Customer Reviews

The New Advanced Custom Rod Building

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is by far the finest and most comprehensive work regarding custom rod building. The information is well organized and clearly presented. This text rivals many college textbooks as far as the amount and value of information to the rod builder. If you could only have 1 book on this subject, this would be it.

A highly detailed text on how to build a rod. It has everything from how rod blanks are made to handles,reel seats to guides, wraps, etc.

Everything you need to know is in there.

I just started rod building a year ago. I went on the internet and solicited some advise to get started. A gentlman recommended Dale Clemens book as the only book reference I would need. He spoke from 35 years of experience. I got the book and taught myself from the context.It is an outstanding reference, and I have gotten great compliments on my work so far.I consider him my mentor, though I have never met the man.I have yet to find another book which offers so much text and detail on the subject. There is nobody in my area that offers rod building instructions, making this book a real plus for me.I don't want to pour it on to thick,but this book is a great addition to your library whether you build one rod or a thousand. My compliments to Mr Clemens and my thanks for getting my dream started.

This is an excellent book, my only complaint being that it was not basic enough for my use. I have purchased Dale P. Clemens prior book (FiberGlass Rod Building) to catch up on the basics of rod building. Even so this is a wonderful book and it has me drooling to build a rod. If you have a rod or two under your belt this is the book for you.

This book is now almost 20 years old in it's newest revision. For that reason most of the blanks and components discussed within are no longer being made or have been superseeded by much more modern materials and parts. I don't think readers will get much from reading about parts and pieces that aren't even made anymore and haven't been made in over a decade. But I did cull some good ideas from the book and the chapter on making your own rod wapping jig is very good.

If the writer would update the book I think it would be an excellent reference source. But as it is, unless you can make use of the ideas presented, the rest of it is so seriously outdated that I would recommend a difference source for up to date rod building information.

I have built fiberglass rods for 32 years and graphite rods since they were introduced several years ago. For the last seven years I have built rods for a profit, as a means of income. I consider myself a pro rod-roller, and this book has shown me things I had never before seen. It's a great reference tool for all rod builders, beginer to pro. Fun to read too. Anyone who builds more than one rod a year should own this book.

I found this book to be a thorough treatise on the subject matter, and a required reference for the serious rod crafter. Easy to read and most procedures are clearly detailed, although more illustrations could be useful at times. Lacks detail in the selection and purchasing options of products and components, as offered by the various major manufacturers (e.g., fails to explain the Fuji guide code, as well as the different Aftco big game guides), and does not include a list of sources for the products. Also, does not include references to other major publications in the field except his own.

This book is the Joy of Cooking for rod builders using modern materials. It has all the recipes you will need for going from beginner to accomplished expert. Unlike many rod building book authors, Dale Clemens, expounds at length on selection of components, design, assembly and thread decoration. You don't need this book to build a good fishing rod. There are plenty of other publications which give a good photo essay on what is required to construct a rod. Such books can get you by just fine. You might want to buy them, but get Advanced Custom Rod Building first and fill in your library with those others later. The depth of treatment of the subject of rod building cannot be matched in any other book. It should be the book of first choice. It just has much more extensive material on the subject than any of the others. That is why, although more expensive than most rod building books, you should select it first for your library and rod building instruction. It is not the book for you if you want to build using traditional materials, i.e. Bamboo. Bamboo is a complex building material and is better treated in other books.

First impressions:

I have a previous edition that I have misplaced, and purchased this one; however, I was not expecting the points enumerated below...

1) This edition does not have colour illustrations and pictures, unlike the earlier edition that I had.

2) The page/paper material is not that expected of hardcover editions; it is of paperback material.

I have been building fishing rods for over 10 years and have read dozens of rod building books and spend daily time online with various rod building discussion groups. However, when I want an authoritative answer to a rod building or design question, I always turn to Dale for the answer and his Advanced Custom Rod Building always has it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning the correct techniques for building a fishing rod.