Greetings,

I just finished my second 3wt 6'8" 3 piece bamboo fly rod, and I just realized, my reel seat is off centered. I used u40 2 part epoxy for this.

My question is: Has anyone successfully softened the u40 epoxy enough to turn the reel seat???
Or do I need to cut off the reel seat and make another one?



Also, Does anyone have or know where I could find a 0 weight taper for my next bamboo rod.


Thanks for a great forum

Brett

I made the same mistake once. It will soften, but it takes alot of time. I used a leather-palmed work glove to get a grip on it, so's not to burn my hand. Have several plastic bags handy, too. I suggest that once it's off, you clean as much epoxy as you can and re-glue it after the guides are on. Mine lost the finish on the spacer (cocobola) so I had to refinish it.

dave

There are a few tapers floating around for a 1wt and a few more for 2wts, but why? The rod manufacturers for a century try to convince us that we need something more than we already have. Lighter weight (Lord knows a few ounces can kick a man's ass), can cast a country mile(hey, everybody needs to cast 90 feet across multiple currents to a rising fish sipping on midges, never mind the fact you can't see the fly at the end of your line without binoculars). Don't buy into the marketing hype. The truth of the matter is that bamboo can cast with the delicacy of one or two line weights below graphite. And to be perfectly honest, it all still boils down to how good of a caster you are. My advice would be to build a 2wt or 3wt and practice casting. Practice in a swimming pool or still pond, because if your main goal is stealth you need to practice letting that line fall as gracefully as possible on water. That can't be measured on grass. Also consider a silk line.

Dave,

So you used the "hot water" method? And I should just remove the seat, clean it then re-epoxy it back on.

I think I'll give it a go this weekend.

Thanks for all your help.

Oh, P.S. I emailed u40 directly and asked them what the best solution would be, no response yet, but I'll post it as soon as I get and answer.


Brett

2 quart pot and heavy duty ziplocs. Keep it boiling lightly, change bags as needed. Rod Bond is pretty durable!

dave

Thanks for busting my balls. I just enjoy lighter rods and how they feel on smaller fish.

That wasn't meant to insult you. I like light rods too, but there is a lot of marketing hype. If you want delicacy, bamboo is the way to go. A 5 wt bamboo rod can with more authority than a 5wt graphite and yet cast with all of the delicacy of a 3 wt. I have never tried Sage's 0 weight, but I have made and fished quite a few 1 wt's when I used to fish graphite a few years back. Personally I don't think there is an ultra light line graphite rod that hold's a candle to the Nunley 504a or Digger's Ice Cream Parlor Special.

I love fishing for 6 inch brookies in the blue ridge mountains, so I know what you mean about light rods and how they feel on small fish.