Is it possible to make one hand rods into two hand rods?

[petelangevin 0]

As i get older i find it difficult to cast my larger rods 8-9-10,  can i add a piece below where the fighting but is to make a 2 handed rod?   Or am i better off getting a specific rod and get rid of my old ones.

arthritis is catching up to me yup i am admitting im getting old.

[Rocco 0]

I really like butt extensions and have made many of them

It is dead easy. It takes longer to describe than to do. I turn these out now in under 15 minutes once the parts are in hand. 

The hardest job is finding a ready made butt section.  ARE  sold a great 3.5 inch cork extension but they are closed down now. There are other sources I suppose in the rod making supplies world. Or you could make and shape your own which I never have done 

All you have to do is remove the end cap on your existing short rod butt. In the case of rubber end caps butting against the reel seat,  just pry them off and saw off any blank overhang for a flush fit against reel seat. If no rubber cap, tape up the base of the reel seat to protect it and use a hacksaw to cut off whatever base is there and expose the inner hole of the rod blank. 

Find an old rod blank to use as  'stent' material. ( Do not use a flimsy old blank, strength is important.)  Measure the inner hole of the exposed rod blank with a calipers and find that dimension on the stent and mark it for reference .  Measure 4-5 inches up the narrowing taper of the stent and cut it off. 

Measure the inside depth of your new butt extension and cut the stent @ half inch short  of that length measuring down from the point the stent touches the reel seat. 

Do a trial assembly, insert the long side of the stent inside your rod blank until it is tight. Then try the bottom half of the stent in the butt extension -- you may need to trim it a bit again  to bring the butt extension up tight against the reel seat. 

The stent end inside the new butt extension most likely will be a loose fit,  so tape it up until it is almost tight but leave some room for epoxy to flow over it. Check the other end to see if it rattles around inside the blank and add a little tape  there. if needed.  

Mix  and apply slow drying epoxy sparsely over the two stent ends and assemble the new butt extension up tight to the reel seat. Cover the reel seat with masking tape as  a temporary damn against epoxy overflow. Tape the extension butt down against the reel seat to assure it does not 'climb' loose  and  stand the rod blank reel seat upright during drying over night.

The new extended butt enables two hand, near effort-free, casting; gives ground and clothes clearance for your reel; and also adds a bit of weight in the butt that allows you to balance a rod with lighter reels. Damned if I know why more rods aren't build that way.  

 

[Philly 0]

I got into adding fighting butts to my 8  wgts when I started fly fishing in salt water.  The first few times I carried both my fly rod and my spinning rod and appropriate tackle bags for each.  Since I build my fly rods using single foot spinning guides for the running guides why not build a longer fighting butt.  I order a 6 inch cork grip from a catalog, took the screw-in fighting butt to the local hardware store and got an 8 inch bolt.  Wrapped tape at intervals on the bolt to insure a tight fit and coated it with epoxy and slid the grip over it .  Cleaned the excess off and let it.  Next time I went down the shore to fish and got frustrated fly fishing.  Just popped the fly reel off,  Screwed in the 6 inch fighting butt , added the spinning reel.  Good to go.

I've been thinking about a two-handed rod for bit.  I've got shoulders that are a bit arthritic and  I can't toss an 8 wgt line more than a couple of hours.  My fishing buddies give me their rods to repair or change guides.  They also give me the rods broken beyond repair to scrounge for parts.  One that they dropped off had an extended rod handle on it.      I'm sure you've seen them.  Small foregrip and the back grip is split, a grip than a space where the rod blank is visible and then another smaller grip.  Fortunately it was cork and I was able to make a nine inch fighting butt, which turns any of my 8 wgts and one of my 6 wgts into 2 handed rods.    It's not a permanent extension, but give me the option to fish my fly rods normally or attempt to fish them two handed.

 

[cphubert 0]

Interesting proposition and good question. I have a 9' 9 weight with a 4" extension and a 9 weight 15' two hand spey rod. Would like to hear of your results, I would want a 9" to 12" butt extension. Might want to ask Steeldrifter his opinion he has a lot of experience rodbuilding.

[Steeldrifter 0]

It can be done, but needs to be cautioned about doing it and what grain line you then use. There is a difference in taper between single handed and two handed rods. Your switch/spey rods have a lot more strength/stiffness built into the taper down in the butt/lower mid section because there is a great deal more power/force put into the cast when done two handed with a heavier line. I have seen quite a few single handed rods break at the butt/mid section because someone tried to make it into a two handed rod. So if you do it, do not use a line that is much heavier (grain) then the single handed rating is rated for or you will end up with potential breakage issues.

So it can be done if a lot of caution is used. With that said, I do not suggest it personally as a professional builder. But ultimately, the choice is up to the user.

[vicrider 0]

As Steve said, don't over power the rod just because you have a butt extension. I save all broken rods and any I find or get from friends and can almost find a good fit to go into the butt of a rod to extend. Back when I fish big and strong fish like salmon family and steelhead I wanted the butt extension more as a fighting butt that about casting. I never glued them in either but made a tight fit and had the best of both worlds with it removable. It works, go for it.