From 11/15/01</font id=blue>
This will come as no surprise to most, but as a child one of my favorite places to visit was the old Johns Rod and Reel. Dad would take me in and show me the fish mounted on the wall, the huge offshore fishing reels, and Mr. John’s collection of shark jaws. One Saturday morning dad and I stopped by Johns to talk with Mr. John and his best salesman Mr. Henry. Mr. Henry was a retired gentleman in his early sixties and an avid inshore fisherman. After spending just a few short minutes with him most customers came to realize that there was nothing he enjoyed more that to help people learn how to catch fish here in the lowcountry. Dad explained to Mr. Henry how we were doing more and more trout fishing and how he wanted to build a rod specifically for trout and then asked for some advice selecting the proper supplies for building a good trout rod.
Mr. Henry explained to dad the most important ingredients to a good trout rod is a high quality rod blank. He took us over to the rod building area of the store where there must have been a hundred or so blanks hanging on the wall. Mr. Henry began by discussing the different lengths of the blanks with dad. He explained how long rods can be difficult to handle in a boat because you are more apt to hit the rod on railing, console, or other objects when casting. Shorter rods compromise your casting distances and often you are not able to reach the fish with your cast. Mr. Henry recommended a 6’6" blank, and explained how this length rod should be easy to handle in most any boat and yet still provide plenty of casting distance.
Mr. Henry then asked dad if he wanted a two-piece or a one-piece rod blank. He explained the advantage of the two-piece obviously being that is easier to store and transport. The disadvantage of a two-piece rod is they are not as sensitive due to the altered flex at the ferule and they may slide or even break at the ferrule. Then he went on to explain what type of action to look for in a good trout rod