Sandy's Custom Fly Rods
My name is Sandy Nelson, I've been building Fly rods for over 30 years and for 10 of those I worked closely with Mike Barrio to produce the Barrio range of fly rods.
That opportunity furnished me with a wide experience of many materials and a variety of styles of fly fishing rods, from this I have established the ones that I like to work and fish with.
I have decided to retire from taking winter requests for my hobby and I will no longer be taking scheduled client requests. Over the last few years I have found that more people want to try and make their own rod.
I heartily encourage this and I am more than happy to help with advice for any stage. Just drop me a line. I'm going back to making the odd rod for myself as and when I have the time during the winter, or on one of our Scottish summer days.
What's out there
I like modern Glass-fiber rods, be it S-Glass or E-glass depending on purpose (Taper design and the required action drive which type of cloth is best). Glass fibre best represents the features that I like and look for in a fishing rod, providing extremely smooth casting and powerful blanks that can easily cope with large selective trout and often breezy conditions. It is also an ideal material for saltwater rods and dealing with big powerful fish like Carp, Bonefish, Permit, Redfish, Dorado, Pike, Pollack and Bass.
They are robust in a way that carbon can't match, yet are still light enough for you to never notice the difference once fishing. They excel at presentation casts and when coupled with the correct fly line, have laser like accuracy. To me, they represent the best aspects of a high quality split cane rod, but are affordable and workmanlike enough to bring 'that' feeling to your everyday fishing.
They provide immense fun with fish of all sizes, allowing you to enjoy the fight of a smaller trout, yet still have the backbone to subdue a larger fish without tiring it unnecessarily. These really are rods for the fly-fishing bum, they are almost unbreakable, yet still remarkably sensitive.
Over the years I have had the luxury of fishing and casting over 125 of the glass fibre rods on the market and I have identified the characteristics that I believe make these rods special. I prefer blanks that make a glass rod that casts in a more modern way, yet still has the super sensitive tip section for control and protecting tippets. Tom Morgan Rodsmiths, Larry Kenney, Steffen Brothers, McFarland Flyrods, Ijuin Fly rods, Epic fly rods, Kabuto and Livingston Rod Co, all blanks that represent some of the best available to the rod builder.
As for the complicated world of Graphite, as far as the home builder goes there are lots of excellent blanks out there at all price points. All will fish well and the price usually reflects the exclusivity of a product, a specialised action, or something made in the UK or the USA, rather than far east makers. My personal favourites are the FRC blanks from Fortitude, Ross James Composites, Winston, Livingston Yellowstone both DF and Fast tapers, Steffen Graphite and Gatti blanks.
Nico at Yamame rods, Jason at Fortitude Rodworks and Marc at MB Custom Rods are all great sources for quality components and all the blanks mentioned above. They service the UK very well. There are other sources out there, especially on the American side of the pond, if you'd like something else. Custom fly rod crafters, Mudhole, Proof Fly fishing, etc.
Set your budget and pick your parts to suit, perhaps a more expensive blank with a simple component spec, or a cheaper blank and go for high quality parts. Do it on a shoestring or blow the budget and make it special, whatever you choose it will be at least half the cost of an equivalent factory rod off the shelf, and mean so much more to you.
I did a Podcast with Pete Tyjas from Flyculture magazine about rod building a wee while ago. Hopefully it can give you some encouragement and a few tips that I've picked up over the years.
Link to the podcast:
www.buzzsprout.com/402997/episodes/9435681
As a rough guide to the uses of glass in the available sizes:
Blue line adventures: This is 1wt, 2wt, sometimes even 3wt territory, where the perfect small stream rod is up for all sorts of off-axis and roll style casts up to 30' in tight brushy surroundings. The joy you can find in those wee fish is the perfect antidote to the bigger, better, faster, more mantra that is so often reinforced in our modern world. 6ft to 7ft is all you ever need, Many of the smaller blanks are even available as 4pc, which means it packs into a tube that can be loaded into any rucksack, perfect for the stunning wee burn that you find while hiking through the hills, or squirreled away for an hour or two's sanity during the family holiday.
Chalkstream dreams: On smaller, intimate waters where you are close to the fish, 2wt to 3wt is the ideal rod to present a classic unweighted nymph or dryfly. In 6ft 6” to 7ft 6” they will present with delicacy, but can reach out to the occasional rising fish at greater distance with a smoothly applied casting stroke. When you need the same sort of delicacy but are casting dries or single nymphs at medium ranges (up to 50ft) or on more open or larger streams, you can step up to a 3 or 4wt in 7ft 3” to 8ft size and you will have the stability and control you are searching for, but still retain the sensitivity.
Freestone hunters: On small to medium rivers, where you need the versatility to throw a small streamer or nymph rig on occasion but dry fly is your focus. 4wt rods in the 7ft to 8ft class is where you are looking, rod length is usually determined by the ability to wade and the bankside surroundings. For larger waters and most weather conditions, streamers, double nymphs, as well as being superb for dry fly presentations, stepping up to a 7ft 9” or 8ft 5wt, or even a 6wt, will give you the power and control you are looking for. Giving you the edge on those larger waters where you may need to cover a bit more water, and more than capable of dealing with any fish you might come across on the river.
Big waters, big flies, big fish: Focussed more for streamers and saltwater work, these are faster, more powerful rods, with amazing tip control for making those beasts swim, capable of punching a heavy sink tip through the air, yet equally, when the water stops raging, they can be used to present a dry with surprising delicacy. 6wt to 9wt depending on your quarry and 7ft 6” to 8ft 6” depending on how you intend to fish them.
From time to time I will feel the urge to build a rod, usually on a special blank which I've discovered on my journey. The rods may be advertised on Instagram or Facebook, but it’s always worth asking to see what I have available.
I look forward to hearing from you and discussing how best to go about building your own rod.
Contact me on:
troutbumnelson@gmail.com
Tight lines
Sandy
Gallery
A selection of rods built over the last few years.
