You are here:

Fishing/Expert Profile

Joe Douglas

U.S.

Available

Expertise

I can answer questions on custom rod building and rod restoration and rod repair for bamboo, graphite and fiberglass fishing rods. I also have experience in estimating the value of vintage rods and determining the original manufacturer.

Experience in the area

I operate a custom rod building business providing fly rods, spey rods, casting and spinning rods in bamboo graphite and fiberglass. I also operate a custom rod building school where myself and other professional rod builders teach individuals to build custom rods. I have a personal interest in vintage rods and have a small collection of reference books and articles which often help shed light on the origins of the older rods.

Organizations

Rod Builders International, Rod Builders Institute

Publications

Web Site: www.blackdogtackle.com, www.rodbuildersinternational.com, www.rodbuildersinstitute.com

Education/Credentials

BS, Business Administration, University of Tulsa

Past/Present Clients

I have a large number of individual clients for whom I have designed and built custom fishing rods of all types. I also have two commercial clients for whom I build private label rods, one in the USA and one in Europe.

What do you like about this subject?

There is always something new to learn.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

I have established a formal training facility to provide rod building classes for beginners and continuing education in the craft for experienced builders. There are a number of other professional rod builders who will be participating as instructors and mentors in the Rod Builders Institute. Contact me directly for additional information and class schedules.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Every rod is different just as every angler is different. The key to success in this field is learning enough about rod design and the individual angler to be able to create the optimal matchup between angler and rod.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

Ask 100 rod builders how to do something related to rod building and you will get 103 different answers.

Average Ratings

Recent Reviews from Users

User	Date	K	C	T	P	Comments
lori	02/09/10	10	10	10	10	Thank you so much for answering my .....
Murray	02/05/10	10	10	10	10	Many thanks for prompt and cordial reply .....
Jeremy	02/04/10	10	10	10	10	Thank you very much!
John	02/03/10	10	10	10	10	Thank you for your time and thoughtful .....
Greg	02/01/10	10	10	10	10	Thanks for that info. You were a .....

Recent Answers from Joe Douglas

2010-02-04 repairing ferrule on old bamboo rod:

Hi Tim, Yes, you can replace just the male ferrule. Normally, ferrules are sold in sets. This means you will likely find a male/female pair for a single tip rod or a female/male/male set for a

2010-02-04 Fenwick Fly Rods:

Hi Murray, I would try lines in the 8/9/10 range for this rod. Probably the higher the better. One of these weights will likely feel just right on this rod. I don't think it would need anything above

2010-02-03 rod:

Hi Jeremia, This sounds like a nice old rod and one that you can get a lot of use from. The older fiberglass rods have collector value, but it's not as high as the older bamboo rods. Value on this

2010-02-01 heddon fly rod:

Hi Mark, Thanks for the pictures, they help. Value is probably still in the same range. The rod appears to be one of the early Heddon fiberglass rods made in the early 1950s. The handle, reel

2010-02-01 Sport King Bamboo fly rod:

Hi Lew, I've seen the M/27 marking before and always assumed it was a model designation put on by the rod maker to assure that the rod was wrapped and got the proper decals for a Wards rod. These were

Answers by Expert:

Browse Answers: