Today I started two new rods that will be very different from one another. The first will be a 8' 2 weight and the other will be a 12' Spey rod. I am currently finishing up the last two fall orders for customers and I am anxious to get these started before my winter orders need to be started. Over the next couple months I plan on doing a small write up each week on my progress on these two rods. If you don't have me bookmarked do so and check back each week to see the rods progress. I would also love to hear what you think about the rods.
The 8' will be for friend and fellow rod builder Doug Daniels. We were out in Island Park last year together and stayed together on the Harriman Ranch. He had brought out a spectacular 8' 2 weight quad that he had built for a customer. I was knocked out by it. We ended up doing some dealing and I ended up owing him a 8' 2 weight hex. My goal is for this rod to come in somewhere in the 2.8 oz range with a crisp medium action. Since I have changed the way I do things recently I have been working on this project and it hasn't come together like I want. I am hoping this time it does.
The Spey rod is for friend and reel builder John Paullus. At one time John was the single largest holder of Carpenter Bros. Rods out there. If you are reading this and you haven't seen the vise he built for me scroll down and look at it. It is a real piece of work. The Spey rod will be a 12' 8 weight 3 piece rod. I am still working on the ferrules and haven't decided yet if they will be made of fiberglass or Carbon Fiber. It just depends on how fast he wants it. With the system I am using for this I could probably try both on before finishing out the rod and see which one I prefer.
Today I flamed and split them. Here are a couple of pics to show what it looks like so far.
