Why Custom Rods?

[Wooly Bugger]

Why custom fly rods? What attracts anglers to build or buy a custom rod? What are the advantages versus buying a Sage or St. Croix? Is it the joy of catching a fish on something you built (similiar to catching a fish on a fly you tied)? If you don't build your own, why would you buy one? Just thought I would throw these questions out there for discussion.

[am4mu]

Interesting question. I am a hobbyist builder that builds mainly fly rods and ultra light spinning rods for family and friends. I am by no means a professional. In my day job I am the shop supervisor of a toolroom that builds molds for the plastics industry so I am a hands on person. Also the people I work for are kind of enough to allow me to use any open machinery for doing rod work after hours and on weekends so it is very convenient. For me personally it is a lot like tying flies. I enjoy doing it and yes it is a rush to catch fish on something I built. There are also some very nice blanks out there that I can build rods from that don't add up to near the cost of a high end production rod. That does not imply anything negative about these high end production rods either. I myself own a Sage and several other production rods and do not have a problem with any of them. I have a TFO Professional that is still one of my "go to" rods. As to why a person would want to buy a custom rod I will throw out several things and hopefully some of the pro builders that I know are on here will chime in as well. On a custom rod you have many different types of guides that can be used. You can have custom grips made to fit your preferences. Also there are many different options for colors of wraps. Building a fly rod for my wife right now, purple wraps with fuscia trim bands on a green Batson blank. Yuck!! But that is what she wants. Static testing insures good guide placements. In the hands of the right craftsmen (not me, LOL) if an individual wants a lot of bling they can get it. Are custom rods for everyone? NO!! There are many very fine production rods out there and they don't all break the bank. Last time I checked the fish don't care if you are using a $100 dollar rod or a $700 dollar Sage or Winston. I'm sure I am leaving a lot out but I have rambled long enough and I'm sure you are by now getting my drift. Basically different strokes for different folks. In my opinion custom rods AND production rods both have there place. Tight lines and tight wraps. Doug Kiefer

PS: No I have no intention of quitting my day job, I just like my hobby.

[rps]

Not a fly fisherman, but I think the question is valid for both fly fishing and for us, the barbarians.

Over the years I have built somewhere between 15 and 20 rods, mostly for myself, but one for dad and a couple for friends. I have one micro guide partly done (a wiggle wart cranking rod on a St. Croix blank)) and one micro guide waiting to build (a jig rod based on a lamiglass excel blank). In my boat I have a vertical jig/drop shot rod on a St. Croix xfast blank with Recoil guides. I am dinged up right now so the home builds are delayed. I just ordered a top water rod build from Big Nasty Rods (btw do NOT google that with your filter off) The top water rod will be a spiral wrap with Recoil micro guides. I will put a 5.4 ounce Revo MGX on it and have the lightest rig believable.

Self mades tend to run as much or more than production because you pay retail for the parts. Have one made by a pro and his labor charge puts them in the production price range or higher. The reason in NOT to save money.

You see the theme - the rods I describe are not sold; yet each has desirable features. Custom rods, IMO, are mostly the result of a desire not met by production makers. The other market force is the classic, "I have something that you don't."

That is my answer to the question.

[dgames]

I fish with a rod I built about 17 years ago - a sage RPL II 390. I had two reasons for building this instead of buying a production rod.

1 - most important, cost. I think production RPLs ran something like $380 at the time. I couldn't afford that much but really wanted and RPL. I paid $150 for the blank and put about another $50 into guides, reel seat, etc.

2 - I wanted a thicker handle than what goes on the production rods. I was able to make the handle exactly what I wanted by building it myself.

It is really pretty easy to build a rod, although at the time I spent a fair amount of time researching how to do it. This was pre-internet, so I remember checking out books at the library to figure out what I was doing. Wrapping guides is pretty easy. Doing the grip, I remember I made a makeshift lathe by clamping a drill in a bench vise and putting the unformed grip on a threaded rod and chucking that into the drill. Locked the drill on and then used sandpaper to shape it.