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Fishing/Expert Profile

Joe Douglas

U.S.

Unavailable

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	P	Comments
brian	03/10/11	10	10	10	thank you for your time
Robert	03/10/11	10	10	10	Thank you very much for the info .....
michael	03/10/11	10	10	10	thanks joe
David	03/08/11	10	10	10	Thanks for you time and suggestions.
David	03/08/11	10	10	10	Thank you so much for sending such .....

Recent Answers from Joe Douglas

2011-03-04 Heddon Premier:

Hi Steve, The Heddon Premier 15 5' casting rod was made during the 1913-1932 time frame. Value depends on condition but could be in the $30-$175 range depending on actual condition of this rod, bag

2011-03-03 Line weight:

Hi Daniel, As far as I know Heddon did not make a Beaverkill model fly rod; nor did they use decals on their rods. Horrocks-Ibbotson did make a Beaverkill model and did use declas on their fly rods

2011-03-03 Kennedy's Bros. Rod:

Hi Andrew, Kennedy Brothers did not make rods; they sold rods made by other companies and labeled as Kennedy Bros. If your rod is bamboo, it is probably an earlier rod and was likely made by Heddon

2011-03-03 Fifer Viking - genuine cane rod:

Hi Steve, Fifer appears to be, or to have been, a sporting goods retailer in Canada. My guess is that what you have is a private label rod made by Montague or Horrocks-Ibbotson for Fifer and labeled

2011-03-03 Vintage Fenwick Fiberglass Rod Action:

Hi David, I do understand the question but I'm not sure I can answer it yet. Fenwick has gone through some changes over the years in materials used and place of manufacture, including offshore manufacture

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