onto the rod. Spar varnish can also be applied by dipping the rod into a tank of varnish.
Eventually after many fishing seasons, your rod will need to be re-finished. There are rods in use that are 100 years old. The trick to a rod that age is keeping the varnish in good condition & having it re-finished when needed. No matter what kind of finish you choose to have on your rod, you want one that will look good without bumps & runs & will protect the rod for many years.
Rod Cases / Tubes
The case or tube that you use is important. Obviously, the rod case protects the rod from damage when it’s being stored or transported. So, it should be strong & able to take much abuse so your fly rod won’t have to.
Throughout the years, rod makers used aluminum tubes with brass end caps. The top end cap was usually threaded & accepted a cap. This continues to be the standard rod tube for all high end fly rods. However these days there is more variety in rod tubes / cases.
Some tubes are aluminum with brass caps, but instead of raw aluminum the tube has been powder coated. These tend to be best for appearance sake, because it will always look good. The aluminum will patina with age & can be subject to scratches, etc so it won’t always look new. These days you can find rod tubes made of all kinds of materials, including graphite.
Tubes come in all shapes these days, too. In addition to a round tube, you can get a six-sided wooden rod tube, or a square tube. I sometimes offer square aluminum tubes instead of round for my rods. I do this both to be a little different & because a square tube is actually stronger than a round one. Some rod tubes are even made from whicker & can look quite stunning.
One important thing about rod tubes to consider is their thickness. Many tubes commercially available today are not thick enough to adequately protect your rod. That’s why all my rod tubes are at least 1/16” to 1/8” thick. Also be sure that your rod tube has adequate padding in the ends of it to protect your rod against the hard metal of the caps.
No matter which tube you choose to have, be sure that you always keep your rod in it while transporting, with the cap on securely, & store the rod in it with the ferrules pointed down.
Throughout the years, rod makers used aluminum tubes with brass end caps. The top end cap was usually threaded & accepted a cap. This continues to be the standard rod tube for all high end fly rods. However these days there is more variety in rod tubes / cases.
Some tubes are aluminum with brass caps, but instead of raw aluminum the tube has been powder coated. These tend to be best for appearance sake, because it will always look good. The aluminum will patina with age & can be subject to scratches, etc so it won’t always look new. These days you can find rod tubes made of all kinds of materials, including graphite.
Tubes come in all shapes these days, too. In addition to a round tube, you can get a six-sided wooden rod tube, or a square tube. I sometimes offer square aluminum tubes instead of round for my rods. I do this both to be a little different & because a square tube is actually stronger than a round one. Some rod tubes are even made from whicker & can look quite stunning.
One important thing about rod tubes to consider is their thickness. Many tubes commercially available today are not thick enough to adequately protect your rod. That’s why all my rod tubes are at least 1/16” to 1/8” thick. Also be sure that your rod tube has adequate padding in the ends of it to protect your rod against the hard metal of the caps.
No matter which tube you choose to have, be sure that you always keep your rod in it while transporting, with the cap on securely, & store the rod in it with the ferrules pointed down.
Rod Bags
A rod bag is another important item in helping you to protect your fly rod. The best rod bags are made of a soft fabric that will not scratch the rod or varnish, will help pad the rod from danger, & will absorb some moisture away from a damp rod. Good rod bags have plenty of material, especially near the small tip sections. To this end, the rod bags I offer are all made from a soft cotton flannel & have a flap at the top to add extra protection for the rod tips.
Another feature of a good rod bag is a hang tag. This allows you to hang the rod in the bag to dry out after a day of fishing. Hanging the rod to dry is especially needed after a rainy day along the stream. All my rod bags include a hang tag.
Of course ordering a rod from a custom rod maker means you can also have your choice of bag colors as well, if you wish. This way you can have a bag that matches the rod’s wrap colors, for instance, thereby having a rod & bag that were literally made for each other.
Whatever rod bag you use, always keep your fly rod in it’s bag & never put a rod into a tube without putting it in it’s bag first.
Another feature of a good rod bag is a hang tag. This allows you to hang the rod in the bag to dry out after a day of fishing. Hanging the rod to dry is especially needed after a rainy day along the stream. All my rod bags include a hang tag.
Of course ordering a rod from a custom rod maker means you can also have your choice of bag colors as well, if you wish. This way you can have a bag that matches the rod’s wrap colors, for instance, thereby having a rod & bag that were literally made for each other.
Whatever rod bag you use, always keep your fly rod in it’s bag & never put a rod into a tube without putting it in it’s bag first.
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