How Do You Know It Is Right?

[Kyle]

When you buy a factory built fly rod everyone says to take a reel and cast it first to see if it fits you. Makes a lot of sense to me, but when you build a rod you obviously cannot test how it casts. So what is the test? I guess you have to wait until it is finished to test it, but if it is not what you are looking for you are kinda stuck with it. Any thoughts?

Kyle

[jdmidwest]

Most modern blanks are built with the ferrules on them now so you can assemble it right away and check the spline. There will probably be one point that seems more flexible than the rest, but maybe not. That is a test of a bamboo, the graphite is more consistent.

You could also flex it to see the action. The deeper the rod curves to the handle, the slower the action. If your casting style is toward a fast action and the rod flexes low toward the handle section, it will be too slow for you and you will not like it.

Pick up a rod that you like to cast, line it up and pull the line tight toward you and note the curve of the rod and how far down the rod it goes. Take the new blank, attach a line to the tip and do the same thing, see if it matches the action.

Otherwise, poke and hope. If it does not suit you, sell it, trade it, or give it as a gift. Consider it practice for the next one.

[RSBreth]

You can use masking tape to hold the guides, reel seat, and grip in place to gently cast it. When building a rod I tape guides in place to check where I want them exactly. the reel seat and grip(s) can be held in place by making tape bushings that friction fit from the inside. Easy to remove when done.

I usually know what I want ahead of time, but I have had several "almost but not quite" builds that I use anyway, or have given away. I once made a 9-weight All Star fly rod that when I ordered it I thought from the description the blank was med-fast to fast, but as it turned out it was VERY fast action, and more like a 10-weight!

Oh well, it's great as a Striper/Pike/Musky rod! It happens in rod building.

Some people can simply wiggle a blank, bend it a little, and tel if it's what they want. You have to fiddle with thousands of rods to get to that point.

Have you found rodbuilding.org?

[Danoinark]

You can use masking tape to hold the guides, reel seat, and grip in place to gently cast it. When building a rod I tape guides in place to check where I want them exactly. the reel seat and grip(s) can be held in place by making tape bushings that friction fit from the inside. Easy to remove when done.

I usually know what I want ahead of time, but I have had several "almost but not quite" builds that I use anyway, or have given away. I once made a 9-weight All Star fly rod that when I ordered it I thought from the description the blank was med-fast to fast, but as it turned out it was VERY fast action, and more like a 10-weight!

Oh well, it's great as a Striper/Pike/Musky rod! It happens in rod building.

Some people can simply wiggle a blank, bend it a little, and tel if it's what they want. You have to fiddle with thousands of rods to get to that point.

Have you found rodbuilding.org?

Ditto these comments.