Stan Bogdan passes on.....

I saw this on Clarks classic fly rod forum today:

http://www.flyrodreel.com/blogs/tedwilliams/2011/march/stan-bogdan-dead

The fly fishing community has lost a master reel maker and a great man. In case you've been living under a rock for the past 60 something years, Stan built incredible Salmon reels by hand. Even the screws! Notorious for a 3-4 year wait and a superb drag system, I can personally say they are well worth it. My deepest sympathy goes out to Stephen and his family.

Hang on to your Hackle

Looks there is becoming a shortage of hackle due to the latest women's fashion...Women are buying hackle and clipping it on to the hair as a latest fashion statement.  Really, its no joke...  Some shops are sold out and soon we'll be buying hackle at a salon.  Here is a link to more on the latest trend.

 Feather Heads

Part IV....

Final Steps....

Applying the epoxy thread wrapping finish....

I prefer light build finish for the thread wraps. It is nice and thin, and goes on in 2 coats. The first coat I put enough on to saturate the thread wrap down to the blank. But not so much that it's goopy and messy. This is the most important step in the entire rod building process. MAKE SURE TO MEASURE EQUAL PARTS PRECISELY!!! This is crucial as I've found out the hard way in the past. The finish will turn cloudy, then get clear again when properly mixed. Try to limit air bubbles when mixing since they will end up on your guides!

A little trick I've learned is before mixing the finish epoxy, place the bottles in hot water for a few minutes. This makes the two part epoxy easy to mix and apply. A little goes a long way and if it starts to harden or get gooey toss it and mix another batch to finish the application.

I have a slow turning motor, 6 RPMs. It works but I am going to get a two speed motor of 24 RPMs for applying the finish a little quicker, and 6 RPMs for drying. Let the rod rotate for 8 hours while the finish evens out and dries. After the epoxy is dry, cut off any loose or frayed thread along the guides and then apply the second coat. Let dry another 8-10 hours. You can give it a 3rd coat, but I'm way too impatient for that and you shouldn't really need it.

Here you can see how the wrapping finish darkens the thread color. This is as the first coat is drying....

Butt wraps and some basic info so I don't forget what rod it is....

Part III...

Marking and Wrapping the guides...

Ok, so the butt section is finished. Now it's time to mark the guides, tape them in place, and finally wrap them with thread. I have only a few colors of thread so I chose Gunmetal Grey. It looks bright but the color dulls significantly after the thread wrap epoxy is applied. I don't use Color Preserver before the epoxy, it's just one more step I can avoid! Plus it prevents the epoxy from seeping into the thread and creating a durable bond. Just my preference...

After glueing the tip top on, next we need to measure the guide spacing and mark it. I happen to have the spacing for a 10' rod, so I just adjusted as I saw fit for the 11' rod. I had a few extra guides so it worked out well. Measurements are from the tip top working towards the butt section. I used double foot REC Recoil guides and strippers for this rod, mainly because I already had a set and a spacing chart. Supposedly the are unbreakable-I can say for sure I will be able to test that out very soon!

After the guides are marked, I like to tape them in place with masking tape. Put the rod together, give a quick look to make sure they are straight along the rod and then time to wrap!

Let the wrapping begin! I just have a hand wrapper, but you can get motorized ones that are much faster. But it's kinda cool to do it by hand!

Snake guides...

I used double foot REC Recoil guides and strippers for this rod, mainly because I already had a set and a spacing chart. Supposedly the are unbreakable-I can say for sure I will be able to test that out very soon!

Ferrule wrap and stripping guide......

Winding check on and butt wraps complete. Nothing fancy here.

After all the guides are on, I give it one last look to make sure everything is straight before the thread wrapping epoxy is applied....

Part II

After the epoxy has dried, time for the lathe to shape the bottom grip and the reel seat. I put about 1" of masking tape around the blank where the chuck will hold it. This keeps the chuck from crushing the blank. I then add some tape from that point to the top just to help prevent scratches while sanding the handles.

Into the lathe for sanding......

Bottom grip and reel seat complete and slip rings installed. I had to remove the rod from the lathe a few times to get everything just right for the rings. No big deal but it was a little extra time compared to a normal reel seat...

Next slide on the top grip rings and epoxy the same as the lower grip. Set in the clamp for another 6 hours or so before sanding. I like to use the 1" of upper grip per foot of rod. SO, for this 11' rod I used 11" of upper grip. The lower grip is 3 3/4". When building your own rod, you can make them as long or short as you like!

After 20 minutes of sanding and shaping on the lathe, the upper grip is finished! Again, you can shape the cork to your liking. But remember that you can't add more cork for diameter once you've sanded it. So I like to take it off the lathe and hold it in my hands until it feels just right!!

And a photo of what it looks like with my 3 7/8 Perfect attached.....I made the reel seat long enough to accommodate long feet on the old reels just in case I get another Perfect for this rod.

Building a rod....Part I

Since I haven't been able to fish in about 8 weeks, I need to do something fishing related! So I figured I'd build another rod. Having Steelhead and Salmon pretty much covered for two handers, I decided to build an inland Trout two hander I can also use on Smallies. In an effort to keep the project under $100, I needed an inexpensive blank-enter Anglers Roost! I bought the 11' 2/3 wt blank, $35 including shipping. Supposedly like lines in the 180-235 grain window-how cool?!! It's a 3 piece, full flexing light weight blank I will build into a two hander. So here goes.......

Step 1-Spine the blank

This is actually pretty easy. I like to do it a section at a time. You place the section on a flat surface (holding it at about a 45 degree angle) and bend it as you gently roll it across the table. Hold the tip with one hand and use the other hand to slowly roll the blank. You will feel it "jump" along the spine. Mark the spine side and repeat with all sections of the blank. I like to put my guides opposite the spine, some people put their guides on the spine.

Step 2-ream the cork

Using a tapered file purchased at a hardware store, ream out the center of the cork so it fits snugly on the butt section. Doing the grips piece by piece ensure a better fit than trying to ream out a pre made grip. I don't like creaking cork! Here I am doing the bottom handle and "reel seat". I use quotes because on this rod I am doing a sliding band style reel seat. The very bottom piece is rubberized cork for durability. Each piece is 1/2" thick by 1.5" in diameter. I also use fine sandpaper and scuff the blank a little for extra grip before applying the epoxy.

Bottom grip and "reel seat" fitted and ready for Epoxy...

Step 3-Epoxy the cork and then clamp and let dry.....

After mixing the epoxy, use a craft store paint brush to apply the epoxy to the blank and on the cork. Repeat with all the cork on the blank.....

In the clamp to dry for about 6-8 hours......

Bob Clay and Family

A Steelhead Family - Official HD video 3.1 from Andrew Hardingham on Vimeo.


Bob Clay is known for his bamboo rods and former BC Steelhead guide. This video he talk's about starting out as Guide in BC to the daily in's and out's of rod builing and his steelheading family.