NOTE: fighting butt is detachable, just not on in the pictures
This is a new build for my upcoming trip to Northern Wisconsin. I'm hoping to land my first Musky on a fly. Hooked one last September while bass fishing, but foolishly forgot to change my bass leader and the Musky sliced right through it. Not this year...
It is a 9' 10wt 4 piece TFO Mangrove blank. The huge decal drives me nuts but I heard too many good things about the blank and the price was right, so I went for it. Timing was actually great, they just started selling the blanks this Spring. TFO said any suppliers could get them but the first couple I checked with couldn't/didn't want to get them. Thankfully Angler's Workshop was happy to send it my way.
Guides are chrome Snake Brand from Proof Fly Fishing and I used Gudebrod Chestnut Brown size A thread for the wraps with Bullard silk for trim on ferrules, stripping guides, and butt wraps. Also use Bullard for the CP and Diamond II for finish. Grabbed a pre-made grip (yes I cheated) and a gunsmoke A8 seat from J Stockard along with a detachable fighting butt, which I forgot to put on for the pictures. Winding check is from Ye Old English Fly shop.
Paired it with an Orvis Battenkill Mid Arbor V (thanks Comonavs!) and a Hydros 3D Deep Sink 350 grain line. Need to order a large hook keeper and will add that along with some other simple, decorative wraps on the butt section. Tried to keep the build simple and look forward to putting it to work putting some big flies in front of musky, pike, and bass.
Thanks for looking, hopefully I'll be posting some fish pictures later this month.
This is a new build for my upcoming trip to Northern Wisconsin. I'm hoping to land my first Musky on a fly. Hooked one last September while bass fishing, but foolishly forgot to change my bass leader and the Musky sliced right through it. Not this year...
It is a 9' 10wt 4 piece TFO Mangrove blank. The huge decal drives me nuts but I heard too many good things about the blank and the price was right, so I went for it. Timing was actually great, they just started selling the blanks this Spring. TFO said any suppliers could get them but the first couple I checked with couldn't/didn't want to get them. Thankfully Angler's Workshop was happy to send it my way.
Guides are chrome Snake Brand from Proof Fly Fishing and I used Gudebrod Chestnut Brown size A thread for the wraps with Bullard silk for trim on ferrules, stripping guides, and butt wraps. Also use Bullard for the CP and Diamond II for finish. Grabbed a pre-made grip (yes I cheated) and a gunsmoke A8 seat from J Stockard along with a detachable fighting butt, which I forgot to put on for the pictures. Winding check is from Ye Old English Fly shop.
Paired it with an Orvis Battenkill Mid Arbor V (thanks Comonavs!) and a Hydros 3D Deep Sink 350 grain line. Need to order a large hook keeper and will add that along with some other simple, decorative wraps on the butt section. Tried to keep the build simple and look forward to putting it to work putting some big flies in front of musky, pike, and bass.
Thanks for looking, hopefully I'll be posting some fish pictures later this month.
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