COMPONENTS AND MATERIALS
Employing the use of the finest materials is a must at Andrews Custom Feather Rods. We offer a listing below of some of the materials that can be used in crafting your custom built rod.
Rod Blanks: The selection of a good, sound rod blank will lead to an excellent fishing rod. The rod blank is a most critical component of the finished rod. At Andrews Custom Feather Rods we have access to most all rod manufacturers blanks. We do not currently manufacture our own blanks, that endeavor is in the future. We offer rods crafted on Sage, G. Loomis, Lamiglas, St. Croix, Diamond Back, Scott, Thomas and Thomas, Graphite USA, Seeker, Shikari, and more.
Guides: There are a number of choices in guide manufacturers. Some of the most prominent are Fuji, AFTCO, Pacific Bay, Perfection, Hopkins and Holloway and others. All produce a fine product. At Andrews Custom Feather Rods we match the guides to the rod and its function. We are happy to fill your request if a specific guide manufacturer is desired.
Guide preparation is a part of rod crafting that is sometimes forgotten or treated as "not important". It must be stressed that the preparation of the guides is most important. All guides that are to be used on your new rod need to be properly prepared and fitted to the rod blank. The guide foot is the part of the guide that requires the work. When the guide is received from the manufacturer, the guide foot could have a blunt end on the foot (requiring tapering), the foot could be bent or twisted (requiring straightening), or there could be sharp mold marks remaining. One or all of these defects will be present on every guide. The guide should is inspected, looking at the foot or feet being straight. If it is found not to be straight then it must be straightened before proceeding. It is necessary to grind or file the top of the guide foot to attain a gradual taper for the thread wrap to transcend from the rod blank over and onto the guide foot. Any residual mold marks are removed during this process also. Once this proper taper is achieved the wire edge that is left as a result of grinding or filing must be removed. We use a Arkansas hard stone to remove this wire edge by hand.
Finishes: It is imperative that the finish on your rod be able to stand the rigors of fishing season after season. We have all seen the finish on a thread wrap that is flaking and checking off. The suns ultraviolet rays and the finish not remaining flexible most typically cause this. At Andrews Custom Feather Rods we use finishes that remain flexible, are non-yellowing and will not check or flake off. Some of these include Flex Coat and Dura Gloss.
Reel Seats: Form, function, beauty. The reel seat must be strong enough to secure your reel in any fishing condition. The reel seat is as important a component as any other component on the finished rod. Graphite, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, or wood, not all reel seats are alike. We will discuss with you the proper reel seat for your custom rod. Fuji, AFTCO, Strubble, Bellinger, Pacific Bay and REC are just a few of the reel seats available for you to select.
Handles: Cork, EVA Foam or Hypalon (EVA and Hypalon available in a range of colors) are some types of handle materials available for you to choose. We also carry graphite or cork for Tenn handles. For fly rods a variety of styles such as cigar, half wells, full wells or western are available. For all other types of rods, fore handle and rear handle can be made to customer specifications. We only use the highest grades of cork available.
Thread Wrap: Nylon or silk, we have a full spectrum of colors for you to pick from. Metallics and holographics are also available for trim wrapping. We utilize Gudebrod threads. Gudebrod threads are extremely high quality and come in a large array of colors. You can view a sample color chart by clicking here: THREADS
