During the weekend of 9/5/2019, I traveled down to Orlando with my wife to custom build a basic fishing rod at a class run by master rod builders employed by Mud Hole Custom Tackle. It had been more than 10 years since Capt. Piper, Foy Maloy and myself drove to Oviedo, FL to take the same class at the Mud Hole store and warehouse. I decided to retake the class because I forgot most of what I learned and I plan to build some additional rods at my home.
The 2009 class was held in one day and enrolled 18 students with three instructors. This year, there were 38 students and six instructors for the one and a half day class that was held at a Holiday Inn. Mud Hole has since opened a new facility and will be holding their Orlando classes at their new modern site. The cost was $199 (include $100 worth of materials) instead of $99 in 2009, but the extra half day was worth it. We finished our rods on day one. Instruction during the second day consisted of special customization demonstrations.
Learning how to build a rod is a fun experience. It is more expensive than buying a manufactured rod from a tackle or big box store, but it gives you the opportunity to customize. Once you learn the basics, you can then try marbling, decorative wrapping, creating unique cork handles, and incorporate basic weaving and custom inlays. As my instructor stated, “you don’t always catch fish, but you can always look good with a custom rod!”
If you are disciplined, crafty, and a self-starter you can teach yourself how to build a rod by watching instructional videos, etc. I have included a couple of links to rod building videos. One is from 1939 (Click Here) and the other is a recent one (Click Here). It is amazing how far the technology has advanced. Experienced rod builders can build a rod very quickly as one of our instructors built 5 rods during the morning of our first day while we were 1/2 way through building our single rod.
There are several rod building supply companies across the country. Mud Hole is the closest and I have found their videos to be top notch and their customer service to be great. My rod (photo attached) resides in Tarpon Springs as I gifted it to my oldest brother. I am looking forward to incorporate marbling in my next project.
Don Hughes is a recreational fisherman and a non-guide
member of the Amelia Island Guides Association.
After 30 years of service, he retired, in 2014, from Florida State
College at Jacksonville. During his last
20 years at the college, he served as the Executive Director of the Betty P.
Cook Nassau Center in Yulee. One of his
first fishing memories is ice fishing with his father in upstate New York. He has volunteered extensively in Nassau
County and currently coordinates adult recreational ping pong for the City of
Fernandina Beach and serves on the Community Advisory Committee for the Nassau
Pride ABA basketball team which plays home games at Yulee High School.
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