Bob Sirois 
ezOP
(3/17/01 7:38 am)
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Let's order the rod components.
The first considerations will be fly, spinning or casting. The length will be dictated by your fishing style and the specific presentation(s) you have in mind. If it’s for a narrow brushy stream for small native brook trout, than a 5 foot spinning might do the trick, if it’s for throwing 4-oz weights and bunker chunks from the beach for stripers, than 10 foot or longer rod might be required. Once you have settled on a length, the rod’s action might be the next consideration. A slow action would produce a gradual bend in the rod from the butt, all the way to the tip and is better suited for live bait applications. A fast action would have a stiffer butt section, with most of the bend in the upper 1/3 of the blank and is better suited for lighter plugs and plastic applications.
Next consider the line test you will likely be using, along with the range of lure weights. What you need to keep in mind, is that a rod will typically handle lighter than the rating on the rod, but it will have difficulty with much heavier lines or lures. For the sake of argument, let’s assume I want to fish 6-inch/7/8 oz. Bomber 16A’s or like plugs on 15# test line, from a boat and with conventional gear. I might settle on a 6-1/2 to 7 foot rod, rated for 10-20 LB test line and 3/8 to 1-1/4 oz lures. That would put both my line test and lure weight in the middle of the rods rating, which is always the best way to insure the rod you order will be right for the job.
Ok, you basically know what you want, let’s order the components you need. Once again, go through Clemens or other mail order shops, but I strongly recommend you hook up with a local rod building shop for some hands on advice.
BLANK:
What to buy, fiberglass, S-glass, graphite, composites, there are so many choices and it can get confusing. Another good reason to get with a local shop, since they will be a tremendous help in determining what blank is best for the job. I personally like graphite for it’s sensitivity and since I put my blanks through some tough times in my coastal boat striper fishing; I like the lower modulus graphite. They have thicker walls and will hold up better, without sacrificing too much sensitivity. My personal preference is Lamiglas, because of the consistent quality and lifetime warrantee.
GUIDES:
There are countless materials and styles to choose from. From aluminum oxide on the low end, to the SIC on the high end. I personally like the middle of the road and build most of my rods using the Fugi Hardloy. They are a durable guide and have even stood up well to over 5 seasons using Spiderwire 30/6 braid, without any signs of wear or grooving. Choose your style based on usage; single foot, double foot, ceramic-hardloy-sic rings, frame material/color and order the number required. A good site for figuring out the spacing/sizing/number of guides required is www.rodrack.net/guidespace.html and there are many other helpful rod building web pages. Include in this a tip-top to match, along with a hook keeper, which I highly recommend. I would also pick up a winding check, which will slide up against the handle foregrip and give it a nice clean appearance.
HANDLE:
Determine what material you want to use for the handle and there are many choices out there; cork, foam, tape etc. For this project I’m using cork, which is my personal favorite and there are many different grades of cork. I like a Burl cork, which is a tightly packed cork, with a beautiful pattern of swirls and light/dark contrasts. Whatever your choice, I recommend you don’t cut corners with the handle material, because it will take the brunt of the abuse. The same can be said of the reel seat and you can’t go wrong with Fugi products. Get yourself a butt cap and that rounds out the handle.
Tight Lines
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