# fly rod building



## jcreamer (Mar 6, 2001)

I am going to build me a fly rod to carry with me when I go to Pax river. Has anyone built one lately.
Should be interesting.


----------



## Lightload (Nov 30, 2007)

*Fly rods*

I just finished a 9' 6wt a couple of weeks ago. Gettin' the parts together now to build a 7 footer.


----------



## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

I'm planning on building one in the next few months. I've built several rods, but never a fly rod. Can't wait to give it a shot.


----------



## skunk king (Mar 25, 2008)

built one over Christmas. Wasn't different than a spinning rod. But the fly guys seem to like more natural colors than surf rods. Plus the serious guys build their own grips. 

I built mine on a Gatti G4 6 wt.


----------



## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

I'll be turning my own grip since I have a lathe, but the pre-made grips aren't bad either. I have no idea about fly weights are anything like that, but I do understand the relationship between the distance you will be casting versus the actualy weight. A 7 weight might not work for crap at 20 feet, but work great at 60 feet.


----------



## skunk king (Mar 25, 2008)

I think it's more about the strength of the rod. A 3 wt. is for smaller fish like native trout and brim, 6-7 wt. for small mouths and red eyes and then the 9+ wt. for salt water. I think some guys use a 16 for marlin.


----------



## narfpoit (Jun 16, 2004)

Line weight is based on the AFTM weighting system.

looks like
AFTM number In grains (range) In grams In ounces 
3 100 +/- 6 6.48 0.228 
4 120 +/- 6 7.78 0.274 
5 140 +/- 6 9.07 0.32 
6 160 +/- 8 10.42 0.366 
7 185 +/- 8 11.99 0.422 
8 210 +/- 8 13.61 0.48 
9 240 +/- 10 15.55 0.55 
10 280 +/- 10 18.14 0.64 
11 330 +/- 12 21.38 0.75 
12 380 +/- 12 24.62 0.86

and this is the weight of the first 30 feet. That is the lenght of line that can be arialized with a matching wt rod. So the weight rating has less to do with the distance cast then the size fly you intend to cast with it. A heavier weighted line is needed to push a heavier fly


----------



## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

skunk king said:


> I think it's more about the strength of the rod. A 3 wt. is for smaller fish like native trout and brim, 6-7 wt. for small mouths and red eyes and then the 9+ wt. for salt water. I think some guys use a 16 for marlin.


Right, but what I'm saying is when you just have a raw blank, you can wrap it however you like. Obviously there's a big difference between a blank that would be suited for a 3 wt versus a 9 wt, but you could take a blank rated for 7 wt and set it up as a 4-5 weight if you're casting distance is longer. Longer the casting distance, the more the line weight. It's hard to type this out to make sense.


----------



## narfpoit (Jun 16, 2004)

basstardo said:


> Right, but what I'm saying is when you just have a raw blank, you can wrap it however you like. Obviously there's a big difference between a blank that would be suited for a 3 wt versus a 9 wt, but you could take a blank rated for 7 wt and set it up as a 4-5 weight if you're casting distance is longer. Longer the casting distance, the more the line weight. It's hard to type this out to make sense.


Underlining a fly rod as you suggest using a 4-5 wt line on a 7 wt rod would require you to arialize a longer seection of line to get the rod to load so at first it may seem like you are able to cast farther but realy you just end up working harder trying to keep that much line in the air. It is better to use a line that is matched to the rod you arialize the thirty feet of line to load the rod with your false cast and then shoot the line to your target. Now obviously if you are fishing small streams with little more than you leader out past your rod tip this does not matter but for saltwater or for distance fly casting this would come into play.


----------



## Too Busy (Sep 7, 2007)

basstardo said:


> Right, but what I'm saying is when you just have a raw blank, you can wrap it however you like. Obviously there's a big difference between a blank that would be suited for a 3 wt versus a 9 wt, but you could take a blank rated for 7 wt and set it up as a 4-5 weight if you're casting distance is longer. Longer the casting distance, the more the line weight. It's hard to type this out to make sense.


It's never a good idea to over/under load more than 1 line weight. Now, with that said I have fished my 9' 8wt with a 4wt double taper line. It would only cast well if I did a double haul to get the rod to load. All in all a lot of extra work.

I have also fished the 8wt with a 11wt shooting head line. That wasn't bad except that the action was really slow and DEEP into the rod. 

So IMHO stick with +/- 1 and you're fine


----------



## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

At some point I'd like to give a fly rod a shot, but I know squat about fly rods- have never even cast one- but would like to add the build to my reportoire of tricks. 

Always been interested in trying fly fishing, just haven't taken the time to delve into it- prolly afraid I'd wind up with a whole new addiction 


:fishing:


----------



## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

Surf Cat said:


> prolly afraid I'd wind up with a whole new addiction


Surely you jest! Addicting? Naaah.


----------



## jcreamer (Mar 6, 2001)

I have two fly rods (one is an old eagle claw) but want to get one that I can take with me when I go fishing at some locations on the bay.


----------



## Too Busy (Sep 7, 2007)

jcreamer said:


> I have two fly rods (one is an old eagle claw) but want to get one that I can take with me when I go fishing at some locations on the bay.


What are you going to target? If you're after blues, small reds, trout, or any of the other smaller fish I think a 9ft 8wt is a good all purpose rod and most any reel will do.
If you're planning for bigger reds or stripers I'd move up to a 10 or 11 wt with a medium or high quality rell with a smooth disc drag. My only reason for the heavier set up is to improve survival of catch and release.


----------



## jcreamer (Mar 6, 2001)

Too Busy said:


> What are you going to target? If you're after blues, small reds, trout, or any of the other smaller fish I think a 9ft 8wt is a good all purpose rod and most any reel will do.
> If you're planning for bigger reds or stripers I'd move up to a 10 or 11 wt with a medium or high quality rell with a smooth disc drag. My only reason for the heavier set up is to improve survival of catch and release.


Blues, croakes, perch I am looking at a 9ft 8wt and have several reels. I am thinking about a kit St Croix from mudhole.


----------



## Too Busy (Sep 7, 2007)

jcreamer said:


> Blues, croakes, perch I am looking at a 9ft 8wt and have several reels. I am thinking about a kit St Croix from mudhole.


Probably a good choice. The 8wt lets you fish even when it's breezy. Not like it's been here for the last 2 weeks tho....


----------



## Frogfish (Nov 6, 2007)

Yes, I have built a ton of fly rods, and I fly fish a lot! I love the FlyLogic FLO blanks. I built a 10wt for surf fishing for tarpon and jacks, and can cast the whole line easily. 

Mind you, the FLO is a X-Fast rod, and I overlined it by 2 wts.


----------

