I didn’t get to it soon enough today and got the answering machine so I’ll be calling Beulah back in the AM.
Interesting gig on those Switch rods.. to bad they’re all 10’6" 4pc sticks..
10'6" 4/5wt "Custom Prototype" Switch Rod $350.00
$30 less than retail right now.. LOL.. I would guess if you’re willing to spend $350 on a rod that extra $30 isn’t going to be a deal breaker 
.. WHAT A DEAL!!!
For me, it has always been “I like the feel and the look” first then the price. $350 is about right. Even my custom made (by my own husband) cost more than that for the hardware and cork I wanted. By the way, good cork is expensive and getting harder and harder to find.
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For me, it has always been “I like the feel and the look” first then the price. $350 is about right. Even my custom made (by my own husband) cost more than that for the hardware and cork I wanted. By the way, good cork is expensive and getting harder and harder to find. [/reply]
I’m the same way with most things, FG.. I just saw a little humor in the 7.5% ?? off of $380 deal..($350.. $380.. what’s the difference??) pardon my twisted sense of humor
Oh I’m quite aware of it! I built 4 ice rods for myself this past winter for jigging Perch through the ice in 80FOW..
Per rod:
…total material expense for 1 4’ ice rod was @ $95.
Look at the Irony here .. $95 x’s 4 = $380 for 4 ICE FISHING RODS!!! but thats what I was faced with when I couldn’t find anything I liked [;)]
Here’s a pic of one of 'em pre-build:
I’m a rookie at that rod building game and it nearly was the death of me but I got through it 
I am however not going to attempt a full length flyrod.. thats just not happening!
Come on! It’s just a little longer and a few more guides. Man, you should have heard Mojo when he was building my 7’ 4wt Lamiglass. I wanted single foot guides on it. I guess from the sounds of it, they are a B%$#*&tch to put on. Still not sure if there was an advantage or not, but at least I got even for all the LUNCHES and DISHES I have had to do, he, he, he.
hehehe now that sounds mean.. but Id say that evens you up..
a while back my sister in law said her hubby had just finished a nice 4wt for a friend.. I asked her if I was chopped liver or something.. lol.. she said she’d ask him about it for me.. have not heard anything since.. ??? maybe he is trying to tell me something.. lol..
MacFly
Oh geez.. I’ll just say I put on a colorful vocabulary lesson for the dogs getting those 6 singles spaced, set and aligned straight on those ice rods.. wow! [crazy]
Dealing with 5-6 more guides on a 2pc blank with an actual reel seat mating the grip.. Oh hell! I’d be headed for the ‘funny farm’ about midway through, FG!!
Concerning the mental anguish .. I’d say you might’ve gotten close to even 
[;)]
BTW - called Beulalah and talked with one of their west coast territory reps and exchanged a good chunck of info with him.. looks like I might be headed for a 5/6 Switch if I can’t find anything closer to what I think I want. . . Great guy on the phone! Very informative and “real” .. no BS.
SWEET! Mike McFarland is as you say REAL also, that is why we have bought so many of his blanks and even a pre made graphite.
On the more elaborate side, Bill Oyster from Oyster Bamboo is as cool as they come also.
Rod grips are made for the masses. I’m 6’2¾"[:)] and have long fingers. I actually prefer smaller grips. I don’t hold a fly rod in a Vulcan death grip, just loosley. I think it’s something you grow into.
All the rods I made in the past couple years, I’ve turned my own grips. By the time I got finished, I was down to the size of most factory rods with a little tweek here and there. I like the modified western and cigar grip.
Beulah rods are an up and coming company. I’ll get FG one if she want’s one. If I like it I’ll pick one up too. Blanks most likely. I like subtle custom additions, like agate stripping guides, feather inlays, custom cork grips, custom reel seats and hardware. Contrasting or blending wrappings and trim.
Ive seen the work you do.. have to say..it is awesome…
MacFly
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SWEET! Mike McFarland is as you say REAL also, that is why we have bought so many of his blanks and even a pre made graphite.
On the more elaborate side, Bill Oyster from Oyster Bamboo is as cool as they come also. [/reply]
I’m not familiar with those two builders so I’ll take your word for it, FG.
I’m real anxious to see/cast the Switch.. being a 4pc which I didn’t really want in the first place has got me a bit on the sceptical side but after what Bruce and I might have worked out I’m more acceptable to it.. its going to be a little over kill for the gills but he’ll be sending out a couple different lines with it for me to toss and tweak. If I like what I see/feel he’ll be sending out a 10/11 Blue Water too
Pretty much threw towel in so I’m probably getting a run of the rack 4/5wt 9’ 2pc now and removing the reel seat and cork and regripping with different cork.. sort of ‘bass-ackwards’ but .. filler and epoxy are our friends
I can appreciate those custom touches you mention, Mojo.. Those agate rings you mention would be a nice touch.. classy! -But- since I’m not a die-hard ff’r and fish so much more with baitcaster, spinning and trolling rigs its a hard justification for me.
You have any pics of your favorite rods? Would love to see some of your rods!
Those ice rods I built were some real simple or ‘practical’ sticks.. only thing I did with any asthetic quality was the holographic guides/rings/keeper… pretty simple because the rod needed the guides. … wraps were straight black windings so just have a little color popping.
Here are a couple he built for me out of McFarland Blanks and Lamiglass:
[inline “Grizz and JC feathers_1 350.jpg”]
[inline “Agate stripper 350.jpg”]
[inline “Lami 5w 8’ 350.jpg”]
[inline “Lami 7’ 4w 350.jpg”]
[inline “McF 5w grip 350.jpg”]
[inline “McF 8’ 6w glass 350.jpg”]
as I stated to mojo before his work is simply AWESOME (yes Im yelling that)… I especially love the feather inlay and the “extras” on the handles.. especially the macflarland 6 w 8ft, lamiglas 5w 8ft, and lamiglas 4w 7ft…simply AWESOME…
MacFly
Beautiful rods!!!
Those are truly works of art. Almost too nice to use. Tell Alan that he does good work. he has real talent.
You have stirred an urge in me. I haven’t made a fly rod for may years, but I think that I an generating an interest. The last ones that I made, was when there was only Fenwick glass blanks available. They were just one piece, and it was necessary to cut them, and install your own ferrules. Mine were strictly utility rods, nothing like yours.
sweet!.. very nice.
I think you might still owe Mojo a few more meals, FG!!
ever catcha fish with 'em j/k hun
Lookin’ great Mojo - Thumbs up!
You bet, in fact the 8’ 6wt is my go to stillwater rod. I call it the AL Carpon!
[inline “BUGLEMOUTH 400.jpg”]
excellent!
gotta love the ‘Al Capone’ nick name! Nothing like goin’ after fins with an old school mafia mentality .. gives new meaning to talking softly and carryin’ a big stick! [;)]
Ask Tube Dude on that one…he took the pictures, but he also saw the rod form an almost complete circle.
gotta love glass for that reason.. most graphites would’ve been busted up and headed for a life of fly swatter handles.
I love the modern day glass rods. I tend to favor the McFarland glass. It’s a little slower than the Steffan Brothers rod. But I do like the Steffan don’t get me wrong. I also have a Fengwick Ferrilite 6w that’s a peach too. It’s hammered but what can you expect for $20.
The Lami’s are the slowest of the bunch. I’ve caught some big fish with that yellow rod.
If you want to learn to fly cast, get ahold of a glass rod and learn. If you get and fish with a glass rod for any length of time, you’d be amazed when you go back to a graphite rod or just fish with one. You learn timing with glass and bamboo. It’ll spill over to graphite if you do it right.