Rod Building 101

Rod Building 101

Mud Hole Custom Tackle strives to be your number one source for information on the Internet concerning the art of Rod Building. We have gone out and searched for the advice of reputable rod builders and have included within our site informative tips that they have offered and links to sites that we deem offer excellent material to help you become a better rod builder.

NEW!
Guide Wrap Color Combination Tester
Courtesy of David Boyle

Need help visualizing your color combinations? David Boyle, author of Visual Wrap and Visual Weave software has developed a nifty little tool for rod builders to test out various guide wrap color schemes. Check it out today!

Launch Website

NEW VIDEOS
Custom Rod Building with Kevin Brotz
Produced by Kevin Brotz in association with Mud Hole Custom Tackle

New to rod building? Just looking for some additional tips & tricks? These videos will introduce you to the concepts and practical methods of building a custom fishing rod. See how to install handles, build up reel seats, find the spine of a rod blank, mix epoxy, wrap guides and apply finish. Kevin covers all the bases and includes several tips, tricks and tidbits of advice along the way.

Windows Media Player Apple Quicktime Player

Part 1: Cork Grips & Butt Caps (11.7 meg) Part 1: Cork Grips & Butt Caps (17.8 meg)

Part 2: Reel Seats & Foregrips (15.1 meg) Part 2: Reel Seats & Foregrips (25.6 meg)

Part 3: Spining A Rod (7.3 meg) Part 3: Spining A Rod (11 meg)

Part 4: EVA Foam Handles (16.4 meg) Part 4: EVA Foam Handles (27.9 meg)

Part 5: Wrapping Guides (11.5 meg) Part 5: Wrapping Guides (23.6 meg)

Part 6: Finishing Your Rod (13.2 meg) Part 6: Finishing Your Rod (22 meg)

Trim Bands & Inlays
Written by Raymond Adams

Ever wish you could make a trim band but don't know how? The author of this tutorial has discovered his own method and shares his techniques in this handy tutorial. Trim bands are an easy way to add some pizzazz to your custom rod and can even give those boring old store-bought rods a custom look.

Download PDF Here

Packing and Rolling Decorative Thread Art
Courtesy of Doc Ski

From the Introduction:
"The greatest compliment a decorative thread artist can receive is 'Where can I buy those stickers?' or 'That looks like tape, can I buy some?' I am often asked how to get the wraps tighter and with less visible gaps. I have assembled some pictures during a recent weave and tried to make a picture tutorial. Pictures and videos are the easiest way for me to learn and I hope these can be of some help to those of you who are trying to tighten your wraps up."

Download PDF Here

For More Instruction from Doc Ski check out his DVDs Available here and here

Multi-Thread Wraps & Crosswraps
By BD Ehler

Decorating fishing rods with thread designs have been around for many years. To the new rod builder and some of the experienced rod builders the process of placing a cross wrap design on the butt section of a rod can be intimidating. The goal of this series of articles is to help remove the confusion from doing cross wraps by explaining how these designs are created. Our hope is to stimulate builders to try this form of decoration.

Part I: Crosswraps
Part II: Multiple Thread Wraps

Finishing Techniques
by Artie Hebert

Thanks to Mr. Artie Herbert, the author of the popular "How To Build Custom Rods Step by Step" video and several advanced rod building and thread work videos, offers his methods of applying finish to rods.

Click here to watch