Rod Building 101
Rod Building 101 - Saturday, December 12, 2009
Time: 8:30am - 1:00pm
Location: LDWF Waddill Outdoors Education Center
4142 North Flannery Rd
This event is open to RSFF members and members of other FFF clubs. There is no cost. Refreshments will be provided.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED so we can have the appropriate amount of materials and refreshments. Please contact Glen Cormier at (225) 751-6848 or by email at catch@laflyfish.com no later than Saturday, December 5.
Who should attend? Any club member interested in assembling a custom rod. In addition to beginners building their first fly rod, we often have veterans who come simply because it gives them a venue and time to get started on that rod they've put off for so long.
What should beginners bring? The following article explains what materials you need to have to get started in rod building. Some materials will be provided by the club at this clinic.
Rod Building 101 Overview and Online Resources
Fly Rod Building 101 Checklist and Instructions
EACH PARTICIPANT LOOKING TO BUILD A ROD MUST PROCURE A BLANK AND ROD COMPONENTS PRIOR TO THIS SESSION. The club no longer carries or sells reel seats, guides, or other components. In southeast Louisiana, Cabelas and Uptown Angler have, or can order, rod building components for pickup or delivery. You can mail order components from these stores:
Cabelas Tackle Craft (blanks by Cabelas, Sage, Loomis, Rainshadow, Rainforest, St Croix, TFO)
Hook and Hackle (blanks by PacBay, Rainshadow, St Croix, Forecast, Loomis, H&H Brand, some at 20% discount)
Angler's Workshop (blanks by PacBay, Lamiglas, Batson, Diamondback, Sage, AW Brand)
Many Red Stick rod builders have long done business with JJ King Flyfishing out of Altura, CA. Jon King is one of the premier rod builders on the West Coast, and a fishing companion to a couple of our club members. His product line and service are outstanding. In addition, Jon offers his own brand of fly rod blanks, that in our experience, have made some of our favorite rods! These blanks also sell for much less than the premium blanks. Here is a Fall, 2009 list of available blanks from JJ King with contact information.
JJ King Flyfishing Blanks and Components, Fall 2009
Potential builders on a tight budget should contact RSFF club member and past-president Frank Genusa. Frank is an experienced rod builder who has his own custom blanks at a very affordable price. Rods from these blanks compare favorably with the St Croix and Echo rods in the $150 range.
What should I expect out of this class? For beginners, you should leave with your rod assembled with cork grip, reel seat, and several guides wrapped. Time permitting, we should also apply the first coat of color preserver. We will also demonstrate applying flex coat to the guides, but participants will have to complete that step at home due to the long drying time (6 hours). We will explain our recommendations - based on experience - for doing the flexcoat process at home, made easy!