Frequently Asked Questions About Custom Rod Building

1. Can I Really Build My Own Fishing Rod?

You sure can! Almost anyone can build their own fishing rod. Although you will develop more skills the more fishing rods you build, you can have every confidence in being able to build your own functional rod the first time around, and one that is better quality than many ‘off the rack’ fishing rods.

2. Is It Difficult To Build A Fishing Rod?

It is not all that difficult to build a fishing rod. Many children even are taught to build rods, and do very well at it.

3. Will I Save Money?

Although there are inexpensive rods on the market, you certainly can save money by building your own rods in comparison to others of a similar quality. Of course, you may wish to use even higher quality components than what you would find on an ‘off the rack’ fishing rod, which may cost you a tiny bit more, but the quality will far exceed what you can purchase on a factory built one.

4. Do I Need To Purchase Special Tools?

Although if you continue on with rod building for any length of time you may want to purchase some tools, it certainly is not necessary to own or use a great deal. Many rod builders simply fashion their own tools which assist them in building their rods. The only tools that you really need to build a quality rod are perhaps a round file and sandpaper. You will need some type of brush or applicator as well for the epoxy finish. Many ingenious devices have been made by rod builders from commonly found parts to make more extensive rod building easier.

5. Any Books Available?

There are several excellent books available on fishing rod building. There are a couple that are adequate for the beginner, and even large volumes that go into great detail on all aspects of rod building. We can recommend one to you.

6. How Do I Choose Components?

The first thing you need to do is decide what type of rod you want to build. Do you primarily fly fish? Spinfish? Do you want a bait casting rod or even a salt water surf rod? Once you have decided that, you will find that most blank manufacturers have made it fairly easy to choose one of their products. Fishing rod blanks usually are described with the specifications and ratings for which they are suited. You can pick a blank from both graphite and fibreglass, that has been made for particular fishing situations.

Some considerations in choosing your blank include:

• Cost
• Material
• Power (Ultra Light to Heavy)
• Action (Slow to Fast or Extra Fast)
• Length

There are other personal considerations as well.

Ian Scott is a frequent contributor to About Fly Fishing and owns CustomTackle.Com