planning to build 8 wt. fly rod with a short fighting butt {2"} my question is how many of your customers prefer a irremovable one virus a fixed,

About the only time anyone removes such a butt is to get the rod to fit in a case. For that reason, I generally built then with a 2 inch fixed butt built right on the blank butt end.

.................

I do the same as Tom K, I do ask the question to customers, but I have never had one request one that is removable.

I do the same, fighting but fixed to the end of the blank. I have only built 1 removable fighting butt and they lost it within a year.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/2015 03:38PM by Bob Riggins.

Great thanks for the advise I was leaning towards the fixed butt to me it would be a real pain trying to insert a fighting butt while playing an angry Steel head I will try to talk him out of the idea.

Thanks again

My experience is a mixed bag.....most want the fixed, but some want the removable. Never asked any of them why.

Fighting butts come in several different shapes and sizes for fighting fish of different species and sizes. I would build a rod with a threaded, removable fighting butt unless I were certain of the shape and size fighting butt I needed and preferred.

Great advice thanks so much.

Jerry

if it is fixed you will not be able to loose it .
SID

William Sidney
AK

I have only made one removable for myself. Its on my 5wt switch rod. I did this so I can have the bottom switch handle on there while spey casting but then take it off when I am over head casting in a float tube.

I like the threaded Idea I seem to remember Landmark used to sell a kit with a threaded fitting. I check both Anglers Workshop, and Mud Hole but it does not appear they carry the landmark line any more.

Actually Allen Putnam of Landmark made a plug in adaptor that was secured with a tight fitting "O" ring. He also made integral seats of diamond wood where the fighting butt was part of the up-locking seat. I still have a number of each. The fighting butt on the second was/is 2" in length. I use this seat on all my personal rods for 8 &9 wt. Steelhead rods.

I knew Allen from the 1980's he was trying to market a rod blank called Blue or Gray Heron. I actually wrapped a couple of rods for him. Don't really know what happened to that endeavor. I looked up Landmark on the intranet and found they still had appear to be in business is Allen still around?
Any way I am looking for a 2".

Jerry

Gerald (Jerry) Bouyear Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great thanks for the advise I was leaning towards
> the fixed butt to me it would be a real pain
> trying to insert a fighting butt while playing an
> angry Steel head I will try to talk him out of the
> idea.
>
> Thanks again

I have an 8wt with a removable. did it to fit into a regular rod tube, have since built some with fixed. one thing though, put the fighting butt on before you hook the fish, even before you cast :) I've never had it come off while fishing and haven't lost it. It is another bit of gear to keep track of but it hasn't been tough for me.

Gerald, no, I am sorry to say that Allen died some years ago. He had me test and evaluate each and every new reel seat that he was thinking about marketing. Sometimes he would send me a dozen seats, and then a few days later another dozen. We did that for years. A great loss for rod building when he passed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/2015 05:07PM by Randolph Ruwe.

I am sorry to hear about Allen as I said I wrapped a few rods for him the last one had a really good looking reel seat and he had me ship it to Lefty Cray I never heard how that came out he also sent me six rod blanks where the butt section was cut six inches too short I was able to insert them build the handle over the insert and sell them. I also have a couple of the all wood reel seats with wood butt plug drilled for the removable fighting butt that had an O ring on the fighting butt shaft. He also used to sell a kit that contained an aluminum butt plug and the fighting butt screwed in, That is what I am looking for in black finish. It sounds like both of us have been building rods for a long time. It looks like the rod blank adventure never worked out.
By the way my friends call me Jerry.

Unless one wants multiple length fighting butts - OR - if one desires a longer effective length of the fly rod - there is really no reason to have a removable FB. Sage blanks - as well as Gatti blanks are manufactured such that one must add on the FB to achieve a 9'0" length. And - this added on FB may be fixed or removable as one desires. No good reason it should be removable though.

A removable FB requires that the aft end of the reel seat be installed 1/2" beyond the end of the blank. So adding all components the effective length of the rod is about 2" longer than designed. This provides a - different feel to the rod - same as moving the casting hand closer to the reel - except more so.
Herb

Thanks on less expensive rod blanks I have shorted the butt to accommodate the fighting butt.

Jerry,
No need to cut blank. Just build your FB on the last 1 3/8" of the blank for a 1.75" FB

Thanks another great Idea.