MrHawes Posted December 1, 2009 Report Share Posted December 1, 2009 (edited) I am looking for info on making my own wood blanks such as Walnut. Does anyone have any ideas where to look? Edited December 1, 2009 by MrHawes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassrecord Posted December 2, 2009 Report Share Posted December 2, 2009 (edited) I am looking for info on making my own wood blanks such as Walnut. Does anyone have any ideas where to look? I've never fished with a walnut fly rod. How do they cast big bass bugs? Thanks. John Edited December 2, 2009 by bassrecord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrHawes Posted December 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2009 I've never fished with a walnut fly rod. How do they cast big bass bugs? Thanks. John Never used on also. I seen a a video clip on Would be cheap to build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassrecord Posted December 3, 2009 Report Share Posted December 3, 2009 Never used on also. I seen a a video clip on Would be cheap to build. I see in their advertising video that their rod is only 5 ft. long. I use a 10 foot Graphite to hurl big bugs in the wind on lakes. It would take me a while to get used to fly casting a 5 footer anywhere<g> They seem to be promoting it fishing their small streams in Switzerland. My guess is that stream fly fishermen average using a 3 weight 6 1/2' fly rod which is about pencil diameter at the handle. A small rod would be easier to cast on streams. Also under 5' 2"it is short enough to use in BASS Tournaments<g> Cheap to build? Would you plane six sides, match them by grain and glue them in hexagon shape like they make Tonkin bamboo? How would you go about making a fly rod out of walnut, hickory or any other tree? Would you just cut limbs and glue into ferrels? If so how would you keep a walnut or any tree limb rod from breaking? Good luck! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrHawes Posted December 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2009 I see in their advertising video that their rod is only 5 ft. long. I use a 10 foot Graphite to hurl big bugs in the wind on lakes. It would take me a while to get used to fly casting a 5 footer anywhere<g> They seem to be promoting it fishing their small streams in Switzerland. My guess is that stream fly fishermen average using a 3 weight 6 1/2' fly rod which is about pencil diameter at the handle. A small rod would be easier to cast on streams. Also under 5' 2"it is short enough to use in BASS Tournaments<g> Cheap to build? Would you plane six sides, match them by grain and glue them in hexagon shape like they make Tonkin bamboo? How would you go about making a fly rod out of walnut, hickory or any other tree? Would you just cut limbs and glue into ferrels? If so how would you keep a walnut or any tree limb rod from breaking? Good luck! John I been wondering the same questions myself. The blank would be alot cheaper then bamboo or atleast I hope so. Would be interesting to experment with different kinds of wood other then Walnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassrecord Posted December 3, 2009 Report Share Posted December 3, 2009 I been wondering the same questions myself. The blank would be alot cheaper then bamboo or atleast I hope so. Would be interesting to experment with different kinds of wood other then Walnut I've heard since bamboo grows 20-30 feet high, the length between sections can be cut out to form fly rod lengths. If winds blow the bamboo primarily in one direction, say ocean breeze, someone can find the 2 sides of the bamboo pole that bends and contracts most - which if finished in the same way, translates into the strongest, best handling fly rod. Fly rods made from the other 2 sides would be stiffer, or slower. Except for the wall hanger, I've only owned two bamboo rods in my life (62 years fly fishing). One broke as I was going over a barb wire fence and a horse stepped on it. The other broke right at the Ferrel with a big bass on - which I lost. At the tackle shop, the owner said the bamboo broke off at the Ferrel due to dry rot. Since then I've heard that the major cause for bamboo breakage, and I suppose a fly rod made of any wood, would be dry rot. My guess is that with the typical bending of any fly rod, it would be very difficult to permanently water seal any wood right at the Ferrel. It is unclear why you want wood. Even for a guy like me that minimizes false casting, I get tired from 3 to 5:00pm using ANY rod casting big bugs. The extra weight of any wood rod would make my long day very, very tiring. Another concern with just any wood is "feel". I've heard bamboo fly fishermen rave or rant at their 7 to 8 1/2 ft bamboo rods that did or did not have the fast or slow feel they wanted. Their love or hate was not affected by the $500 to $3000 they paid for their custom made boo rod. It is unclear how you would experiment with wood. A suggestion is to go to a fly shop and ask the owner to demonstrate fast, medium and slow boo rods. Ask him to measure the deflection at the tip. Since any wood rod you make will compete with bamboo, see if you can replicate their fast, medium and slow action. Whatever you do keep us posted. I'm interested in your results. Good luck! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassrecord Posted December 3, 2009 Report Share Posted December 3, 2009 I been wondering the same questions myself. The blank would be alot cheaper then bamboo or atleast I hope so. Would be interesting to experment with different kinds of wood other then Walnut I've heard since bamboo grows 20-30 feet high, the length between sections can be cut out to form fly rod lengths. If winds blow the bamboo primarily in one direction, say ocean breeze, someone can find the 2 sides of the bamboo pole that bends and contracts most - which if finished in the same way, translates into the strongest, best handling fly rod. Fly rods made from the other 2 sides would be stiffer, or slower. Except for the wall hanger, I've only owned two bamboo rods in my life (62 years fly fishing). One broke as I was going over a barb wire fence and a horse stepped on it. The other broke right at the Ferrel with a big bass on - which I lost. At the tackle shop, the owner said the bamboo broke off at the Ferrel due to dry rot. Since then I've heard that the major cause for bamboo breakage, and I suppose a fly rod made of any wood, would be dry rot. My guess is that with the typical bending of any fly rod, it would be very difficult to permanently water seal any wood right at the Ferrel. It is unclear why you want wood. Even for a guy like me that minimizes false casting, I get tired from 3 to 5:00pm using ANY rod casting big bugs. The extra weight of any wood rod would make my long day very, very tiring. Another concern with just any wood is "feel". I've heard bamboo fly fishermen rave or rant at their 7 to 8 1/2 ft bamboo rods that did or did not have the fast or slow feel they wanted. Their love or hate was not affected by the $500 to $3000 they paid for their custom made boo rod. It is unclear how you would experiment with wood. A suggestion is to go to a fly shop and ask the owner to demonstrate fast, medium and slow boo rods. Ask him to measure the deflection at the tip. Since any wood rod you make will compete with bamboo, see if you can replicate their fast, medium and slow action. Whatever you do keep us posted. I'm interested in your results. Good luck! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrHawes Posted December 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 I've heard since bamboo grows 20-30 feet high, the length between sections can be cut out to form fly rod lengths. If winds blow the bamboo primarily in one direction, say ocean breeze, someone can find the 2 sides of the bamboo pole that bends and contracts most - which if finished in the same way, translates into the strongest, best handling fly rod. Fly rods made from the other 2 sides would be stiffer, or slower. Except for the wall hanger, I've only owned two bamboo rods in my life (62 years fly fishing). One broke as I was going over a barb wire fence and a horse stepped on it. The other broke right at the Ferrel with a big bass on - which I lost. At the tackle shop, the owner said the bamboo broke off at the Ferrel due to dry rot. Since then I've heard that the major cause for bamboo breakage, and I suppose a fly rod made of any wood, would be dry rot. My guess is that with the typical bending of any fly rod, it would be very difficult to permanently water seal any wood right at the Ferrel. It is unclear why you want wood. Even for a guy like me that minimizes false casting, I get tired from 3 to 5:00pm using ANY rod casting big bugs. The extra weight of any wood rod would make my long day very, very tiring. Another concern with just any wood is "feel". I've heard bamboo fly fishermen rave or rant at their 7 to 8 1/2 ft bamboo rods that did or did not have the fast or slow feel they wanted. Their love or hate was not affected by the $500 to $3000 they paid for their custom made boo rod. It is unclear how you would experiment with wood. A suggestion is to go to a fly shop and ask the owner to demonstrate fast, medium and slow boo rods. Ask him to measure the deflection at the tip. Since any wood rod you make will compete with bamboo, see if you can replicate their fast, medium and slow action. Whatever you do keep us posted. I'm interested in your results. Good luck! John A fellow Fly fisherman told me I should read Making Strip Built Fly Rods From Various Woods On A Lathe by John Betts. I will keep you posted. Planning to shoot photos and video of my work. Thanks for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
