Hi, I'm new here and looking for some advice. I'm going to start building fly rods as a hobby and was wondering which brand tools are most recommended, Flex Coat, the CRB brand by Mudhole, or any other brand? I will be purchasing the full starter tool kit- hand winder, etc. Looking forward to your comments.

Mark

There is not truly a good, better, best. All the "majors" have their devotes whose styles and techniques they believe are best served by one brand or another. And you would be surprised how many custom builders of high quality rods build their own drying cabinets, winders, lathes, etc. With regard to supplies, and just for example, some do near magical things with Flex Coat high build epoxy while another, such as yours truly, is a Prokote medium build fan.

My suggestion is to not throw a bunch of dollars at "stuff" until you see a real need, then watch for sales and special discounts which frequently are offered just before holidays. Where you do want to spend more freely is for components. For example, there are some great snake guides available from REC and Snake Brand (I'm a serious Snake Brand fan for guides). You can still find real agate (as opposed to colored glass AKA agatine), high quality, stripping guides, but they are not inexpensive. Frankly, no one will know or care if your rod lathe is an ATC, CRB, etc., but the quality of the grip, reel seat and guides will be a big deal.

Good luck and post your questions if you get stuck. There are a few of us buggy whip builders lurking on this forum.

Good advice above. My only add to it is for you to understand that every build will be better than the last one. And your first may not be what you have in mind, so my advice is to start with a reasonably priced kit, then go from there as you add skills. Save the high priced stuff for when you have gained confidence in your design and execution skills.

And, use syringes to mix your epoxy. !!!

I'll agree with Donald. Wait until you find a need and know what you want. Plus, consider many don't stay with this hobby for long.

A lot have built rods using anything from a cardboard box with V-notches cut into it.....to some 1"X4" lined with velvet.....and used anything from their hand, to a phone book, to a fly bobbin for string tension.

Many folks have rushed to buy a power wrapper only to find hand wrapping works better for them. I'd say it is really only a big plus on heavier rods with full underwraps and all double foot guides.

There are some things everyone pretty much uses.....single edge razor blades....brushes to apply finish.....alcohol....gel epoxy adhesive and guide finish epoxy......lots of rags and paper towels.....blue painters tape and regular masking tape. But you will figure those things out in a hurry and many household items can be pressed into service.....from a shot glass to knitting needles. Reamers are probably on the list as well as pilot drill bits.....but that depends. Good lighting....maybe magnification.....good clean, comfortable, climate controlled place to work.

If you know you will be turning grips from wood, cork, acrylic, etc.....you might be better served with a lathe. If you do other work, a bench belt sander or grinder might be better for dressing guides. A dremel tool or a file will work too. Bottom line, use the stuff you have or that will do other jobs you need....rather than buying a bunch of "rod only" stuff. True be told most of it isn't very robust.

By all means do spend your money on guides, blanks, and handles. And there is no better time than black Friday. Also places like Utmost can save you a bundle.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Mark'
All three of the above are regulars within this forum and I can only assume they have been wrapping for quite awhile. Their advice is on point and should be considered. Many starting this hobby/profession, myself included, felt they knew more than enough through their own research and talking with a few veterans of the trade only to discover they had only scratched the surface. That is not meant to detour you, but to entice you. I have learned an immense amount in a relatively short period of time, 95% from those within this site. Happy wrapping!


<<< I profoundly prefer wrapping immensely more than rapping >>>

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Probably the best bang for your buck in terms of supplies, blanks, tools, etc., is the ICRBE. And, you get to feel, handle, shake, flex, etc., every item there.

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

Thanks everyone for your input. I've built golf clubs for over 30 years and and am looking forward to this.

double post....... don't hit the enter button more than 1 time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2016 06:32PM by Randy Hively.

A great place to start is with your local Trout Unlimited chapter. They often offer rod building classes for a very small fee. If your local chapter does not offer a classes there is a good chance that there is a member there that is a rod builder. One thing about rod building is that most rod builders are eager to share their knowledge to any interested person.