switch10

Thanks guys!

I'm selling them for $350 in my local fly shop, but I'm willing to sell them here without a rod tube for $200 plus shipping. If you want a brushed aluminium rod tube like the one shown in the photos, add an additional $35. That's what I pay for the rod tubes since I need to get them custom made in that size.

They can be fully customized to fit your liking. Grip design/size, thread wrap colors, guide style/color, etc can all be customized.

The best way to contact me is through email on my website. Just click the www.sierracustomrods.com link below in my signature, and you will see my email address on the home page. Feel free to browse some of my past builds under "portfolio" as well.

I'm planning on building quite a few of these in preparation for this summer. These pack rods are pretty popular with hikers/back country fisherman in my area. They pack down to around 16 inches. This one has black single foot guides, and custom 1/4" checkerboard cork inlays. The med-fast matte green blank looks pretty slick too if you ask me. I thought I'd share here if anyone is interested.

I like the individual spring loaded compartment boxes for my dries. Doesn't crush the hackle at all, and you can fit more bugs into them than slot foam. Just watch out for the wind..

I don't think it matters much to me either, but, I can tell you that you'll probably appreciate the single foots better when your fishing in really cold weather. Then, you normally don't have to worry about ice in the guides. Just have to worry about the reel freezing up. Its some fun when you hook a good sized fish and have to dip the reel under water to keep the fish from breaking off.

Actually, it is opposite. Single foot guides freeze up a little easier than snake guides do.

In my opindion, the best guides for winter fishing are the REC Recoil snake guides. They flex so they shed the ice build up pretty easily without having to stop fishing to clear out your guides.

I second what utyer said about tfo rods. I have personally used the warranty and ordered pro deals from the factory. They have great customer service. Their gear rods are awesome too, especially since Gary Loomis is designing them.

I thought Gary Loomis was helping with their spin rods, not their fly rods?

Regardless, I agree that TFO is a really good rod for the money. Least expensive warranty program in the industry as well.

I saw that catgut nymph posted here a few weeks ago, and I loved how the catgut looked when wet. It's a pretty unique material. I had to pick some up becuase I thought it would look great on my caddis pupa and larvae patterns. They also make it small enough to tie on size #20 hooks which is really nice.

Here's my catgut micro caddis size #20 and #18:

 

 

 

What light are you using? I like the silver creek stuff, but it heats up a LOT during curing, and is one of the more brittle UV resins I have used.

 

 

 

 

Hold the light farther away and it will not cure as fast and not heat up as fast.

 

The UV resins cure by exothermic reaction so they create heat. A thick resin will trap more heat so it has to be formulated to cure slow. My resin is formulated to cure extremely fast and it is still able to cure tack free with weaker UV lights or weaker batteries. The cure rate and heat production is controlled by how far you hold the light from the fly.

 

My choice was to allow the fly tyer the option of controlling the cure rate with a fast cure formulation.

 

True... but Loon flow cures just as fast as the silver creek stuff without tack or heat. Hydro heats up quite a bit too.

 

I have never had an instance in tying where I wished the resin would cure more slowly. I want an instant zap to set up the resin.

 

I'm using the same little cheapy UV flashlight that I use with Silvercreeks stuff, and Loon's Flow cures slower for me. Several seconds and Flow has a bit of a tack still, Silvercreeks doesn't. I haven't noticed any brittleness at all. I coat 100% of my midges with it, and have caught many fish on the same midges over the past 8 months or so...

The shop I work in sells Flow, and since it's too complicated to direct regular customers to Silvercreeks stuff, I usually recommend people use Flow. It is a close second in my opinion.

 

 

Loon now makes a thin formula which is quite cost effective. As for tackiness, just hit it with Hard as Nails, and save yourself more than a few bucks.

Loon Flow. The best ultra thin formula without tack. $12 per bottle.

I was given a bottle of Flow to try out. It's definitely priced right, but it cures in over twice the time it takes to cure silvercreeks resin. Silvercreeks is only $3 more than Flow.

I've tried it all. Silvercreeks UV resin is the best. Stays clear, cures fast, and easily the most modestly priced.

I just hope he continues to make it..

This is the method I use: My Trout Fly: Making extended mayfly bodies.

You can make them in any size you want, and they float like a cork.

Those bodies are about as good as it gets.

I generally use single foot guides on 5 weights and lighter. I really only use them to reduce weight/thread wraps/finish. I haven't noticed any difference in casting distance or anything either way.

Beautiful rod Steve. I really like that red/metallic red combo as well. It really looks nice together.

How do you like the new gloves Steve?

I'd probably go with midge pupa and larvae under an indicator. If you can, fish 2 flies about 12 inches apart. Blood worm a few inches from the bottom (any red midge really), and whatever you like above that, zebra midge, copper tiger, etc. Olive and gray seem to work especially well at times too.

Don't forget to twitch it either. Not constantly, but one a minute or so.

Thanks switch. Yep mine are currently the 100% fleece Simms ones. I actually was talking to a guy on the stream in PA Saturday who had the flex Simms with the flip back fingers and was looking them over. I'm not sure about the flip fingers though, seems like line could get wrapped on the finger when flipped back maybe but not sure. I think those are only about $20 more than the Exstream.

 

Defiantly going to get one of those two for this winter just not sure yet which one. How is the warmth with your windstopper ones when they are wet? Do they wring out pretty well?

I love them. I have the model with the flip over mitt, which has made the difference between going in and warming up many times. They wring out great, to the point where they actually feel dry after submerging your hands after landing a fish. They seem to dry off really fast as well.

Hi Steve,

These gloves feel like they are the same material as the windstopper fingerless and fingerless w/mitt from last year. The major difference other than color, is those 2 orange straps that go across the middle and ring finger to get them off easier. I own the windstoppers from last year and I checked the new ones out at the shop and decided not to buy them since they were basically the same gloves. If you own the all fleece model though, the Exstream is definitely a warmer/nicer glove.

Also look into the Simms Exstream flex glove. It looks and feels pretty serious. Full finger glove, but the index finger, middle finger, and thumb pop out of a little hole on the top for knot tying. If I buy anything new this year it will probably be these.

I am impressed. That little sucker even has legs.

 

I take it you used a jig and a pattern? Not that those would be of any help to me. Children's ears couldn't come near me attempting that.

I used a Renzetti Wonder Jig, but people get by with just masking tape and crafty ways to count thread (every 5 are left long to easily count, etc.). As for the pattern, It was a photo I took that my girlfriend touched up for me, and then I transfered that to technical vellum using a transparent piece of graph paper. The setup work is much harder, tedious, and time consuming than doing the actual weave surprisingly.

I'll probably end up putting this one (10' 4 weight) up for sale on this site when I get some time since the season ended yesterday out here. This was a floor model I had at my local shop. This rod sold me about 10 rods this summer!

I am about to embark down this journey as well. My shoulders are fubared from work and play( mostly from motorcycles). I have a 8 wt TFO TiCr -x rod that they have a conversion kit to make it into a 11'3" two hander. I am going to put a Rio Switch Chucker line on a extra Lamson reel I have.

 

Going to use it for chucking big bugs to Pike, steelheading in BC ( Bulkley system) and maybe even salmon fishing in BC.

 

Don't know how the conversion kit with perform, I do like the rod very much. I tend to favour a moderate action rod but I have been chucking big bugs into the wind with this faster action rod for about a year.

 

I believe Lefty Kreh and Bob Meisner were involved in the design of this so it can't be that bad if they put their name on it.

I use the Switch Chucker line, and I love it. The head is massive! My #5 SC line takes up my entire 8/9 weight reel with right around 100yd's of backing!

I clean off dried head cement on my bodkin with sand paper.

As far as a true rotary vise goes, I've been very happy with my danvise which I've tied thousands of flies on over the past several years with no issues. It's also priced right at $89.

 

I was given some of Loons new UV resin called "Flow". It seems to be about the same viscocity as Silvercreeks resin. Funny though, the stuff takes forever to cure! Practically un-cureable under a UV flashlight, I had to take them out in the sun.

 

I've used it all, and Silvercreeks resin is still by far the best stuff out there.

 

 

Interesting since on this post, Loon's "Flow" is supposed to be a "game changer." I thought I could stop making resin, if Loon Flow worked as advertised.

 

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=79327&page=2

 

Please don't stop making your resin Henry! If you do, let me know because I will have to get a lifetime supply from you. Nothing else comes close.

I was given some of Loons new UV resin called "Flow". It seems to be about the same viscocity as Silvercreeks resin. Funny though, the stuff takes forever to cure! Practically un-cureable under a UV flashlight, I had to take them out in the sun.

I've used it all, and Silvercreeks resin is still by far the best stuff out there.

I have an Okuma SLV 8 weight reel I bought brand new on Ebay for $54, free shipping. They have more, just have a look. I've used it happily for years. It's an excellent reel for the price.

Thanks everyone. I sell my rods through my local shop, and this one didn't last long. Two days, and it was sold. They told me the first guy that picked it up bought it!

Heres a few of the weave in progress. Not a simple process, but it looks awesome when it's finished!

I usually cut off the welded loop on the fly line, and then nail knot about 6 inches of amnesia to the fly line with a perfection loop on the other end. I then attach my leader to the amnesia with a loop to loop connection.

Nail knoting your leader directly to the fly line has a nice small profile though, and goes through your guides nicely.