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Post 11 May 2022, 18:52 • #1 
Sport
Joined: 08/04/18
Posts: 77
Location: US-CT
Just purchased a Trout Smith E/S glass blank from Greywolf. It is the clear blank in 7'0, 3wt.

This will be my first build, which I will probably start later in the fall. I'm very excited!


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Post 11 May 2022, 19:14 • #2 
Guide
Joined: 11/23/17
Posts: 314
Location: Lehigh Valley, PA
Congratulations on planning/starting your first rod build. Lots of fine rod builders here, feel free to ask questions about the process.

Jeff


Last edited by PENZZZ on 12 May 2022, 05:24, edited 1 time in total.

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Post 11 May 2022, 22:00 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
Nice! I’m a big fan of the McFarland GTX, which is also a blend of E and S glass. Has anyone fished one of these Trout Smith E/S glass blanks yet? I’m interested to hear any thoughts on this taper.

Castnhope, what color thread do you think you’ll use for the wraps?


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Post 12 May 2022, 10:20 • #4 
Guide
Joined: 09/11/19
Posts: 134
Location: Canada, Alberta
Congrats on the purchase and the dive into this end of the fly fishing pool!
I really like building rods. Hope you do as well.


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Post 12 May 2022, 17:37 • #5 
Sport
Joined: 08/04/18
Posts: 77
Location: US-CT
Thanks everyone, I'm really looking forward to it. I'm a woodworker of many years, plus I fix up and restore old hand tools and fishing reels, so I think I'm up to the task.

El Duderino, I wasn't able to find any kind of reviews on this particular rod/blank so I guess I'll just find out on my own how it fishes. As far a thread wraps I haven't decided on a color although my first inclination is a light yellow or green. Gonna start browsing pictures to see if something strikes me.


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Post 12 May 2022, 18:23 • #6 
Master Guide
Joined: 03/20/07
Posts: 849
Location: US-TX
Good on you.
Please ask lots of questions- this is the place to do it. I’m still fairly new to this building aspect and this forum is a tremendous wealth of information and generous folks.

BTW, I couldn’t resist and bit on one of those trout smith blanks too - excited to see how it turns out. I’ve only read positive things about it.


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Post 14 May 2022, 07:39 • #7 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/26/21
Posts: 383
Location: North West Georgia
I also picked up one of the troutsmiths glass blanks. The 6' 2/3. Should be fun!


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Post 14 May 2022, 08:17 • #8 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
I also fell victim to Shane’s yard sale, but I went on the opposite end of the spectrum as you, Brookie. I ordered the 7’6” 4/5 blank. Should make a nice rod for our redeye bass streams. I’ve been looking for something with a little more oomph than my Steffen 7’6” 3/4 for the small poppers, hopper droppers, and buggers I fish for redeye bass.

This will be my first rod build. Looking forward to see how this group of Trout Smith E/S rod builds turn out from the people in this thread.


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Post 14 May 2022, 12:39 • #9 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/26/21
Posts: 383
Location: North West Georgia
Duderino-
I didnt even consider that! Ive ended up sorta flush with 7-7.5ft 4-6wt stuff, its a great niche. I bet that makes an awesome redeye rod. Come to think of it, that might be a good use case for my new iconoglass 4wt. I wanted the 6' 2/3 for an ultra short brookie rod in the streams I refer to as "crawling room only".

My pretties redeye:

Redeyes and readbreast make for a grand time.


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Post 14 May 2022, 18:18 • #10 
Sport
Joined: 08/04/18
Posts: 77
Location: US-CT
+2 on what Duderino asked earlier, I'd be interested in what you guys come up with for thread color schemes on these rods. I'm leaning towards a light color yellow or green thread. I'll also probably use a cork reel seat with rings, I like the simplistic traditional look.


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Post 14 May 2022, 18:29 • #11 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/26/21
Posts: 383
Location: North West Georgia
Ive been thinking either green or a bright orange for thread color, cork (or maybe wood) slide band reel seat, and a short fenwick/douglas upstream style grip. Perhaps no winding check, definitely no hook keeper. With a 6', minamilism will be the name of the game for me. Id be tempted to build a 7'6" rod up a little more.


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Post 14 May 2022, 22:46 • #12 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
I think I’ll use clear/translucent thread wraps or gray translucent wraps. I know translucent wraps are not the easiest option for a novice rod builder, but it’s what I prefer on a white/natural blank. Hopefully I’m up for the challenge.

I’ll probably use a sliding band reel seat with wood spacer from Ray Lee. I’m thinking no winding check or hook keeper because I like the minimalist style. I generally only use a hook keeper on my streamer rods where the leader is shorter than the rod length.

Brookie, that is a nice looking redeye. Here are a few more to give everyone an idea of my target with the Trout Smith 4/5. The first picture is a Bartram’s bass and second is a Coosa bass - both fall under the redeye bass umbrella.

For those outside of the southeastern US who aren’t familiar, the fish below were both known as redeye bass in the past, but fisheries biologists have confirmed in the past 10-20 years that these are distinct species, as you can tell by the photos.




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Post 14 May 2022, 23:53 • #13 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/31/15
Posts: 1238
Location: Northern Rockies
I was tempted too, and I ordered a 7'6" 3/4-weight. My plan is to go with green wraps and a green-dyed buckeye burl insert and a Struble downlocker. I'm curious to try them, and I have a hole in my rod line-up for short 4-weights. At least, that's what I told myself.


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Post 17 May 2022, 22:26 • #14 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
Clayton, can’t wait to see your build - 7’6” 3/4 is a versatile configuration. As you implied, I expect to fish my 4/5 with the higher line weight, based on the description on Shane’s website that the Trout Smith E/S is on the fast side for glass.


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Post 20 May 2022, 17:38 • #15 
Sport
Joined: 08/04/18
Posts: 77
Location: US-CT
For those of you who are interested, I reached out to Shane to get his take on guide spacing for these rods, and he indicated that he likes the Morgan guide spacing listed on the snake brand website. You can find the info under FAQ's, and here is a link:

https://www.snakeguides.com/pdf/guide_spacing_size.pdf


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Post 05 Jun 2022, 07:29 • #16 
Guide
Joined: 06/15/20
Posts: 260
Location: Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Nice little thread here. Regarding thread color, I saw a pic on instagram from mbcustomrods of a build on a white/clear blank. He used teriyaki and buttercup silk thread. Both are in the brown/beige color family. They were subtle colors, but they were really classy. It had it's own unique pop to it.


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Post 05 Jun 2022, 10:43 • #17 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/31/15
Posts: 1238
Location: Northern Rockies
The Tom Morgan guide spacing look good to me too. Their positions also avoid being too close to a ferrule on my 7’6” blank. I don’t want any extra stiffness on a light rod. The only change I made was to shift the first two sections back 1/8”. This rod has a softer tip, and that gives it a full 4 inches of flex before a guide.

Here is the color combination I am going with. I’ll do the guides in light green without any tipping, and the ferrules will match the wrap at the cork. I also swapped the buckeye insert for walnut burl, which matches the other colors better IMO.




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Post 05 Jun 2022, 10:56 • #18 
Guide
Joined: 06/15/20
Posts: 260
Location: Toledo, Ohio, USA.
very nice color combo.


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Post 05 Jun 2022, 21:00 • #19 
Master Guide
Joined: 03/20/07
Posts: 849
Location: US-TX
Looks great


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Post 05 Jun 2022, 21:51 • #20 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
Looking good, Clayton! I like the thread colors and the walnut burl seat. I’m hoping to get started on my build soon. The only component I’m missing is the Mildrum stripping guide from REC. I’m also planning to go with the Morgan guide spacing, per Shane’s recommendation.


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Post 13 Jun 2022, 11:09 • #21 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/31/15
Posts: 1238
Location: Northern Rockies
The rod is wrapped! I like to start with a prime coat of epoxy before applying varnish, and I'm out of epoxy. I only got the butt section completed, and it has three coats of varnish already. So once a new batch shows up, I should be able to finish this before a trip to Colorado at the end of the month. I'll post more once I fish it.



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Post 13 Jun 2022, 18:40 • #22 
Sport
Joined: 08/04/18
Posts: 77
Location: US-CT
Very nice looking rod Glacier, if mine comes out half that well I'll be pleased. Looking forward to your report on how if fishes.


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Post 13 Jun 2022, 19:39 • #23 
Master Guide
Joined: 03/20/07
Posts: 849
Location: US-TX
Lookin good!


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Post 20 Jun 2022, 12:53 • #24 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/26/21
Posts: 383
Location: North West Georgia
Great work Glacier. cant wait for a casting/fishing report!

I just got done ordering the components for my 6023. Im going for a simple look. Teriyaki silk with spar, a RL slide band reel seat, Ill plan to turn a grip with a shape reminiscent of the Douglas upstream rods, no hook keeper or winding check, rec ultralight guides. I ordered one of the flor cork rings with bark from proof, Im contemplating using it as the front ring on the grip. Ill have to mull that over while I wait on parts. Im looking for a good stent material in .375 diameter for the reel seat. If all else fails Ill do it with a hardwood dowel but Id like to find something that wont swell.


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