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CTS 866-4 "Urban Green"
Post 25 Sep 2022, 16:36 • #1 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/12/16
Posts: 4094
Location: USA-CO
Just finished a CTS 866-4 in "Urban Green." This is a fast-tip rod with good flex all the way down. I think it might just be my pick for windy conditions as are common on the lakes of South Park here in Colorado. I hope to find out in a few days.

The reel seat is a Lemke LC1, "Champagne" anodized. Insert is white cedar, beautifully turned by PenZZZ. He also turned the grip, in his custom profile. It is 6 1/4" in length, very comfortable, and well-matched to the considerable power of this rod.

There's a story behind the grip. I had epoxied on another grip, from one of the supply houses. The cleaning of some adhesive that had gotten on the cork revealed a couple of truly ugly cork rings. On the advice and with the (long-distance) tutelage of PenZZZ, I removed that handle while he turned and sent a new one. The process on my end was difficult but I'm very happy with the result.

Guides are Snake Brand Universal in Chrome with a Mildrum SRMC stripper for a classic touch. Thread is Prowrap, "Oak Leaf" with "Midas Gold" trim in a few places. Finish is Gen4 Lite epoxy. This rod looks like it has spigot ferrules but it doesn't. They're regular tip-over type with unpainted males. Since this looked odd to me, I wound false ferrule wraps on those males. Assembled, the gaps are small, less than a quarter inch.

A few photos:


After years of seeing rods on FFR beautifully made with no hook keeper, I've left that off my last couple of rods and am happy. The on-water adjustment has gone well.


Thanks for looking!


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Post 25 Sep 2022, 16:47 • #2 
Master Guide
Joined: 11/11/13
Posts: 774
Location: US-CA
The rod looks great you did a fine job. I really like the white ferrules I have built several rods on CTS blanks and never seen unpainted ferrules interesting.


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Post 25 Sep 2022, 17:31 • #3 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
Beautiful work


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Post 25 Sep 2022, 19:46 • #4 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/01/12
Posts: 900
Location: Upstate NY
Well done, that came out looking good.

The white ferrules have been around for almost a year now, CTS made a change to their blanks, this new style is supposed to allow for a better fit according to CTS, its not a spigot in the sense that most of us are familiar with, blank is just sanded or ground down on the male end. Other blank manufactures have gone this route, more common in the carbon world.


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Post 25 Sep 2022, 20:39 • #5 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
I like your limited use of trim wraps, and the second grip turned out nice as well. I’ve never seen a tip over butt blank painted with white ferrules but it looks great. I have an Epic and ********* built on CTS blanks, but I’ve never fished a taper designed by CTS - need to try one.


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Post 26 Sep 2022, 08:32 • #6 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
As far as I can see, those are spigot ferrules. Sometimes, there is a similarity in color and finish of the blank and the spigot. In a blank with an additional topcoat--whether the color is in the blank, on it, or both--the spigot would typically be different, simply because the top coat would be a too-easy wear point in assembly and disassembly. In tip-over blanks, the finish is usually more robust because the male end of the blank is also the assembly point. The defining point of a "tip-over" ferrule is that the lower of the tip section has an I.D sufficient to enable it to slide over the butt section.

So anyhow, a contrasting color or white spigot is commonly used on colored blanks and simply part of the cosmetics of the rod, nicely integrated with wraps at the spigot joints. If a builder didn't like the the minimal white that shows at each gap--normal with an assembled spigot ferruled rod--it is easy enough to measure and mark it, then paint that little part of the spigot to whatever color was preferred. Just a Sharpie pen touch would do it with some.
That little painted ring also serves as an index of the original ferrule fit. It may also make it easier to notice when fishing that a ferrule has loosened because the white will become visible. If not in the habit of checking ferrule snugness, might be a little visual convenience to develop that habit.

Otherwise, as in the rod shown, looks great and works right. No micro-tinkering needed.


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Post 26 Sep 2022, 09:40 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/12/16
Posts: 4094
Location: USA-CO
Thanks All! I appreciate the good words and information on the ferrules. I had held a section up against backlighting from a high-intensity flashlight and could see no evidence of a spigot being glued into the blank. It does look like the unpainted part may be over something, but hard to tell. This photo may help:



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Post 26 Sep 2022, 10:07 • #8 
Guide
Joined: 11/23/17
Posts: 314
Location: Lehigh Valley, PA
Great job on the rod Tomah, your thread color selection compliments the blank very nicely.

Not to take this thread in another direction, but I'm not sold on the bare fiberglass male ferrules. Perhaps if the exposed white male sections fully fit into the female ferrules, but I believe you pointed out to me that they they don't. Essentially, you're forced into doing additional thread wraps and finishing - which you did very well. Please add a photo for clarification.


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Post 26 Sep 2022, 10:21 • #9 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/12/16
Posts: 4094
Location: USA-CO
Here it is:



They're all about the same.


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Post 26 Sep 2022, 10:42 • #10 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/20/11
Posts: 1880
Location: US-MD
Yes, quite stunning!


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Post 26 Sep 2022, 11:02 • #11 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
NIcely done, and nice detail pic. Well now with a little zoom and those details pic, IDK and want to know more from someone who does. Maybe there is a sold glass "plug" to prevent crush damage on a thin walled blank, tip over style. Hope somebody who has a few unbuilt, or more time than I do to dig on the CTS site will clarify or correct. Either way, the slim white ring serves as an index of the ferrule seating but could be colored away easily.


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Post 26 Sep 2022, 11:43 • #12 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/12/16
Posts: 4094
Location: USA-CO
When in doubt, go to the source: https://ctsfishing.com/technology/sensor-fit/

I should have looked at this before posting. You can fine-tune the fit to a very small gap or no gap, or do what I did and create a false-spigot effect.


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Post 26 Sep 2022, 12:44 • #13 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
Thanks !


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Post 26 Sep 2022, 13:28 • #14 
Administrator
Joined: 01/10/06
Posts: 7811
Location: Holly Springs, NC
Tomah wrote:
You can fine-tune the fit to a very small gap or no gap, or do what I did and create a false-spigot effect.
A small, or no, gap is poor practice. With time, a male ferrule will wear and a female ferrule will wear and stretch. If the rod starts out with little to no gap, the result is an early repair. I recommend doing like Tomah did with the faux spigot effect.


Tom


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Post 26 Sep 2022, 13:58 • #15 
Guide
Joined: 06/08/18
Posts: 293
Location: Boston , MA
Fine Job !!! That’s a Keeper Tomah , let us know how it fishes , thinking on one of there crystal glass 7 wts for a little inshore stuff , would be interested to hear …


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Post 26 Sep 2022, 14:24 • #16 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/12/16
Posts: 4094
Location: USA-CO
Thanks again, All. I was hoping I'd made a good decision on the wraps.

Oh all right, I'll go fishing. If y'all insist...


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Post 26 Sep 2022, 19:48 • #17 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/29/09
Posts: 906
Location: US-MI
Like the wrap colors on this blank. Nice work Tomah.


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Post 26 Sep 2022, 20:47 • #18 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/12/16
Posts: 4094
Location: USA-CO
Thank you, Sir!


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Post 25 Oct 2022, 21:52 • #19 
Guide
Joined: 03/02/14
Posts: 144
Location: US-peripatetic
Glad you're happy with the grip, especially after all you had to do to get it that way in first place. Interesting about your "false spigots" too, I've never seen that before. I like the green on green color scheme, too. Simple, & I prefer that.


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Post 28 Oct 2022, 09:23 • #20 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
Super nice work ! Learned something new about ferrules.


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Post 30 Oct 2022, 11:53 • #21 
Sport
Joined: 11/12/17
Posts: 59
Location: US-CO
Very nice!


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Post 05 Nov 2022, 14:26 • #22 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/12/16
Posts: 4094
Location: USA-CO
Thanks again! I'm putting together a report for the Glass Tech forum based on three outings with the rod. Short version: it's a good one, and very powerful.


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Post 08 Nov 2022, 19:10 • #23 
Guide
Joined: 11/23/17
Posts: 314
Location: Lehigh Valley, PA
Pictures of the rod are nice, but let’s see pictures of trout putting a good bend into the rod. I hope you continue to enjoy the grip on your fine rod.

Jeff


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Post 13 Nov 2022, 21:52 • #24 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/12/16
Posts: 4094
Location: USA-CO


:


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Post 14 Nov 2022, 09:31 • #25 
Guide
Joined: 11/23/17
Posts: 314
Location: Lehigh Valley, PA
Beautiful setting my friend! Your rod fits right in.


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