Many people ask why a custom fishing rod? There are many answers to this question but the most obvious is that it is custom. A custom built rod is more than a factory rod could ever hope to be. When you hold a rod crafted just for you, and your type of angling, you will feel the personal touch in every cast. A custom rod is superior to factory rods, right down to the personal inscription.
GUIDE PLACEMENT
Much more thought and care goes into every aspect of a custom rod than could possibly go into a factory, assembly line constructed rod, where mass production is the ultimate goal.
First the spine is located (see spine of a blank below for explanation.) All the components are aligned accordingly. The more sections you have the easier it is to misalign this spine and cause opposing forces to the rod causing fatigue and poor casting characteristics for the angler.
The guides are placed along the spine of the rod on each section of the rod, to give the angler a smooth casting rod that bends in a smooth arc and not trying to twist, which causes fatigue on the anglers hand and arm as they attempt to compensate for this twisting action while casting.
The placement of the guides along the blank is also an important feature of a custom rod. Each rod blank is different and requires the precise placement of the guides so that the line flows in a continuos arc from one guide to another. Some blanks may require extra guides to get the smoothest transition for that particular blank.
The truing, as I call it, of a custom rod gives the angler a smooth, easy loading and casting rod and if your hand and arm are sore following a days fishing, with a custom RAMBLING ANGLER ROD, it will be from many fish landed and not from a poorly constructed rod.
THE SPINE OF THE ROD
Every rod has a SPINE, the strongest part of the blank. The SPINE is created mainly during the construction stage of the blank when graphite cloth is wrapped around a mandrel and soaked in resin. The SPINE corresponds to the cloth overlapping, putting an extra layer of glass cloth in that line causing a stiffer spot running the length of the blank. This is refered to as the SPINE.
Without getting too deep here: the guides are aligned along this spine to keep the rod from twisting which adds relief to the angler while improving casting as well as fish fighting charecteristics.
CHOOSING AN ACTION
Slow - The rod flexes from approximately 65 - 100 percent of the length of the blank.
Moderate - Flexes to the middle of the rod offering a softer action for anglers with a more open stroke. Roll casts are easier with the moderate action rod so is the perfect choice for tight streams. This action is great for the biginning angler due to its more forgiving nature.
Fast - The rod flexes from approximately 25 percent of the entire length of the blank. While there is no such thing as an "all purpose" action, the fast action lends itself to fishing a variety of techniques for many different species of fish.
Extra Fast - Most tip deflection occurs above the top 25 percent of the blank. An excellent choice for finesse as well as windy conditions.
