By Justin Pickett
No, not over my head into a cold river. Instead, I’m diving completely blind into my first rod build.
I’ve been interested in building a rod for some time, but the task has always seemed more daunting and tedious than I had patience for, leading me away from the idea. I’d still think about it from time to time, but I’d just always tell myself “Eh, I’ll do it someday.” I kind of likened it to fly tying. Initially you’d probably start out with a small kit and then graduate to new and more materials, or a better vise, if your interest in tying continued to develop. However, to me, it seemed as though there really wasn’t a great way to start “small.” Not mention the fact that I currently don’t have much room to place a rod jig or store rod building supplies. It could be that I’m just ignorant to more sensible and economical options that may be available, but, no matter, I still kept putting it off. Years have gone by, and I still haven’t tackled a build. I’ve checked off many other things on my fly fishing “to-do” list, which there are still many, but this one has made its way back to the forefront. If this sounds like you, then you’ll want to read on.
I finally decided that I was going to build a rod, and it didn’t take me long to figure out where I was going to start. Epic is a well-known name within the fiberglass world. They produce some amazing glass rods that have won the hearts of glass lovers the world over. Aside from building rods in house, and sending glass blanks across the globe, Epic also sells a “Ready to Wrap” kit. They advertise that, with this kit, they’ve “made the simply incredible — incredibly simple”, and I believe they’ve nailed it. They’ve taken the intimidating task of choosing the right items to build a fly rod and squashed it. On top of that, included is a detailed handbook filled with step by step instructions, as well as tips and tricks to help you along the path of building one of their amazing blanks, which range from a sweet 4WT on up to a wicked 12WT. It was a no brainer for me! Click. Ship. Done!
A week later my kit made its way across the Pacific and arrived at my doorstep.
The big, bold “Epic” logo staring me right in the face! I couldn’t wait to tear into the box and start building immediately! Approximately 3.2 seconds later I was staring at a beautiful collection of quality components worthy of any rod maker’s studio.