Stonefly 

Bamboo, Fiberglass & Graphite Fly Rods

Meticulously Hand-Crafted for Maximum Performance & Aesthetics

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Fly Rod Building Process

What makes a Stonefly custom fly rod different than a factory rod? Let me describe my 16-step fly rod building process. . .

1. Custom Fly Rods

   • Anatomy of a Fly Rod
   • Building Process
   • Custom Fly Rod FAQ
   • Bamboo Fly Rod FAQ
   • Graphite Fly Rod FAQ
     
   Initially, the rod components are selected that are appropriate to the style, power, and action of the desired rod, and are harmonious with each other to achieve the desired look, feel, and performance.
2. The first construction step is the inspection of the blank. Each blank is carefully inspected for defects and straightness. Bamboo blanks sections are heated and straightened by hand. I reject any blank that does not meet my high standards.
3. The spine of the blank is determined. Every blank, no matter how carefully made, is not uniform throughout. The stiffest side is called the spine, and is determined by hand flexing twice: once for each section and again for the assembled full length blank.
4. Each female ferrule is wrapped with rod thread for protection during the assembly process. Some of the newest blanks have internal sleeves at the ferrules, so these wraps are sometimes omitted.
5. The tip top is mounted opposite the spine with 5-minute epoxy. (Mounting the components opposite the spine is desirable for trout rods, along the spine is better for salmon, steelhead, and salt water rods.) This is a better mounting method than heat gluing that can loosen in hot conditions, yet still allows for replacement if necessary.
6. If a wood reel seat insert is used, the interior is scored for maximum glue adhesion and the best grain is selected to be on the top when fishing. The components are carefully aligned, then assembled to form the complete reel seat.
7. The grip is turned on a lathe to the desired shape and diameter and bored to accommodate the reel seat, then hand fitted to the blank by a very careful progressive reaming process. Any stain and/or conditioner is added at this point, and the grip is sanded with progressively finer grades until maximum smoothness is achieved.
8. The part of the butt section of the blank that will be in contact with the reel seat and grip is lightly scored to insure maximum glue adhesion. A special rod builders' gap-filling flexible epoxy is used to join the reel seat and grip to the blank, aligned with the tip top. The winding check is added.
9. The correct number of guides are temporarily attached to the blank according to a predetermined spacing. The blank is then flexed and the individual guide spacing adjusted to conform to the bend of the individual blank under load. This is extremely important, as every blank has its unique flex characteristics; each blank is different, even if it's the same product from the same manufacturer.
10. The guides are individually inspected and final-shaped and tapered by hand to remove any roughness and to conform to the blank, then attached to the blank by hand winding using special rodmakers' thread. The color is usually chosen to complement an important aspect of the rod, such as the reel seat insert or blank color, but can be any color desired. All single foot guides are secured by the addition of the special Forhan locking wrap to the conventional wraps.
11. The alignment and spacing of the guides is carefully checked and, if necessary, adjusted several times. Two coats of a liquid color preserver are applied to the wraps to retain the thread color and, by saturating the thread, to create a bond with the guide.
12. Every detail of  the entire rod is carefully inspected for fit, alignment, and workmanship. The rod is test-casted to insure that the performance at all distances and expected wind conditions is as expected.
13. A special rod builders' liquid epoxy is applied to every winding to seal it and protect it from UV damage and wear and tear. Trout rods generally receive two coats to preserve the desired action of the rod; heavier rods receive one or more additional coats as needed. The label and (optional) inlay areas are given an epoxy base.
14. The Stonefly label and rod information, as well as any (optional) personalization and feather inlays, are added to the rod and are given a second coat of liquid epoxy to seal them.
15. The completed rod is inspected thoroughly for workmanship, buffed by hand, and a coating of wax is applied for protection.
16. All documentation is created and/or gathered, and the completed rod is ready for delivery.

Read more about Bamboo Fly Rod Building.