MickD

I believe you mean contact cement? Contact cement does work great bonding EVA. I think filling the gaps with EVA craft foam will work better than trying to fill with a mix of EVA dust and adhesive. .ghoti, I tried your method of applying wrap epoxy rotating the rod by hand then moving it to my dryer, and it works better than what I was doing. thanks.

It is also good for spinnerbaits or other lures like it where you want to snap the lure free from weeds and keep the cast alive. Some claim that XF actions minimize spinnerbait helicoptering during the cast, but I'm not convinced it makes any difference on this.

I have found that the skirts I make with the rubber ring retainer have two problems. The ring is easily cut by pike teeth, and even if cut, they don't have the retention on the jig head bard like the "molded" skirts.

Not sure what to fill with, maybe others will chime in with some experience. But you need not put anything on the grip after that in order to use grip wrap. I strongly recommend Winn's wrap. Go to their web site to find resources on how to wrap it. You most likely will like the rods better than when they were new. Here are some ideas: http://rodbuilding.org/read.php?2,462242,462256#msg-462256

I think many are missing this aspect of using markers, to break up the image of the line by not marking all the line, but marking it in patches to "camoflage"l it.

my experience with Quantum hot sauce is that it dries out quicker than anything else I've used and then all that's left is that ugly red stain. The late Reel Mech would charge extra for servicing a reel that was "contaminated" with Hot Sauce. I agree with DVT.

Anyone who is interested in custom rodbuilding and is willing to get to Laingsburg, MI, on Sat April 8 may join us for our annual gathering. There will be a number of "seminars" on various topics, American Tackle and WinnGrips will be there, there will be a nice lunch, and raffle tickets for a raffle with numerous prizes will be sold. Many of our members will be showing their work, and will be proud to discuss it with you. Just show up. It will be at the American Legion Hall, just east of the Woodbury Road/Grand River Road intersection from about 9:00 to about 4:00. If anyone needs better directions, let me know.

30-40 cents each, not bad if it gives the action you want. Re the yarn, use synthetics-there are all kinds of synthetics that do not soak up water like most natural yarn materials. You guys have my interest up, now, so I think I'll try to do a version that will act like a Ned. http://www.jsflyfishing.com/mcflyfoam-mcflylon http://www.jsflyfishing.com/wapsi-foam-cylinders

Would not a tungsten bead locked at the head of the fly give the head down at rest function of a Ned?

In answer to the original question, if it's not a Ned Rig, it's not a Ned Rig.

I agree that what I put together looks very much like the 360, and a lot cheaper, but I AM going to try them. If there is something I cannot see about them, but is very effective, I'm not going to miss it. A few bucks to make an INFORMED decision rather than an educated guess is worth it. Didn't I see someone stretching one way out, like the Z-man material? The ones I put together won't do that. But I have to admit, the videos really look a lot like a bullet jig with a Strike King 4 inch swim bait. (which is very effective).

I have not used them, but I have a friend who loves them. They also get good reviews on another building forum. Builders like their low cost, good looks, their low weight. They will not be as hard as premium ceramic rings, but I think the need for that level of hardness is overrated for guides. I expect they will last quite well. On the other hand, I would put a premium ring tiptop on as that is what will groove first, and it is not unusual for non-primium tiptops.

I have a similar GG and it has served me very well for 4 seasons. Finally time to get new ones, and they will be GG. Good price, high quality. I like the longer cuffs on the ones you are considering.

I used to fly fish for smallies in rivers and lakes in MI. Blue / white maribou streamers, olive wooly buggers, and grizzly streamers worked well. Throw one over a brush pile in a clear lake and watch the bass slowly move out and suck the suspending streamer in. Great fun, quite effective under the right conditions. Gotta get back to it.

I have experienced refusals in clear water with white nanofil, refusals stopped when I put a leader on. Re casting problems, don't run the knot through the guides, if it bothers you. With lines of about 10-15 pound test (both braid and leader) double unis will pass freely though almost any guide. If one is getting numerous failures of double unis they are not tying it right. The lighter the braid, the murkier the water, the less reason to use a leader for stealth. I'll bet there is not a single participant in this line of posts who will change his mind from what he is now doing. Rightfully so. If it works, keep it.

This Cabelas, on sale, lifetime warranty, holds 5 3600's and is very close to the one I have (mine is older model). Check the size against yours, multiply height/length/width for volume. I am very pleased with it. One thing to look at with bags is the size of the zippers, the robust, big zippers are what you want. http://www.cabelas.com/product/DELUXE-GEAR-BAG-DELUXE-GEAR-BAG/1729401.uts?searchPath=%2Fbrowse.cmd%3FcategoryId%3D734095080%26CQ_search%3Dfishing%2Btackle%2Bbags%26CQ_st%3Db

You can get more than one sliver in. Cut them finer. The idea is to make sure you are getting full contact between the blank the glue and the tiptop. If that fails, then go epoxy. but that should not be necessary. Hot melt is better for reasons already mentioned.

Yes, you are right. I stand corrected. Too long out of engine school. And this makes it even less likely that one can have a balanced outfit if one doesn't palm the reel. London, UK, right? You fish smalleys in the Oneida River in UK? I love London. I hope it's still as great a city as it was 22 years ago when I was last there.

I've struggled with this issue for years. While I don't consider it currently solved, I think I'm on the right track. I have a bag that looks to be a little larger than yours, will hold the boxes like you want + quite a few bags of plastic + tools and hooks/leader spools, etc. I suggest you measure your bag to get its cubic inches capacity, then look at Cabelas and basspro for ones that are somewhat larger. Probably + 50% would do it. What I do is have all my stuff in the garage as well organized as I can make it, then depending on what type of fishing I will do, I fill the bag with the appropriate stuff, leaving most behind. Ever notice that you take everything including the kitchen sink, but use about 5-10 lures/techniques? If you get too big a bag it will be too heavy and you'll lose stuff in it. Those side pockets-assign them to hold certain stuff, and do it the same every trip. Like hooks, tools, leaders, extra spools, etc. Then you won't always be searching. Like I often am.

The fulcrum is where the rod will balance on a support, and the fulcrum of the rod is usually in front of the reel seat due to most rods being tip-heavy. If the rod balances right at the reel seat, then any weight reel will not affect the balance. If one really wants to achieve perfect balance of a rod/reel assembly, then get a shorter blank of very high modulus and put micros on it. Probably a very high quality 6 foot blank with micros stands a pretty good chance of being "balanced" with any reel. I've always been a little too literal. This has been a really good discussion, though.

It may not change too much, but it has to change. The only way a rod can remain balanced at the same point with different weight reels is if the center of gravity of the rod (balance point) is at the center of gravity of the reel. Which would, I believe, be about in the center of the reel seat, between the "clamping points." Not 3/4 the way up the foregrip. If it is balanced there with one reel, the balance point will move back with a heavier reel because it will require more tip weight to balance the heavier reel placed behind the original balance point. I guess a rod by itself could be considered "balanced" if the balance point were in the middle of the seat. Most often the tip is heavy and to get it balanced in the middle of the seat the rear grip would be so long that it would be impractical to fish with. The challenge is always to get the blank and guides as light as possible. Then someone has to add a 1/2 oz lure way out at the end and bingo, the balance is screwed up again.

It's not a silly question. Think about it. The idea of attributing "balance" to a rod without a reel is meaningless. Say you put a 9 oz reel on it and conclude it's balanced. What happens when you put a 7 oz reel on it? Is it still balanced? Or an 11 oz reel on it? Is it still balanced?

How can a rod by itself be "better balanced?" Just curious.

The only technique that I feel makes a low ratio better than a fast one is slow rolling spinnerbaits. I just find it hard to slow down enough with a high ratio reel. So I use my old 5.2 Calcutta for that.

I'll try doing it by hand on my wrapper then moving it to the dryer. I think that will work for me too. I've been reluctant to try it, afraid of the move, bunging the wet epoxy up during the move. I don't have a power wrapper that can double as a dryer, so the move will be necessary.