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Post 22 Nov 2021, 18:11 • #1 
New Member
Joined: 11/16/21
Posts: 4
Location: NJ
Hello all,

I came across this forum while looking for more information on the Lamiglas S-Glass blanks and rods and have learned a good deal already. I have a yard sale find, apparently a non-factory 7'6" 5wt SFL 905s. The build seems to be very rough around the edges. And it has seen better days, one of the snake guides had started to break free from its wraps probably from rough handling over the years, and the hook keeper near the handle was similarly looking unwell, so I had these redone at a local shop to make the rod usable again. I put on one of my modern reels to cast the rod a bit and was intrigued at the action of fiberglass. I'd like to find a nice matching reel for this rod, I'm thinking a Hardy clone, and looking at the green Heddons and brown Eagle Claws based on the color of the rod and wraps. I'm thinking the Heddon 310 or Eagle Claw EC-11 would be the right size for this rod? I'd like to fish it for the smaller streams of NJ and also take it up to the Catskills. I have a Sage LL Series 7'11" 4-weight with an Abel TR1 for these small streams and I think this rod will go along nicely, in a still more retro style.

I've read that some will buy these rods and tear them down and rebuild them, I wonder what I would expect to pay to have one like this redone? Not going over the top but just having it redone properly.

Thanks for any insight you can provide.




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Post 22 Nov 2021, 19:40 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 01/02/12
Posts: 1859
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
I use several of the Hardy clones on my glass rods, mostly on shorter, lighter weight rods. For that rod, something like the Heddon 310/320 or Berkley 540 might work. They may be a bit light, but that’s personal choice. I also have a couple of the Daiwa 706, a little bit heavier and solid reels. I put one on a Lami 7’3” 5pc 4wt I built from a one piece blank I got from the factory several years ago as an “ obsolete” blank. The factory doesn’t do that anymore. Works just great. Keep in mind that DT vs WF line will take up more spool space, so watch the backing you spool on.

As for refurbishing the rod, the reel seat looks in good shape and the grip could use a cleaning, not replacement. Thread and guides are not that expensive depending on what you buy. Spar varnish is less than $10 for a small can at Ace Hardware. Mailing a rod that long across the country can be very expensive. Proof has a few tutorials on line that might encourage you to try yourself. Lots of help available on this forum for the asking. And, many books are available. Doing it yourself is very rewarding and not that difficult. Might even lead you down the same road many of us has taken and not regreted one bit. In the event you still want someone to do it, I suggest you post your request in Rod Building Forum, where more members are likely to see it. You might find someone real close. Good luck.


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Post 23 Nov 2021, 09:57 • #3 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
Welcome. I moved this down to rod building, where I think it may receive more attention as to condition and repairs or spiffing up. Maybe some comments on fishing it, reels and the model's history as well.

That looks to me like a hobby build on an S-glass blank, partly because of the appearance, and partly because there are no wraps at the male or female spigot ferrule. Pretty sure that would have been the norm on any factory S-glass rods, and the recommendation for building. Someone will know for sure, but I would want them wrapped at minimum. With that done as a protection against splits at the ferrule, the rod might fish just fine as is.

After a careful check for damage of the blank, it might be a great candidate for a hobby rebuild.
The expense of pro-rebuild depends on how much you like the rod.

Thanks for showing.


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Post 23 Nov 2021, 10:22 • #4 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Welcome and congrats on that score - GOL!!!

Lami was always more famous for their blanks than finished rods.
I have a Perigree S-glass + graphite blend in the same configuration, and it's the lightest-weight pocket rocket you could ever imagine.

You have a rod there that's worth dressing up to whatever degree you choose, even hiring a "pro" to build you a nice custom if you're not confident about the work (me).


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Post 23 Nov 2021, 13:31 • #5 
Master Guide
Joined: 12/19/07
Posts: 393
Location: US-MI
That’s a nice looking rod. As far as a redo I would do it myself as opposed to having someone do it.
A bunch of folks on this forum are doing a “winter rebuild”. Find the topic and jump in. Everyone has a project and we all work together to help each other out when needed. A fun time.


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Post 23 Nov 2021, 14:15 • #6 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/11/14
Posts: 1784
Location: urban Colorado
that's a terrific blank and worth paying for a rebuild..
but do consider doing it yourself. That handle and reelseat looks pretty good, so it's really just a rewrap with new guides, which is straightforward.

first thing to do, before fishing or even casting the rod much, is to wrap those naked ferrules, female at least. It makes me queasy just looking at it..

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=56495
and
why to do it.

Heddon 310 would be a good size for this rod. It's a very good rod so could easily take a real Hardy too, or one of the better Hardy/CFO imitations like the Martin LM45 (if you can find it). The Martin 67 is an American classic, easy to find and inexpensive.


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Post 23 Nov 2021, 21:45 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/09
Posts: 5561
Location: Relocated to the Drought Stricken West.
Iflifish, Congratulations on your rod. It is worth a rebuild for fishing, but it's not worth having someone turn it into a show rod. In fact, a lot of the top builders won't take on this type of job because of the effort of stripping it down. It is a great blank and definitely worth fishing.

If you just want a rewrap job, where the old wraps are cut off and new ones put on, I'm going to guess it would cost in the $10 to $20 a guide range plus the cost of the guides. I see the one guide that looks like it has already been rewrapped and coated with epoxy. That guide will take a bit more work to clean up, but if you are taking it to an experienced builder/restorer it is a normal task.

Before doing anything, I would first do a good inspection. Hold it up to the light and look for cracks. Check that the guides themselves are not pitted or rusted in such a way that they will cause damage to your line. If the guides are ok, you might just want to give the existing wraps a few coats of varnish and fish the rod for a few seasons and then decide if you want a rewrap job. As Whrpool mentiond, this looks like a homebuilt rod, so you aren't loosing any value by redoing wraps, and if you just replace the guides that need replacing and have them finished with Varnish (not epoxy) then any future work will be just as easy as it is now. Basically push the hard decision or effort down the road and put the proper maintenance in it to get it back on the water.

And if you decide you really like the rod, I would consider redoing it yourself if you are handy at all.


As for reels, there are so many good options but the hardy clones are a good match. I would also throw a few different lines on it, from 4wt, 5wt, 6wt if you have them hanging around and go out in the back yard to cast. These rods can handle muliple line weights and sometimes a little lighter or a little heavier will make all the difference.


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Post 24 Nov 2021, 08:13 • #8 
Guide
Joined: 06/30/20
Posts: 251
Iflifish - I am also located in northern NJ. And I have that exact rod, also built from a blank. I bought it maybe 5 years ago for around 80$. Your choice of reel selection is solid - Heddon and Eagle Claws you mention are both neat reels and fit well. If you want to chat, send me a pm. We likely fish the same water and I'd be happy to discuss!


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Post 24 Nov 2021, 11:19 • #9 
New Member
Joined: 11/16/21
Posts: 4
Location: NJ
Thanks for the welcome, and good catch on the ferrules not being wrapped, I'll be sure to take care of them as soon as possible! Funny I was looking at the rod the other day and noticing just how thin the walls of the blank are, without it dawning on me that there were no wraps at the ferrules to boot. I'll probably fish the rod a bit and then decide how far I want to go with it. I will likely also re-varnish the existing wraps for now. I appreciate the reel suggestions, the Martin LM is not one I had seen before, that I recall anyway. I have time over the winter to watch and see what pops up. I think I want to stay away from the models with screws securing the pillars like some of the Phluegers and Martins. Like so many others, I too had a Medalist on my first fly rod and although it was almost 40 years ago now I still seem to remember the screws loosening and giving me grief. I also had one of those magnesium Ryobi’s in a 7wt size, as well as one of the weird Berkley graphites with the 3 spokes on the frame and the push-on spool. Pretty sure my brother had a Daiwa 706 or similar on a Kunnan 5wt for a while. Brings back memories.


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Post 25 Nov 2021, 22:44 • #10 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/23/05
Posts: 4966
Location: US-MT
Nice find, old Lami's are great rods.

I'll say it once more, wrap that female, though rod has clearly been fished with no wraps there.

I have a Lamiglas LTD rod that I bought poorly wrapped, worse than yours, and I still enjoy fishing it. Maybe someday.......


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Post 26 Nov 2021, 10:02 • #11 
New Member
Joined: 11/16/21
Posts: 4
Location: NJ
Ok I'm going to try to find thread to match the original colors and address the ferrule. I'm thinking I should wrap down from the guide on the tip half with green, which is roughly 1/2" - 9/16", and then continue with green and then gold,orange,gold on the bottom to complete the pattern? Or would that be too much when combined with the guide close by and maybe just some green on each side of the ferrule?




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Post 26 Nov 2021, 10:12 • #12 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
Completely up to you. I wouldn't fuss about the pattern, which is just someone else's idea of what looked nice. A dark thread to wrap at the ferrules is all that's needed. If you want to improve the overall appearance--also not very important--you would want to strip the rod completely and start over to your liking. I wouldn't bother with that unless you find a guide or two worn or damaged. Otherwise, make the simplest piecemeal improvement needed (the ferrule wrap), slap a little varnish on any frayed main wraps, and don't even worry about the trim wraps. Fish the rod for a while to see how you like it, and then you will know if you want to do a complete rebuild exactly to your liking. Desirable tweaks--let's say to the guide spacing, reach to the stripping guide, shape of the grip, and so on--may become evident after fishing the rod once it is touched up to fishable condition.


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Post 26 Nov 2021, 10:44 • #13 
Guide
Joined: 09/05/17
Posts: 305
Location: On a Stream
Nice find iflifish and welcome. I'm also from NJ and fish the northern streams and Catskills. I would strip the blank except for the grip and seat and do a clean simple build.


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Post 11 Dec 2021, 13:45 • #14 
New Member
Joined: 11/16/21
Posts: 4
Location: NJ
Well for reels so far I found a couple of Eagle Claw EC-11s and a Heddon Daisy 310. The Heddon is a little rough cosmetically but for the price it was hard to pass up. After a bit of cleaning and removing the old grease it works just fine though. One of the Eagle Claws I'm guessing may have been owned by a member here as it was already nicely serviced and has what looks to be Hot Sauce applied. Also have an Olympic 4310 and a Berkley 540 on the way. I figure after having a look I can always sell off some of them. Who am I kidding I'll probably end up keeping them all. :lol




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Post 11 Dec 2021, 16:21 • #15 
Administrator
Joined: 01/10/06
Posts: 7811
Location: Holly Springs, NC
iflifish wrote:
Who am I kidding I'll probably end up keeping them all. :lol

You will fit in just fine here!


Tom


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Post 12 Dec 2021, 11:55 • #16 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 01/02/12
Posts: 1859
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
I agree, you will fit in just fine with this group. Keeping them all gives you alternatives for the rods you acquire down the road as well as being a source for spare parts.


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