G. LOOMIS ROD GUIDE

FEQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT
CUSTOM FISHING ROD BUILDING

1. Can I Really Build My Own Fishing Rod?
You sure can! Almost anyone can build their own fishing rod. Although your skills will increase the more fishing rods you build, you can be confident that you'll be able to build your own functional rod the first time around. And your custom built rod will be of better quality than most prefabricated fishing rods.

2. Is It Difficult To Build A Fishing Rod?
It is not all that difficult to build a fishing rod. Many children even are taught to build rods, and do very well at it.

3. Will I Save Money?
Although there are inexpensive rods on the market, you certainly can save money by building your own rods in comparison to others of a similar quality. Of course, you may wish to use even higher quality components than what you would find on an 'off the rack' fishing rod. This may cost a bit more, but the quality will far exceed what you can purchase on a factory built rod.

4. Do I Need To Purchase Special Tools?
If you continue on with rod building for any length of time you may want to purchase some special tools, but it certainly is not necessary to own or use specialized tools to build a custom rod. The only tools that you really need to build a quality rod are perhaps a round file and sandpaper and some type of brush or applicator for the epoxy finish. Rod wrapping tools, even the inexpensive non-motorized versions, make the process much easier and the finished rod will look much more professional. Many ingenious devices have been made by rod builders from commonly found parts to make more extensive rod building easier.

5. Any Books Available?
There are several excellent books available on fishing rod building. There are a couple that are adequate for the beginner, and even large volumes that go into great detail on all aspects of rod building. Look in our Rod Building Books section for some excellent books on this subject.

6. How Do I Choose Components?
The first thing you need to do is decide what type of rod you want to build. Are you primarily a fly fisherman? Or a Spin fisherman? Do you want a bait casting rod or flipping stick rod? Once you have the type of rod you want to build, you will find it fairly easy to choose a blank. They are described with the specifications and ratings for which they are suited. You can pick a graphite blank that has been designed specifically for particular fishing situations.

Some considerations in choosing your blank include:
• Cost
• Material
• Power (Ultra Light to Heavy)
• Action (Slow to Fast or Extra Fast)
• Length
  
There are other personal considerations as well.