November 10, 2017

Yet Another Reel Seat Update

I have been messing with reel seat fit and aesthetics for a while now. This will be the new standard. A slightly wider slide band (internal taper added) with the matching recessed hood. Also the end cap will be fitted with the same timber as the reel seat itself. All pieces will have the mil grain inside the recesses. The next step will be matching winding check. This is a dry fit. The wood has not been polished yet. 

Making reel seat hardware no matter how simple, is very time consuming. By doing this though it adds yet another personal touch to the rod. Also when you make your own hardware, no one else will have it.

The Butt section of My Three tipped prototype is fully varnished and ready for polishing. Three tips to go! Light Olive, Hot Orange and Black silks.

Strips for a 2/2 8'10" Eight weight roughed and ready to go. This will be an experimental Steelhead and Smallmouth Bass rod. A new taper that I came up with that will be hollow scalloped. 

Awesome stick of bamboo here. You can see the node area in the photo.

Fall trout fishing was here and gone in a short period of time. For Me anyway. I did get out a few times to throw some crickets at em though.

Some small very picky wild Browns. Colored up in Gin clear water.

Thanks for looking.

Minnesota Bound

Getting Fished In Minnesota

Here is a Rod that was recently sent out to Minnesota. It is now getting fished by Mike whom I believe is now hooked on fishing bamboo.

This is a 7'10" 2/2 dark and light strip nodeless Five weight. Nice crisp medium fast actioned rod. Made to fish the larger spring creeks in My area.

Snake Brand guides. Golden Witch agate stripping guide (Orange). 

Custom made reel seat with Amboyna Burl timber.

On the bench now. Two prototype rods. A 7'11" hollow built Five weight and a 7'11" Three/Four weight. So far I am liking the Three/Four. The Five will be tweaked to get just a little more out of it. 

Picture below of the culms for these rods after Tiger stripe flaming.

More to come on these rods.

Thanks for looking,

Anthony

New Reel Seat Hardware

 New Reel Seat Hardware

I am always out to improve the form, fit and function of My rods. All of My rods that go out from now on will have a new style of up locking reel seat hardware (unless the customer requests something different). I now turn My reel seat hardware to have an internal taper to fit the reel foot better. This will also keep the slide band from digging into the timber of the reel seat and causing finish damage. To add to the aesthetics of the hardware I have also added a micro double milgrain to the hardware. 

Shown below over customer requested Amboyna Burl.

7'10" Nodeless Light and Dark Strip 2/2 Five Weight

Here are some highlights of a Five weight that I am currently working on for a customer in the Upper  Midwest. This rod as of today has had the butt section completely wrapped. The tips are next and then varnish.

Agate guide to match the above reel seat and Black main wraps tipped in Orange. Both being silk.

Great looking and well made guide from Golden Witch.

Cork rings shown below before glue up. Excuse the mess. I was reaming the cork rings over the trash.

Everything in order right before wrapping with an awesome bag made by Between Two Banks.

Learning Curve Below. Lots of time put in and always trying to improve the process and the product.

As always thanks for looking.

Best,

Anthony

6'3" Four Weight Done

SOLD

Contact - ajpagleyflyrods@gmail.com

I completed this rod a little while back and just got it polished out and ready to go.

It is a 2/1 (Two piece One tip) 6'3" Four Weight. A snappy little small stream rod that is very capable

Nodeless construction with Light and Dark alternating strips

It weighs 2.3oz all in.

The butt above the grip is .236 and the tip is .060

11/64th Hariki Non Step Short Ferrule

4 1/2 Grip

6 Snake Brand guides and an REC Recoil stripper

Up lock slide band reel seat made of blackened brass

Winding check made of blackened Duronze

Black Gossamer silks tipped in Classic Chestnut Gossamer silks

Signature wrap is Classic Chestnut with alternating Black and Claret Gossamer silks

Custom made rod bag

Aluminum tube

Reel not included !

Thanks for looking as always

Best,

Anthony

Stripers

The Nodeless Striped Bass Rod

So it took Me a while to settle on a taper for a saltwater rod. I finally went with a Powell B9 taper as a base for the rod and then went from there. 

I started this rod on the Monday before I left for Cape Cod and finished it on Friday night before leaving. The strips were planed out and glued up on Monday. Cork and ferrules were glued up on Tuesday. On Wednesday the cork grip and fighting butt were turned on the lathe. Wednesday night the rod was coated with Gorilla Glue for a protective finish (Three Coats). Then wrapped on Thursday. Varnish went on the wraps Thursday night and Friday. Done and in the tube Friday night and on the way to the Cape. Its no show piece for sure. It got the job done though.

This rod is Nodeless and Hollow Built. I could have hollowed it a little more. The rod was light enough to cast for hours, but could have been lighter. The next one will be hollowed more aggressively. 

It casted Airflo Cold Salt 8 and 9 Lines very well. Better than I expected actually. I fished this rod every day for a week and for several hours each day. It held up great and worked fine for sight fishing the beaches, throwing flies in mild surf conditions and in tidal creeks. 

I didn't get into any really large fish, but it fought and landed some decent sized fish with no problems. 

All the splices held up fine. The rod is still as straight as it was on the first day also. The Nickel Silver ferrules worked fine. This rod was dropped and dunked several times and caught a lot of fish.

Now I'm sold on the glue that have been using recently. I will continue to use it until they no longer make it available.

Thanks for looking. 

Time to get back to Trout sized rods.

Best,

Anthony

6'3" For a #4 Line

6'3" For A Four Weight

This Rod Will Be Available When Completed 

Here are some photos of a 6'3" Four Weight that I have been working on. This Rod is a favorite of mine for small stream fishing. Great little rod in tight quarters. It gets it done with a tight brush leader whether fishing dries, nymphs or small streamers. 

The 2/1 rod blank was completely made by me in house. It is light and dark strip node less. 

Hariki Short Non Step 11/64th Ferrule

The rod will be wrapped in Gossamer silks (have not decided on colors yet). 

Cork grip is 4 1/2"

Reel seat hardware and winding check also made by me in house on the lathe and blackened. 

Reel seat timber turned from Burmese Teak and finished with Gorilla glue. 

Up Lock Reel Seat

Snake Brand Guides

Custom Bag

Aluminum Tube

Please contact me if interested in this rod. I will begin wrapping it up some time later this week. After that a few coats of varnish and done.

Thanks for looking as always.

Best, Anthony 

Hybrid Striped Bass And Glue

Hybrid Striped Bass and Glue

So I took the Dickerson 8014 Guide that I made for Smallmouth Bass fishing To do some testing on Hybrid Striped Bass. I did modify the taper a bit. It throws an Airflo Cold Salt 8WFF very well. I could cast a size Four Clouser Minnow far enough to get the job done without putting much more stress than necessary on the rod. These fish are extremely hard fighters. They take a fly with authority and pull very hard.  I did not get any really large fish (They can get upwards of Fifteen pounds) but, enough good solid fish to put the splices on this node less rod to the test. I used two different glues for the splices to see if there would be any failure. There was none. So I guess they would both be fine. Although I will go with the glue that is more heat resistant for various reasons. The constant stress of casting long distances over and over for more than four hours had no impact on the splices. Also the steady pulling of large fish and bending this rod way more than it probably should have been in all directions caused no damage to any of the splices. This is not the rod for these fish by any means. It is not stout enough for catching these large fish over and over. I think I know what direction to go in for a salt water rod now and I will not be afraid to make it node less. That will be the next test for sure.

Thanks for looking.

Best,

 Anthony

Finished

6'8" Three Weight

This rod is just about ready to head out to Cali. The varnish is just about dry enough to rub out any blems and polish. One of those rods that was a battle the whole way through the build. Sometimes you'll have this. It turned out to be great little dry fly rod. One tip which I prefer is slightly heavier.

Thanks for looking!!