|
FLY FISHING RODS
|
|
By Mario Wojnicki
|
|
|
In principle, given all the technical data and proficiency at the craft, it should be easy to produce the finest of fly rods. However, there seems to be more to fly rods then simple distribution of weight and power. Every bamboo fly rod is a testimony to who the rod maker is. Some rods are good, some are not, but almost all are worthy of our passion.
|
|
|
|
TAPERS – HOLLOWBUILDING
I have seen rods I liked made by other makers, but there was usually something that I would like done differently. Therefore it has never occurred to me to copy them. So for better or worse I had to come up with my own designs.
Because of my fishing experiences I developed some rods that are quite different in the way they fish and in length to line combination. Some of them, like a 8.5 ft for 5 WF line at 2.8 oz, you might find enchanting when fishing still waters. My six-sided rods are generally of the progressive tapers, which most of fly fishers will find comfortable. Some of them, like 3DT line, are quite fast dry fly rods.
On another hand, five-sided rods are designed with more of a parabolic action in mind. They tend to have a substantial volume of material through the middle of the rod, giving them impressive power and the capacity for a long cast.
Both types of rods offer plenty of power and line control, but they differ in distribution of power. Two rods of the same weight and volume can possess vastly different actions. It is not that one superior to other. It has to do with casting and fishing style of person using them. All bamboo rods offered here are hollow built. In the manner reminiscent of the bridge construction, percentage of the wood is removed from the apex of every strip. Without sacrificing the strength and leaving plenty of glue surfaces, the blank looses about a third of its weight. Varying the wall thickness adds another dimension to taper design, not attainable with a solid rod construction.
FERRULES
Perhaps they are out there, but I have not seen many good one-piece rods. Despite general opinion that ferrules are an evil necessity of a multi-piece rods, they have a positive influence with smoothing out the rod performance and speeding up the recovery of the fly rod during casting. The stiffening at the ferrule stations is not severe and can be somewhat overcome by adjustments in taper design.
Most of the rods I build are fitted with a short super-Z ferrule and 5-sided rods with a step down ferrule. Very limited numbers of rods I build are fitted with a glass ferrule, which is extremely light and almost without any stiffening consequence. Unfortunately, this ferrule is immensely labor intensive and therefore not suitable for the general rod production.
SILKS, GRIPS AND THINGS
Most of my rods are medium to dark flame with translucent gold silk for wrappings. Guides are made of bright chrome. All hardware and ferrules are blued. Wood spacers are made of California walnut, cypress or curly maple. There are various grip choices available as well as different reel seat options.
|
|
|
Mario Wojnicki
10254 San Pablo Ave.
El Cerrito, Ca. 94530
USA
Ph: 510-525-7389
|
|
|
|
|
|
