Bob Riggins
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Tarpon hooks should be very strong with a relatively long shank (unless you are using tube flies, which is a different issue altogether). I use either a Gamakatsu SC-15, size 3/0 or a SL11-3H 4/0.
The three mains species are King Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel and Specs (Speckled Trout). The Mackerel are high speed slashers that require a fast retrieve so they will sometime end up on the tail of the fly. Specs don’t normally short strike, however, in cooler water they slow down and end up short striking.
I tie some articulated flies. I use 7 strand wire leader material to for the loop for the rear hook. Mainly use them for short striking species. Most fish I fish for go for the head, so you don’t need the hook that far back.
If I were looking for a small stream rod for the Smokies, I would go with a 7’6″ 3wt. with a med-fast action. I am a big Scott fan, so my first recommendation would be a Scott A4. That is the most I would pay for that type rod. One worth a look is the Echo Carbon. It is a nice little rod that runs about $170. There are a number of other rods under $250, but I have not cast any of them.
Being from the Clearwater area, a hot bed of Scientology, I can see some similarities with the Landmark Forum.
The quickest I have done one is 3 days for a rod I needed right away. Most of the time I take about 3 weeks to a month because I don’t have big blocks of time to work on it. You can pretty much wrap guides as you have time and set the rod aside until you finish wrapping. Just make sure it gets back in the plastic sleeve the blank came in so the wraps do not collect dust. On the first rod, it is better to take your time and get the wraps right. I hand wrap the rod using a couple of fly tying bobins and a rack I built.
The two steps that you actually need some time for are turning the grip (which you are probably not going to do) and applying finish to the wraps (particularly if you are hand turning it while the finish dries). You are much better off with a drying motor to constantly turn the rod as it dries, but for one rod, it’s not worth it.
First let me give you some reference sites that contain a lot of good information. A series of articles by the late Al Campbell is probably the best start to finish rod building piece written.
http://flyanglersonline.com/begin/graphite/
A web site by Tom Kirkman is a good source of a lot of information and questions usually get answered pretty quickly. This site also has links to a lot of good suppliers.
http://www.rodbuilding.org/list.php?2
This is a collection of articles and tips on rod building. Some very good information on specific aspects of rod building.
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/rodbuilding/tips/archive.php
Mudhole.com and Batson Enterprises site both have good articles and videos on rod building.
The first question you need to answer is kit vs custom build. Kits are nice but I don’t like them. You will learn a lot more by designing the build yourself to your taste and needs. This will force you to learn more about specific components and how it all fits together. I would recommend finding a checklist so you don’t leave anything out. Also, try to deal with one supplier. This will save you money on shipping, but you can also call the supplier and go over your list to make sure you have everything.
Next, you need to sellect a blank. Most of my builds have been on Batson Rainshadow blanks. I don’t like their Forecast (RX6) blanks, but their RX7 and RX8 blanks are great for the price. The RX7 is medium fast while the RX8 is very fast (and more expensive). I also build a lot of 3 and 4 wt rods on Sevier Tiger Eye blanks, but I don’t like them in higher line weights. Some other options I would recommend are American Tackle Matrix blanks and Pac Bay Quickline blanks.
I use single foot wire running guides on all my rods 8wt and lower. My preference is TiCH finish, but chrome or black finish is cheaper. The stripping guides are usually two foot casting guides. For a 6wt, I like the A7 reel seat. I would get an aluminium seat unless you are building a high end rod. I like flush mounts because I turn my own grips, but you can get it with a recessed mount, just make sure you get the right grip.
I could go on, but my best advice is to take you time and make sure every step is done right. The place that is easiest to mess up is applying finish to the wraps. I had trouble with this until I purchased a drying motor to keep the rod turning while the finish is drying. You can hand turn the blank, but you are more likely to get lumps in the finish.
On tube flies (again, I’m talking saltwater), I trim the tube shorter. I also use short shank hooks with an upturned eye, then snell the line to the hook. This keeps the hook from flopping around in the fly. On shark, baracuda and mackerel flies, I use braided wire leaders with nylon coating but still snell the line to the hook.
Aaron,
If I do it, I would probably hire a guide for one day, but I am not really fond of fishing with guides.
20 stones! Wow, that’s bigger than I am. I’m just a little over 16 stones. I must admit, you would have to have some pretty large stones yourself to grab this thing by the tail.
While this is a big fish, I think some freshwater sturgeons get over 70 stones. The IFGA record sturgeon is 33 stones. The record freshwater fish is a Mekong giant catfish at 46 stones.
