what's needed besides the rod "kit" ... I mean what tools and such? I've
got the Cabelas site open to the SLi rod kit and am twitching to click
"buy
now" g but I fear that I'll find out that I need a $698 special tool
gizzmo G

Oh, and I'm a clutz, .... I can tie flies decently enough to catch fish,
and
change light bulbs without too much help. I usually manage that level of
"tool and repair" things, OK. But if it requires small motor skills too
much greater than shoe tying I'm in trouble ... when you say "pretty easy"
does that mean easy enough for the "building challenged"?



The learning curve to making a fly rod is a lot easier than tying flies. I
just made my first two rods. I ended up taking a rod building class at my
local fly shop which provided me the rod blank, rod componants and class
instruction for $150. The blank was a brown Sage 9' 5wt 2-piece rod. I
substituted their handle and reel seat with a Pac Bay recessed reel seat and
a cork handle that I modified. I put this rod to the test last Saturday at
Heenan Lake and caught a nice 26" Lahontan Cutthroat (a personal best). I
just got into fly fishing 6 months ago.

http://darren.bombs-away.net/flyfish/cutthroat1.jpg

I made my own rod wrapper and drying stand for very little cost. Nothing is
more satisfying than catching a fish on a custom built rod and a fly that is
made by yourself. Making your own rod is cheaper, and quality can be better
over a mass-produced rod from a well known rod making company. It may be
intimidating at first, but after you wrap a couple of rods, it gets easier
and your work gets better.

Here's links to pics of the wrapper and dryer that I built:

http://darren.bombs-away.net/Wrapper/

http://darren.bombs-away.net/Dryer/

Build your own rod... you won't reget it. Stop by www.rodbuilding.org which
is *THE* place for a person just starting out to get all the answers.

Hope this helps!

Darren Evans
Lakewood, CA