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I am still fairly new to fly fishing, I am picking it back up now after spending much of my early teens at ponds casting for bluegill and bass. So, now that I live in an area with a few streams of wild trout and within 2 and a half hours of some very good fishing I find myself wanting to immerse myself in this sport.

I currently have a TFO 8'6" 5wt, I like it but with some of the tiny creeks in the area it seems rather unmanageable. I would really like to build a 6 and half to 7 ft. 2 or 3 wt. I have decided on a kit, most likely from Cabelas but they offer a few. Any experience with these kits?

Thanks

Nick

There really is no need for a kit... I have seen quite a few of the Cabela's kits and the components are not all that great... The cork in the sets however IS a great deal IMO&E. Cork has gotten worse than ridiculous. A couple months ago some friends bought the kits and threw away the reel seats...

The handle components available at fly shops, etc, will be much better and will look more like what you would expect of a custom rod.

There will be little difference in ease of construction, but more satisfaction in the end. If you have no local shop it is easy to understand going with the Cabela's kits.

I remember dapping little tiny creeks with very long, very light rods and a hopper pattern as some of the most fun I ever had fly fishing...
art

as art said, sometimes the components in the kits leave a little to be desired. i have done one rod for a friend from one of those kits as his kids got it for him on fathers day. he told them he was using my tools.
i purchase a lot of my components now from MUDHOLE. i sure do miss clemens as he was near where i live.

I've built several rods and will say you can probably buy one cheaper than you can build one. If you use quality parts, especially.

The last rod I built was glass (nostalgia pruposes) and cost me a penny. And it's kinda hard to find a quality glass rod any more. But with modern rods, you can get a really good one for $150 or so. Can't build one that cheap with good handles, etc.

I'm not a cork snob, but if I'm going to put a lot of money into a build, I'll pay the extra $$$ for good stuff, good handles and nickel silver seats, etc. I think a lot of builders buy cork in quantity and fill it, but I may be wrong about that. It's hard to come out buying high quality components.

I encourage building rods as a past time, and as a means of expression, but in my experience, you can't break even unless you get into the high-end rod blanks. And then, a Winston rod has a lot more value than a built Winston blank, unless it's built by a really known builder.

I've never bought a Cabela's kit, but Cabela's 5-piece rods are good rods, IMO. At least in the lightweight versions, wasn't impressed by the 6wt, and not too impressed with the 5wt. They're best at 4wt or so, at least that's what I've experienced, and they're pretty light in the hand. One of the best 4wt rods I own is a cheapo Diamondback. So you can get a good rod for less than a car payment. With cheaper rods, it's kinda hit or miss, with expensive rods you're going to get more of what you pay for.

http://www.hookhack.com/

FWIW, I would suggest a 7' - 6" 4wt, 4 piece rod.

Thanks for the help guys.

I realize that buying a rod would probably be the best value but their just seems to be an allure to doing it myself. Who know I might do it once, it doesn't turn out at all and I will never do it again.

As far as the kit, I would love to piece something together using better components but I am afraid on the first try I will just screw it up anyway. On you guys first rod, did it turn out well. Is time and patience really all that's needed or do you have to do a few before it is anything that you would show anyone.

If I was going to piece something together what mid-price blank would you recommend? Any super values, or on the other end anything in the price range ($100-$150) to watch out for.

Thanks
Nick

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp;jsessionid=T134SNP2GYHIXLAQBBJSCNVMCAEFIIWE?id=0036524319440a&type=product&cmCat=fr

Only $61.95 in 2 wt

I used cheaper Cabelas kits for the first few rods I built. I built a 6 6" 2 weight that is a blast to use for smaller pan fish and trout. I use it for cutthroats out here in smaller waters Had it for 15 years.

I also have a 7 6" 2 wt Scott fiber touch blank that is a sweet rod but more money

No bad experiences with kit rods and a 3 or 4 wt is fun in smaller streams. On the first go around where one will most certainly generate a few flaws, cheap is good. An experienced friend and coach can certainly speed up construction and help one avoid a few pitfalls.

I second Hook and Hackle kits. I build my first rod from a kit from there (just remembered) and it turned out fishable, but just. Their blanks were green, and a bit slow, but good enough.

Be advised you'll need a tool to ream out the cork to fit the handle. A coarse round file will work, which is what I used, but you can break the end of the cork if you're not careful. Getting the hole too big is much preferable to too small...you can always wrap cord around the handle so it wiil take the glue.

The next rod I made was on Gary Loomis long 3w a 9 ft 2Piece. It turned out really fine because I had a really fine blank and good components. I don't fish with it much, it'stoo long. I;d go with at least a 5 wt for my first builwd. Those wispy 2 wt rods, and even 3 wts are kinda down-putting trying to cast them for someone who's just taken up the sport.

Orvis teaches at their casting schoool using the 5wt 7' 9" Far and Fine, which they don't make anymore. It's a soft casting rod about the right length to fish with. I've got a brand new on in my rod room for my grandson.

The skill level for making a good rod isn't very high. After you get the handle on, then getting the guides to hol on enough to start a wrap, then careful wrapping (not hard, just use your thumbnail to keep the wraps straight.

Also, they wont' tell you this, but you should file your eyes down, not the rings, but the feet, the things you do the wraps. IFile down the tows of the feet very thinkly so your firs wrap won't buldge up upder the thread. If not you'll get a end of the guide foot poking thru your wrap, kinda ruinin the effect.

Good advice regarding the round file for cork handle and also to file down the feet.
I wrapped base with masking tape when gluing on cork handle. Lots of fun building rods. Once you have a few done can do some custom touches.

Loomis I think makes best blanks and good warranty, Wish they still made IMX blanks

I made an IMX rod, and it's good but longer than I needed. I think it's a 4wt.

Also, on filing down the guide feet, us a stone or the rough surface will pick the thread.

Thanks for the tips guys. As soon as there is a dead turkey on the ground I am going to get started on this.

Maybe a 7'6" 4 wt. is the way to go. Do any of you guys feel overpowered with small brookies, or bluegill at that? I am so excited, right now I am still agonizing over spending more money and getting a good blank that I may screw up. Or going cheap and making a beautiful rod that I will wish later were better.

Of course until I have been doing for alot longer I will probably never know the difference. If you have any more tips keep them coming, I am sure I could use all of the help I can get.

Thanks

I think that's an ideal size/weight rod for trout. My most fished rods are a 5wt and a four. It's not overpowered, nor is a 5wt.

The first rod I made, I put it in the turner where the rod wasn't level and the glue ran to the low end and it was not pretty. It was a 4wt from Hook and Hackle. Just make sure you rotate your rod on the level. A fairly slow rod but it cast well.

Also, most blanks have a convex curve one way or the other on the end section. I'd put the high point of this curve on the bottom of the rod. Once you get the guides and the wrapping, it will straighten out. Loomis blanks are known for this, or used to be.

I like the "far and fine" type tapered grip. You can built up the transition from the grip to the blank with thread or you can get a thingy for it. You should decide what grip style you want; they're all good.

Don't worry, you won't screw it up. I'd reccommend you stay simple, using one color wraps.

I built 2 1/2 rods (still need to finish up one) from some blanks that were given to me a couple years back. I got the reel seats, guides, thread and finish from a local fishing shop. I had to do some research on guide spacing, but other than that it's pretty darned simple. The rods are 3 pc 4', 2 pc 5 wt and 2 pc 7 wt. The boys got the 5 and 7, I made the 4 for myself.

You can get all sorts of tools and jigs, or just do it simply. I made up a jig with a 2X4 and some pieces of 1/2" ply w/ V's cut in them as a cradle, and just used a fly tying bobbin to hold the thread. Once you get the hang of wrapping a few guides it's fairly easy. You can get elaborate and put the rod on a rotissiere while the finish cures, or just dab the epoxy on the thread and turn the rod 180 deg in the cradle every hour until the epoxy no longer flows.

The 4wt is a sweet casting rod, the 7 seems pretty good, and once we finish the bottom half of the 5wt I imagine it'll be a good one as well.

Here's the last rod I built, a Fiberglass (Lamiglass blank) 7.5 4wt.

I have a set of planing forms, planes, and a couple of culms of Tonkin cane, and, I think, about every book printed on the subject of split cane rod building. Now if I could only find the time to have at it. Sigh...

I would checkout Gatti rod blanks and they have some really nice reel seats too.

With some attention to detail you can make your very first rod turn out really nice. The only parts that can't be undone is gluing the handle on and finishing the wraps with flexcoat/epoxy. If you make a mistake in wrapping the thread it can be done over. No big deal. It will turn out as good as you want to make it.

One piece of advice I'll offer is don't wrap the thread too tight. A light amount of tension is all that's required and it will allow you to adjust the wraps as needed. This was the first mistake I made in rod wrapping.

Good luck on your project,

fish head