Short casting rods becoming difficult to find.

[tjm]

I used to really like yard/garage/T.A.G. sales, have met interesting people and bought quite a few bargains, but I hate the "town wide" things with all the streets blocked, all the parking spaces double full and all the "for sale" items clothing or geegaws that appear to be discards from a thrift store. People set up a display and watch it all day with six items and a total value of three dollars. When people have to get a permit they don't bother to it  for garbage. The old wife still likes to go so I sometimes go with her if a daughter isn't available, but I bet I've walked 50 miles through 1000 "yard sales" on those town wide days and never saw item that I wanted that wasn't priced at three times it's value. And in this area never much good fishing tackle, especially fly gear.

[rps]

Gary Loomis' newer company, Northfork, makes three 5'6" blanks. Go to the bottom of this link.   https://northforkcomposites.com/bass2/

Janns Netcraft sells several brands, each of which carries a selection of 6' blanks. You can take 3 to 6 inches off the butt of the blank without an appreciable change of action.

Building your own is not difficult, merely tedious. Nor do you need all the fancy tools the makers would have you believe. My first rod build, I used a coffee cup, a large phone book, and a cardboard box. Their are a gazzillion videos on the internet showing how to wrap the guides. Every reputable rod blank maker publishes a suggested guide placement sheet or web page.

If you make the decision to build your own, pick the blank power and action you want, then email me for my suggestions for the other components or for any other questions you have. There are rod builder message boards that contain a wealth of information. Rodbuilding.org is one.

After all these years, I would laugh at my first several rods. By my present standards, they were ugly. But they threw lures and caught fish just fine. With all my equipment today, I still have not caught a larger bass than one I caught bubbling a spinner bait in the early 70"s on a fiberglass rod I built.

Have fun.

[fishinwrench]

Fishing/boating gear, yard tools, water toys, furniture, appliances, and of course clothing are mostly what you find around here.   Restaurants, bars, motels, and condo associations get involved in it also, so actually there is lots of nice stuff that can be bought really cheap.  

Some serious bargains can be found, I just hate the process of picking through it all.   And you always run into someone, at every stop, that wants to socialize and just stand and talk all day. 

It's torture. 😏  

[snagged in outlet 3]

46 minutes ago, rps said:

After all these years, I would laugh at my first several rods. By

I have my first spinning rod I made when I was 10-11 years old.  My dad was strictly fly fishing so I made my own.   It’s hideous but it will throw a marabou jig and has caught 100s of trout.   Ultra light rod.  

[tjm]

1 hour ago, fishinwrench said:

Fishing/boating gear, yard tools, water toys, furniture, appliances, and of course clothing are mostly what you find around here.   Restaurants, bars, motels, and condo associations get involved in it also, so actually there is lots of nice stuff that can be bought really cheap.  

Some serious bargains can be found, I just hate the process of picking through it all.   And you always run into someone, at every stop, that wants to socialize and just stand and talk all day. 

It's torture. 😏  

Just think how much less hassle the picking would be though if every participant had to buy a permit at city hall during regular business hours, a $1 permit would keep 2/3 of the home owners from setting up, just the act of going to city hall and picking up a free permit would discourage the ones with three items and a truck load of old magazines. The thing I hate is seeing the sign, following it around three corners to the yard,  finding a place to park, walking back  50 yards and  when you get there  there are a half dozen items for sale.   I have driven through a couple of these towns the day after and the "merchandise" is on the curb for pickup.

Who makes a 7-7 1/2' 6wt these days?

[fishinwrench]

33 minutes ago, tjm said:

Who makes a 7-7 1/2' 6wt these days?

St.Croix Mojo series are short.   

Gunner Brammer loves them.

[fishinwrench]

43 minutes ago, tjm said:

The thing I hate is seeing the sign, following it around three corners to the yard,  finding a place to park, walking back  50 yards and  when you get there  there are a half dozen items for sale

You don't see that around here much.   Most of these folks have MONEY and lots of pretty nice "junk".  

[tjm]

6 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

St.Croix Mojo series are short.   

I just looked there and though they have some short rods, it looks like <7'11"  is 3-4wts. I'm not sure I can even cast a line that light .

[fishinwrench]

2 minutes ago, tjm said:

I just looked there and though they have some short rods, it looks like <7'11"  is 3-4wts. I'm not sure I can even cast a line that light .

They have a 2pc.  7'11". 7wt. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

I have a custom 5’ 3 weight bamboo I’m going to sell on eBay after my auction on the 6 weight Winston is done.