MickD

I've been frustrated by how to handle and fasten micros to the blank for stress testing and ultimately for wrapping. Here's where I am. Not my original idea, but use the stretchable thread available at sewing shops, use about a 10 inch length of it, and put it around the blank about where your guide will go and do a square knot tight to the blank. Pull on the tags to make a little clearance to the blank. Using fly tying hackle clamps to pick up the micro by the ring, slide the foot of the guide under the clearance you've created. Now the guide foot is somewhat restrained. Now clip off the tags to about 1/2 inch. Do this for all the micros in the approx position they will be in. Now, using a two line stress test (see AnglersResource.com), do the final location of the guides. You have to be careful so as to not lose a guide. I keep the line through the guides at this time to make sure if one falls off, it is captured on the line. This is the line that will be through the rings and will not have much tension on it with the two line method. The other line tied to the tiptop will stress the rod. Since the line through the guides is not taking the stress test load, they can be easily moved along the blank to their proper positions. And they are retained for wrapping. Not a piece of cake, but better than anything else I've found for putting the micros onto the blank, holding them adequately, moving them under the stress test, and ultimately wrapping them. Let me know if this is not clear. Bottom line is that if you think the two line method is too complicated, you are not appreciating its advantage in allowing the guides to be moved without unloading the blank. When you understand its advantage, and use it, you will find it much easier than the one line method.

4's are pretty darned small, no need for smaller. Especially on a pitching rod. The reason for small is to get sensitivity and maybe longer casts, but neither is an issue on a pitching rod. I would go bigger to get free clearance of anything that might foul the guides.

Using all mono or FC will put a lot more stretch in the system and will significantly reduce the shock on the knot.

Sounds to me like your problem is with the knot and not the FC material. BUT, mono is much less temperamental than FC, so a good move would be to move to mono. But if you want to stay with FC, then look closely at your knot technique. I use both mono and FC, all FC fly tippet material , 15 pound test, this year and no problems with the simple improved clinch knot. I only change it when it gets too short. I don't retie on any regular basis. You are not getting pike bite-offs, are you?

I would clean the OD of the bearing and the ID of the housing of any oil or grease, then carefully, with just a little Loctite on the OD, slip the bearing back in. You don't want the Loctite to get into anything else. After it's cured any oiling of the bearing will not affect the retention of the bearing.

I've built numerous St Croix and Point Blanks, never an Elite X or K2. The Point Blanks are clearly my preference for sensitivity, weight, and feel. And a dumb accident recently taught me that the Point Blank I was using was incredibly tough. Never expected it to survive, but it did. SCV is very good, but I prefer the Point Blanks.

You're talking about the ring diameter. Others and I thought you were talking about the tube diameter. It will work, just not as well as a smaller one. Extra weight out there slows the recovery of the rod. Might not be noticeable depending on the rod. It certainly will work.

For $100 you can get the Pflueger Supreme, very light weight, very smooth, a reel deal. I know I'm not the first to use that pun. Pflueger has been making some very affordable high quality spin reels for quite a while now. Size 30, probably.

I see no reason why it would not work. When the knot is buried quite a ways I use the double uni because I have had trouble with the alberto in the past, but I've solved my alberto problems and like that it's much smaller than the double uni. I don't think that line diameter is relevant to the alberto like it is to some knots.

Never had a problem. Mine are stored in moderate temperature (cold in winter, though) in the shade. I suspect there is some contamination of some sort getting in.

I don't think it's a problem, but it's easy to coat the cork with some kind of sealer, like Permagloss or waterproof polyurethane before using the hot shrink tubing. Make sure the gaps to the seat and any other components are treated with the sealer.

Fill that big gap formed by the chunk falling out or the hot shrink will shrink into it leaving a soft flat spot. Plastic wood or any other fairly solid filler will work. The heat shrink will protect it.

I would call it a healthy obsession. When I first hold that finished rod in my hand, I get a very good feeling. Has to be healthy.

If you go with the cheapest materials you'll most likely get a cheap rod. That would be bad quality cork, no-name real seats of questionable quality, and blanks probably not consistent with their specs, possibly crooked. The name brands have survived because they provide and back up good stuff. I would not purchase from Ebay unless you know the source is good. A guarantee is only as good as the person or company standing behind it. And what good is a warranty when you've put many hours of labor and many bucks into tools to make the rod that just broke. You might have a good warranty, but it still means you have rebuild, probably replacing some parts on your dime. The best way to avoid this is to go with sources that have a great reputation, and there are a lot of them. But they may cost you a few bucks. Rod building is about getting what you want, right down to the minute details. It is not about saving money, although you can, with good choices, save some money at times. it's also about having innumerable choices in design, color, components, guides, blanks. About the only down side to making rods is that it is addictive. Which in my view is really not a problem. One can not have too many rods.

I have experience with at least one FC mainline that is very fragile and untrustworthy. I have used a number of FC leader materials and fly tippets and all have been good. Same for mono leader material. I also have used other FC mainlines for leaders without problems, but I have more confidence in the leader material.

Leader material, FC or mono. Stiffer is good for the leader, especially for some techniques like blades. Cost for such a low usage item has to be minor compared to everything else.

3 around finger means 6 "layers" of the leader. That is not a small knot, it's bigger than a double uni, so won't work with some leader/braid/guide combinations. I've made the Alberto work and it's a much smaller knot than this one. thanks, but no thanks.

Everything that Daiwa makes is a good value, IMO. But Pflueger has a Supreme that gives Daiwa a serious run for the money, retail $99.95, very light, saltwater capable, smooth drag, bail operation is excellent, very smooth.

Sometimes ergonomics is more important than balance, as it seems to be here. It was when I built a spin rod with too long a grip, too. I cut it off, fit a piece of cork to the end, and flush mounted it, no dowel as DVT recommends. Dowel would be better, no doubt, but I'm just pointing out that my fix is still good after about 10 years. Advice on how to cut is to be taken seriously as it is very easy to splinter modern rods. High speeds, fine teeth or an abrasive cut-off, taping the blank to help prevent splintering, moving the cutting tool very slowly are all important.

Dogfish? I think when rods get broken by fish (rather than car doors, being stepped on, etc) it is due to some sort of misuse by the fisherman. Whacking it onto a gunnel setting it up for later failure, high sticking, things like that. For me, whacking it on the gunnel will most likely be how I will break one. If it's due to a manufacturing defect in the rod, it will break early on rather than after a number of years.

Great work. I really think the ergonomics of the star wars rod, with the front grip going off the hood of an uplocking seat, and about the same diameter as the seat hood, will be very good. The front grip becomes a ramp. I do it on bass spin rods and like them a lot better than any option I see here or on other forums. For me the size 17 seat is right.

Don't worry about it, use what works best. For lighter leaders the FG has no real advantage anyway; all the popular knots with light leaders will pass through the smallest micros. And most if not all take less time to tie.

Yes , trash, specifically annoying are the cigarette butts. It's so easy to keep a little plastic container in the pocket and put the butts in there. 2nd are the bait containers. I have a small stream going through my property and keep it posted. If someone asks to fish it I give them the definition of trash: ANYTHING that they brought with them and didn't take home with them. People have been very good when I can talk to them before they go fishing.

Watch for looseness or "play" as you rotate the wheels, too. Pull on one side of the wheel while pushing on the other to see if it moves significantly. There should be very little play. When rotating you should feel NO roughness. It should feel absolutely smooth. If you feel a roughness it means the bearings are spalled, a cratering of the races that is often how bearings fail. If there are grease fittings give them a shot of grease. If not you can pry off the covers to see if there is grease in there. Jig man has it right; I thought a little more description would help.

Right!