Cottonwood RHW and an elm insert as part of an FRC Homewaters 6'6 2# kit heading to Austria for some alpine stream action ..read more

I know its not directly fly fishing related, but I needed a specific tip guide for an old Avon Rod. After spending some time on the Guides and blank website I eventually found exactly what I needed. The Seymo tip guide arrived just 2 days later for a total cost of £3.52 including postage. What great service, a massive selection of guides at great prices, a big thumbs up from me ..read more

I am working on my next cork handle/reel seat. Got me wondering what people are using for working on the cork? Two pictures below to show the start. I have a wood turning lathe, and you will note the 6mm stainless steel rod wrapped in plumbers PTFE tape hopefully helping the removal of the cork grip! First time trying the PTFE fingers crossed ..read more

I have a 2-piece R L Winston 8ft 4" #4 that @stevel thinks is probably a pre-IM6 blank (maybe a Fisher?), but because it doesn't have a serial number suggests a previous replacement or build. See here for more details: https://www.flyfishing.co.uk/threads/any-clues-on-this-old-r-l-winston-i-picked-up-at-an-auction.645454/#post-3138719 The whipping are not very good and the cork handle is very poor (all in line with other pictures I have seen of old... Would this be heresy ..read more

Hi all, has anyone built up one of these blanks? Any information would be greatly appreciated, thanks ..read more

I made a new grip for my nymph rod which was previously a carbon grip. I didn’t like the texture of the carbon grip after a few hours of fishing but I did like the fact that it transmitted all the vibrations through it. This is made from Idigbo which is a fairly open grain lightweight hardwood. It weighs more than the carbon grip but only by 5g which is likely less than the nymphs it would be chucking. Laburnum reel seat insert and Idigbo butt cap [ATTACH... Wooden nymph rod grip ..read more

I tend to use Snake Brand guides for most of my builds (I think for 6wt and above, I'll probably switch to single legs going forward). Anyway, I've started a 9'6" 5wt build but seem to have misplaced 6 of the guides (attached to a bit of masking tape somewhere). I normally buy from Mark Williams (Taniwha Rodworks) but his shop seems to be temporarily unavailable (I hope he is OK). Anyone know of another source that is UK based, where I can buy some 1/0 and 1 sized Snake Brand Universal... Source for Snake Brand Guides UK ..read more

I am making an all-cork handle and reel seat, and will be fitting custom made end butt cap and single sliding ring. Not 'garrison'-style so this means I need to create a flat surface for the reel foot. So I fancy trying to fettle up a DIY mortising drill bit or similar. Any ideas ..read more

Here's my new rod for the stream I'll be fishing this year. Slightly more muted colours than the last one I built... Blank is a translucent olive Bloke XLSG S glass. Real seat insert is walnut, I'd originally turned a zebrano one to go with the dark cactus cork grip but I preferred the colour match with walnut in the end. No stent to keep it lighter but the hardware (from ahem Ali Express...) had to be big to cope with the 11.5mm butt section. Guides are some tiny fujis bought as a set from... 7' #3 S Glass build ..read more

These two are my last new builds this 'season' as I'm off back to the river for another 6 month stint shortly. The blanks are Tac Fireneedle 12' 6" #8/9s, the first FNs I've built at this length. Much as I love the 11' #6/7, all of which have been straight, I must report that the top sections on both these blanks are a wee bit pigtailed, forcing me to build along the straightest axis with that piece, the spine along the other five. Of course I'm not happy as both curve down and then... Two 12' 6 #8/9 6 pc. Fireneedles ..read more