old f--ts with flyrods

[rgfixit]

Well guys, for my money, I want a rod I'm not afraid to fish with. I can only cast as well as I can cast. No amount of money spent on a rod will make me a better fly caster, stream reader, fly tier or fisherman. But, they're certainly pretty to look at.

Rg

[WANNAKETCHUM]

Well guys, for my money, I want a rod I'm not afraid to fish with. I can only cast as well as I can cast. No amount of money spent on a rod will make me a better fly caster, stream reader, fly tier or fisherman. But, they're certainly pretty to look at.

Rg

You're absolutely right Rg... I'm sure his rods are the best that they can be for those who view money as no object. Personally I just enjoy fishing and I don't believe a $1500.00 rod will catch me any more fish than my skill level will allow. I own a lot of traditional style muzzleloading rifles, but I never had a custom one built for the same reason you state about rods. I'm not afraid to hunt with or use any of what I currently own. I also believe that custom Bamboo rods fall into the "status symbol" category. If they were so much better than glass or graphite, they would still dominate the market.

WK

[icejohn]

You're absolutely right Rg... I'm sure his rods are the best that they can be for those who view money as no object. Personally I just enjoy fishing and I don't believe a $1500.00 rod will catch me any more fish than my skill level will allow. I own a lot of traditional style muzzleloading rifles, but I never had a custom one built for the same reason you state about rods. I'm not afraid to hunt with or use any of what I currently own. I also believe that custom Bamboo rods fall into the "status symbol" category. If they were so much better than glass or graphite, they would still dominate the market.

WK

X2

[rp dog]

I've watched a few people catch fish with monofilament line wrapped around a tin can. While I haven't tried it myself I couldn't justify the high dollar stuff either. My neighbor showed me an 8' bamboo that belonged to his dad. I'd love to have it but for now its were it belongs.
Rp

[Gump]

Well guys, for my money, I want a rod I'm not afraid to fish with. I can only cast as well as I can cast. No amount of money spent on a rod will make me a better fly caster, stream reader, fly tier or fisherman. But, they're certainly pretty to look at.

Rg

Agreed...  One of the reasons I gotten into vintage glass.  For casting they are more forgiving IMO that graphite, you can get them cheap if you poke around, and the action on them are just downright FUN !

[rgfixit]

I've got a few glass rods and you're right , the old buggy whips are very forgiving. Of all the rods and materials that make them up, I like IM-6 rods about the best. They're a nice mix of old and new. I'm building an 8' 5 wt 3 PC  IM-6 with 2 tips for a friend. Blank should be here in a couple of days. I've got a feeling it's going to be a sweetheart of a rod.

Using a decent feeling, reasonably priced blank, I can put the money into really good polished stainless steel guides and a top grade grip, seat and insert. I just did some modifications to my lathe as well. I extended the bed so I can turn 10' rods and altered the controls to allow a constant adjustable speed for finishing. It bypasses the foot pedal so I can use the clutch mechanism I built for finishing at around 200 rpm. Makes the finishing process much more efficient a lot less time consuming. Both good things when working with epoxies.

Rg

[rp dog]

Rg my bride said I'm somewhere between Ted Nugent and Lawrence Welke with a little mariachi thrown in.
She said she hasn't noticed anything close to Clapton. ?
Got to love her encouragement !!!!!
Rp

[rgfixit]

Well Randy, your tractors look like Clapton........can't speak for your fly casting. If you have trouble  casting that rod, I may have to make a road trip to pass on the operating instructions 

Got the blank, guides and grip set for the next rod in the lathe. Now the customer tells me he wants red and yellow thread with the color preserved.  I told him it's an emerald green, translucent blank. Didn't seem to make a difference to him. I'm hoping for a short bout of color blindness that lasts the assembly time.

Maybe I can get hypnotized  If it wasn't a very good friend, I might balk.

Rg

[rp dog]

My dad always told me if you can't do it yourself you can't tell anybody that can. He knew a lot more than I ever realized. My rod is perfect nothing I would change. Its been my experience that red or yellow works good on a black blank not so much on green. Like I say nothing a case of beer or a few shots can't fix at the end of the day. I've been practicing in the yard but no bites yet. Can't wait till I get time to dedicate to fishing I'm convinced that work pretty stinks.
Rp

[rgfixit]

Just keep that elbow tucked into your hip and use your body to cast. Hold a book under your elbow against your ribs to practice. Helps avoid that chicken wing elbow that screws up the loop.

Once you get the old 10oclock/ 2 o'clock down, you can start varying the action a bit.

That rod throws a nice even line. It's got great action with very little flutter on the end cast. Keep the tip up and it drops a fly like a dandelion puff.

Rg

[trapper2000]

being a  steelhead  man  one  BIG advantage  of  glass  is jumping out of a  warm  car into  cold  doesn't  affect the  rod  .....people laugh when I say that  but  most  snapped  tips  on  graphite steelhead  rods  happen  with in a  few  cast of  getting  out  of a warm car ........I  could  be totally  wrong just  something i  noticed  .....if  it's  glass  fish  if  it's  a  comp  let  it   cool  before  you fish ....

[rgfixit]

Ahhh.....you're just comparing it to your old bones

I know mine take a while to get used to the cold when I get out of a nice warm car, house, bed

Rg

[KingPerch]

Lol! I'll join you two ol farts in that dept. Funny how we compare how fly rods and bones work as they get older! And, I'm not an ol Fart yet....

Always love catching up on this thread....Life is Good

[WANNAKETCHUM]

Just keep that elbow tucked into your hip and use your body to cast. Hold a book under your elbow against your ribs to practice. Helps avoid that chicken wing elbow that screws up the loop.

Once you get the old 10oclock/ 2 o'clock down, you can start varying the action a bit.

That rod throws a nice even line. It's got great action with very little flutter on the end cast. Keep the tip up and it drops a fly like a dandelion puff.

Rg

Rg,

Is this the advice of a self proclaimed "Whirling Dervish"? 

WK

[rgfixit]

Yup! That's what I look like when the elbow starts flying

Well it's been over a week since I decided to give my sore shoulder a rest. It's feeling much better so I'm headed to the stream a little later for some gills and smallies. I went out early this morning with the ultra light and some rooster tails. All the while I kept telling myself I should have brought the fly rod.

Gotta fill some tippet spools and get the 3wt ready. Tied some dace just now. I'm that or some floaty kind of stuff

Rg