Any questions russ@reelfoto.demon.co.uk
If you should find a rod ring that is cracked or grooved, do not hesitate to replace it, because waiting could cost you the fish of a lifetime and at the very least totally ruin the line you are using. Truthfully you have two choices. One is to take the rod to a rod builder and have him replace the ring(s). The going rate for a complete re-ring on a boat rod is between £30 and £60 depending on the rings/rollers of your choice. For that you get the rod stripped and rubbed down, new rings expertly whipped into place and the whole lot varnished and finished to a professional standard. The second option is a little DIY. Replacing a ring is not difficult and anyone with just moderate hand-skills should be able to make a competent job of it in an evening – but it just won’t look quite so pretty as the pro job. Sometimes if you are halfway through a season and the rodbuilder has a queue of people waiting for their new rods to be finished, putting your rod in for a refurbishment might mean being without it for a week or two, so a temporary DIY job is the way to go till a quieter time of the year. Carefully remove the old whipping and varnish with a Stanley knife and purchase a new ring of the same size and type. One of the tricks used by the pro’s is to grind the feet of the rings so that the whipping thread rises smoothly up over the foot with no unsightly gaps. If you haven’t got access to a grinder then a smooth file and emery will actually do a better job even if it does take much longer. Next week: Tying the ring to the blank.
Any questions russ@reelfoto.demon.co.uk