Customer Testimonials...

Here are a few recent testimonials that I received from customers.
The proof is in the pudding, so to speak:

Donna Godfrey: Belle Vernon, PA.
“The rod I received from Brian at Way Wicked Rods was a complete surprise. I knew that Brian was building a commemorative rod for my Husband Jeff, but I had no idea that I too was getting one. The rod is absolutely beautiful, and is extremely comfortable. I could not ask for anything more!”


Jeff Godfrey: Belle Vernon, PA.
“While I was in Afghanistan on active duty for the U.S Air Force, Brian built a commemorative rod for me. Brian gave me the rod when my wife and I went to Ohio for a visit and to fish with Brian. I was flabbergasted when I was handed the rod. I had no idea whatsoever that I was getting a rod, and the rod I was given was absolutely gorgeous! Brian used military decals and custom labels to make the rod unique. It is truly one-of-a-kind and I will cherish it for life!”

Fred Brown: Grand Blanc, MI
"I have had three custom rods built. My latest was a Rainshadow XST1562-3 float rod built by Way Wicked Rods. The first two were obviously by another builder and there is no comparison between the experiences. Brian and I literally spent hours discussing options for every component (reel seats, guides, wraps, cork, etc.) for the rod. His product knowledge of rod building components is outstanding and his suggestions usually caused me to ask many more questions, all of which he answered. The time spent up front was well worth the effort. We nailed down every detail and then he went to work.
"Building went much faster than planning and the results are superb. When I'm out fishing with it, it's a given that passersby ask about the "unique" rod. I proudly tell them it's a custom build by Way Wicked Rods. I'll proudly use this rod for years to come!!"

I have to be honest; it feels great to have things like this said about something that I built with my own two hands.
It is also a great feeling to know that someone is on the water fishing with rods that I made from them, and that they (my rods) are bringing enjoyment and creating memories to someone else!

Fish on!
Brian

Well underway...

Four of the builds that I have to do are underway, and I will be posting photo's of the finished rods soon.

At this time I am working on the following:

• St. Croix 2S116LM2 - Wild River - 11' 6" 2pc Float Rod for an angler from the Pittsburg area.


• St. Croix 3S80MLM2 - Avid - 8' 0" 2pc Med-Lite/Moderate.


• ATC F-908-4 - 9' 0" 4pc 8wt flot rod that is being cnverted to a Float Rod for small streams.


• American Tackle Matrix - 9' 0" 2pc 4wt. Fly Rod.

Here is a photo of me hard at work on the Wild River.

New Builds on the Way ... the Way Wicked, way!

I am currently working on setting up several new builds.
I will be building an 11'6" St. Croix Wild River for a gentlemen from the Pittsburgh area. He has also shown interested in other rods as well.
I also have a 9' 0" 4wt fly rod and a 5' 6" casting rod I am doing for a friend. These will both be no frills fishing sticks. Performance before beauty!

I will also be starting on a 9' 0" 8wt conversion rod.
This rod is a 4 piece fly rod that I am going to convert to a center pin float rod. I will be building this one for myself. After all, I am my best customer!
I will be experimenting a bit with this build, and using guides that are not common for the type of fishing I plan to do with it.

I also have a rebuild on the way.
It is a St. Croix 8' 0" Avid float rod which will be fished in Ohio for Steelhead trout on smaller streams.

More info and lots of pictures coming soon!

Supreme Xtreme

Project: Supreme Xtreme

Project "Supreme Xtreme" is my latest adventure in rod building, and it just happens to be for me!

The SX is built on a St. Croix 5C70MHF-B blank.

This blank utilizes St. Croix's state-of-the-art technology and their best materials.

As far as St. Croix blanks are concerned; This is the best they offer... period!

The build is somewhat experimental for me. As someone who enjoys learning and expanding my capabilities; I found some information on a rod building forum about something call Micro Guides.

I sat at my computer for the better part of three days reading and learning about the theory behind the guides, and why some builders thought they were awesome; and others thought they were a fad. In addition to using micro guides I also tied up my first "Simple Spiral" wrap.

Spiral Wrap:

With a traditional casting rod setup the guides are placed on top of the blank, and this can lead to a few problems:

• Line contacting the blank
• Torque created by the forces applied to the guide when under load
• Excess weight from the use of double-footed guides

The spiral wrap eliminates these problems - completely!

By rotating, or wrapping the guides around the blank so that they end up on the bottom of the rod; like a spinning rod, line contact issues and torque are removed from the equation.

Micro Guides:

Micro guides are nothing more than extremely small, single-foot fly guides.

The theory is, because of their size and ridiculously light weight; more guides can be added and still weigh less than traditional guides - and/or - excess weight can be reduced by using fewer, smaller (micro) guides.

Traditionally a casting rod is tied with all double foot guides; with the exception of some newer rods that employ Fuji's Concept Guide System.

All of the guides on the Supreme Xtreme are single-foot with the largest guide on the rod being a size 6.

The running guides, or guides just below the tiptop, are a size 4.

To give you some idea how small these are; the inner diameter is .077 inches.

That is just over 1/16th of an inch!

The entire set of guides for this rod including the tiptop weighed 1.1 grams!

Do the Micro Guides create line friction and reduce casting
distance?

I have not spent a lot of time fishing with this rod yet, as I just finished it
a few days ago... but from experience casting with it: NO

I was able to cast a 3/8oz sinker more than 60 feet with the flick of my wrist.

This was done with 50# PowerPro braided line.

If those puny little micro guides are able to cast 50# braid like that... I can't wait to hit the water with 12# Flouro!

Here are a few pictures of the Supreme Xtreme that I took during the build process.

More pictures to follow - I'm headed to Enid, Oklahoma to test it out this Friday

*Update*

My first impression of the micro guides and the spiral wrapped happened before the rod was finished; I was testing guide placement and took it out for a cast or two.

This past week I took the rod to Enid, Oklahoma and tried it out for several hours while casting and flipping various lures with it. To say the least I was extremely impressed.The small diameter of the micro guides did not seem to interfere with casting distance or accuracy whatsoever.

I was using a Pfleuger President with 50# PowerPro and was able to cast a 5/8oz Trap upwards of 100 feet with little effort. Flipping accuracy didn't seem to be affected either. I was dropping 1/2oz footballs in a coffee cup sized target from 15-20 feet away with ease.

The spiral wrap accomplished exactly what it was intended for. The line does not contact the blank; I used fewer guides to reduce weight, and the static guide test was nearly perfect.This certainly will not be my last rod built with micro guides and a spiral wrap.

I would recommend them to anyone who uses a casting rod for Bass fishing. I will surely be recommending them to my customers in the future!

Sensi-Seat

The Sensi-Seat insert is a custom option for any Spinning rod handle, or rod that employs a spinning type reel seat.
The Sensi-Seat insert allows the rod blank to be exposed at the top of the blank. The exposure of the blank permits the angler to place their finger or thumb directly on to the blank; this permits maximum vibration transfer which equates to maximum sensitivity.

The insert material that is recommended is stabilized wood.
The inner diameter, or bore of the insert is sized to fit directly to the blank without the use of any arbors or shimming materials. This also aids in transferring the vibrations to the angler. Only the best adhesives are used to make this bond.

If you're looking for maximum sensitivity with an appealing look... look no further, it's here!

Paine Falls Centerpin

Paine Falls Centerpin (PFC) is a local company that is just getting started in the world of custom reel manufacturing. PFC was started in 2007 by Adam DeMarco of Leroy, Ohio. Adam was in the market for a centerpin reel and decided to make his own instead of shelling out the cash to buy one. It made perfect sense seeing how Adam has the experience to do so.

Adams' new found hobby has turned in to a full time operation. Adam is now making centerpin reels full time in his shop. Adam offers both custom work as well as standard production models. The reels that Adam produces are A++ quality and have a loyal following of customer already. To date Adam has produced apporoximately fourty (40) reels and overall the reception has been overwhelming.

At the current time all reels have Stainless Steel ABEC-5 bearings. The aluminum parts (Spool and backplate) are hand-turned from 6061-T6 aluminum. Custom options are available on any and all models.
If you're in the market for a Centerpin,whether custom or production run... checkout the Paine Falls website at http://www.painefallscenterpin.com or the blog at: http://www.painefallscenterpin.blogspot.com

Here is a slideshow with some of the reels that Paine Falls Centerpin has produced:

The Hammer - Completed!

I am happy to say that The Hammer has been completed and shipped. I certainly hope that the new owner receives it safe and sound, and that he is happy with it.

The build went as expected, with one small hitch. I had an issue with one of the guides used on the rod and had to order a replacement. This added almost a week.

Here is a short slideshow that I put together with the photo's I was able to take: