The finished 4 wt. pics

[flechero]

First off- sorry for the quality of these, I had lots of trouble getting the sun to cooperate and the glare was horrible at most angles and up close.    

It's an 8'6"  4 wt.

[flechero]

And here's a good look at the color!  The glare washed the thread but I liked the way you actually see the deep blue.

[flechero]

and a close up of the grip. Fit perfectly to my fat hands. ...lol  The cork is better quality that it looks.  I got in a hurry while shaping with the sureform and almost went too far so I have to go straight to fine sandpaper from the guoge and thats why you can see some pits.   :-/

[timmyswetarded]

that looks like it took awhile good job

[Siebert Outdoors]

wow, awsome job

[Alpster]

Flechero,

The rod looks great! I like the big cork grip too. The blue blank is pretty and the thread is subtle, which I think makes a rod look 'classy'. I am not much for lots of glitz on a fly rod or a small fresh water rod, but saltwater rods should look like "MARDI GRAS". One of my goals is to build a surf caster with triple layers of thread and gaudy butt wraps with lots of metalic thread and maybe some braid.

I built a 4 pc 4wt recently on a st. croix blank. I used a store bought wells grip though. My lathe is busted and I have a buddy who is giving me a newer one. I just need him to hurry up.

Just curious, what size/type line are you casting with ring inserts. I have never seen a 4wt with anything but snake guides. Is this one going to double as a light spinning rod?

Nice work! Life is good!

Ronnie

[Gorgebassman]

One Word " BEAUTIFUL"!!!!!

[flechero]

Thanks for all the kind words!  I feel pretty good about it, for my first fly rod.  

I have never seen a 4wt with anything but snake guides. Is this one going to double as a light spinning rod?

Nope, it's only a fly rod.  I did a ton of reading and searched 100's of old threads on the RBO site, and it seemed that almost everyone preferred the ceramics, even on the 1-4 wts... I figured it was a good choice for me because there was only 1/2 as much wrapping and I already have a sizable inventory of guides!  

I forgot to buy 4 wt line when I went to the city a few weeks ago so I did my test casting with 5 wt line and just kept the distances shorter.  It casts nice and easy.

The 2 wt also has ceramics...  I'll use CP on it so the thread shows up a little better.

I almost bought a lathe several times but still working with an old drill clamped to a board.  Its not sexy at all- but gets the job done.

[Guest DavidGreen]

flechero,

I know nothing about Fly Rods.

The finish looks flawless, great work on the grip.

It gets a big 10  

Tight Wraps!!!  

[RandySBreth]

The ceramics are the way to go on fly rods. I get a lot of guys talking about new lines, rods, leader material, but if you show them ceramic single foots on your rod they freak out, like in the flyfishing bible all rods must have snake guides.

Who would put old stainless ring guides on their custom Loomis spinning rod?

Anyway, what blank did you use?

[flechero]

Thanks RM,

I know nothing about Fly Rods

Just static test like normal, then rotate the butt guide to 180, and remove the bumper!! ;D ;D

Maybe that's how I ended up with ceramic guides. ...lol

Anyway, what blank did you use?

It's a Batson. (Forecast)

[RandySBreth]

It's a Batson. (Forecast)

Cool. I thought I recognized the blue color and the way the scrim shows through the blank in the light.

[Alpster]

The ceramics are the way to go on fly rods. I get a lot of guys talking about new lines, rods, leader material, but if you show them ceramic single foots on your rod they freak out, like in the flyfishing bible all rods must have snake guides.

I wasn't trying to start an argument and wasn't implying 'flechero' had done anything wrong. In fact, I know he is an excellent rod builder & fisherman and have a lot of respect for his knowledge. I was trying to find out if he knows something I don't (allways trying to learn something new). The fishing bibles say snake guides simply because they are still  the lightest and conventional wisdom is, lighter is better with a rod that will be cast almost constantly all day long. BTW, I use single footed snake guides (still just one foot to wrap and no added weight ;D) almost exclusively. Stripping guides have had ceramic inserts on most fly rods forever. As materials have gotten lighter and stronger, ring inserts have been used more and more on heavyweight 10 wt & up rods as a trade off to handle huge fish and salt water conditions. A lot of guys have used ceramic guides on light weight fly rods so they can use them for UL spinning also. I am waaayyyy tempted to do this.

Who would put old stainless ring guides on their custom Loomis spinning rod?

Probably no one, but on their very best 'Cross Current' GLX fly rods, G-Loomis does not use ceramic guides, except for strippers + 1. Your opinion is "ceramics are the way to go on fly rods" and that's great! I respect your opinion and appreciate your sharing it. The premier production fly rod makers in the world - Sage, Berkheimer, R.L. Winston, Thomas & Thomas G-Loomis, Orvis and many others, for some reason, don't use them (except for strippers).  I can't help but wonder why. My guess is, at least with high end fly rods, is that weight and balance are most important. I recognize that I am an amatuer, and I always have more questions than answers, but I am always trying to learn to do it better. I appreciate all the help I can get.

Thanks!

Ronnie

[RandySBreth]

I wasn't responding to your post at all, it was about Fly guys that I know.

It's hard to understand when it is all type and no tone. No foul intended, and none taken.

[flechero]

The premier production fly rod makers in the world - Sage, Berkheimer, R.L. Winston, Thomas & Thomas G-Loomis, Orvis and many others, for some reason, don't use them (except for strippers). I can't help but wonder why. My guess is, at least with high end fly rods, is that weight and balance are most important.

I wondered the same things as I decided what I was going to do. Honestly, I think the #1 reason is tradition. Fly fisherman (most times) are to fishing as traditional bowhunters (using recurves/longbows) are to the hunting world. I see the weight argument but I think it's splitting hairs because on my good flyrods (Orvis T-3) they have a pretty thick finish coat and fairly long wraps on both feet and double foot guides all the way out... I have one short wrap, light finish and one foot... I bet it's a wash or a few grains in my favor. ?

I didn't do any planning as far as balance, I never do. I build what I want to the size and dimentions I want... If I need to correct balance, it's done after the fact. I would be really interested to weigh some snakes and 2 wraps with finish against my little #6 guides and a single short wrap... if I had a powder scale or a super accurate scale I would replicate my set up (on a scrap blank) and cut it off to weigh for comparison. I bet it would be very close... withing a couple grains. As for balance, it balances at my middle finger... I can "let go" with everything but my middle finger and it rests level and neutral. Luck of the draw, I guess. Of course, Andy's burl is like 3 times the weight of natural cork so who knows what I would have ended up with for balance... probably way tip heavy. But this is a budget blank and not so light, itself. I knew what to expect with a $25 blank and it will work perfect for how and where it will be fished. I have a few ideas for the saltwater fly rod that is coming this winter I will be pulling out all of the stops I know and have a few add-ins that I'm figuring out still. (it will be built on a very light, premium blank)

A lot of guys have used ceramic guides on light weight fly rods so they can use them for UL spinning also

I did think about that for the 2 wt I am working on... how do you address the need to funnel line down? If I had a 2nd #2 rod section I could use spining guides which would have a choke point at the first guide in section #3. I did have a cool idea for an internal spinning reel seat... making the fly grip in 2 pieces with a counterbored spinning foot groove.

I like prototyping new ideas...

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Beautiful Flechero!  

[Alpster]

I wasn't responding to your post at all, it was about Fly guys that I know.

It's hard to understand when it is all type and no tone. No foul intended, and none taken.

No harm done here, sorry I misunderstood.  :-[

I did think about that for the 2 wt I am working on...  how do you address the need to funnel line down?  If I had a 2nd #2 rod section I could use spining guides which would have a choke point at the first guide in section #3.  I did have a cool idea for an internal spinning reel seat... making the fly grip in 2 pieces with a counterbored spinning foot groove.

I think the idea (about funneling) is, that 2lb test line on a UL spinner (small diameter spool) is not as unruly as larger lines. The one I saw (at a fly show) was a 4 wt. with a little larger stripping guide and the rest alconite rings (not sure what size). It used split rings on a flat sided cork handle that will accept a fly or spinning reel. You can also order a separate butt section and just build a second handle. This is the way Orvis does it...http://images.orvis.com/orvis_assets//prodimg/8157L5FF_lg.jpg . I'm pretty sure you can order any extra sections you want from st. croix. Their SCIII blanks are very nice and very affordable. This has really got me thinking about a couple of experiments I want to do. Looking forward to a picture of that 2 wt.

Ronnie

[flechero]

I don't think it would be something I'd use, it's seldom enough that I get to go flyfishing that i have no desire to change over to an UL when I'm there.  (but since I'm a tackle addict, I will have a complete extra UL in the truck anyway)   ...lol

[Guest ks.rodbender]

flechero,

That is a really nice looking rod. I have built a couple of Ul's on the rainshadow/forecast blanks and think they are top quality..

Nicely done.....

[what]

if you dont mind me asking how come you have what look like a full wells grip on it

and by the way i just finished a 10 wieght (just want to show off) i like the full wells look on the 4 wieght  

[Triton9]

man, that thing looks awesome, you did a really good job on the detail!

[flechero]

Thanks guys!

if you dont mind me asking how come you have what look like a full wells grip on it

and by the way i just finished a 10 wieght (just want to show off) i like the full wells look on the 4 wieght

Well, the full wells is the most comfortable for me and it also it allows me to hold it in the exact same place every time I pick it up... which helps my consistency.

Just wait until next week, I'm working on a 2 wt that also has a full wells on it but I tapered down a transition of the front, into a knurled winding check.  I still get my full wells but it doesn't look crazy.  ...lol

[what]

lol true that  

[justtrying]

hey flech,

don't know how i missed it, but this is the first time i've seen this today.  man, that is "Super Cool"     ..i bet wrapping some of those "little jewels" was fun. LOL

i'm too old to take up fly-rodding now.

//i used to throw a lot of popping bugs in the creeks around here.  man, to have had something like this to have used.