How to build a Kokanee Pole

I've had some inquiries about my "special Kokanee pole" so I thought I would share some information about it. I hate using rubber snubbers! All the spinning rods on the market today that I know of are too short for my preference. I like a pole no shorter than 7'. So I decided to make a Kokanee pole of 7' that is limber enough so as to not tear the hooks out of a Kokanee's mouth. I did this years ago with a blank I found at Anderson's Sporting Goods in Corvallis, Oregon. I have yet to see a blank like this one since............Until recently. I ordered a blank from Cabella's out of desperation because the old Kokanee pole was ruined by some close relatives ( car door ). The blank I ordered is almost exactly like the old pole and really seems to be just about right. It's the Cabela's(1998 $49.95) Fish Eagle PT ( TX-31-0849 703 ) fly rod blank. I'm sure the old blank was a 2 weight blank. This one is a 3 weight blank that is very limber. I use FUJI single foot guides and put as little thread on the pole as I can. This limber little pole is terrific for downrigger fishing. Unlike most people, I prefer using a spinning reel with the downrigger. Finding the right spinning reel is another matter altogether. I use a Diawa Whisker UL 13. In my opinion the most perfect spinning reel ever built. I wish they still made them, I'd like to buy two more.

So if you're interested, here are some basic instructions for tying up your own unique fishing pole. A fishing pole unlike any on the market today. A pole especially made for Kokanee downrigger fishing ( but kinda neat for Trout too :). A pole that's not tied perfect, but has a balance and feel you'll love, if used with a light quality reel.

Scissors	Single foot guides
Razor blade	Glue
1 foot of books	Color Preserver
Rod blank	Thread
Reel Seat	Rod Wrapping Finish
Corks	Ferule Cement
Sander with sandpaper	Round File
High quality Masking Tape	Winding Check
Pliers	Match

1. Start by putting the tip guide on the blank tip. I like the Fuji single foot guides with the grey color interior. Put the tip on by shaving off particles of Ferule Cement and shoving them down the tip guide hole ( Don't use regular glue. If the guide breaks you'll never get the old one off for replacement. Using Ferrule cement, all you have to do is heat up the guide and it slips right off.). Put the two pieces of the blank together. Hold the rod at the bottom and eyeball the length of the rod while turning it. You should see a distinct wow or bend in the rod. This is normal for high quality blanks. When the bend is bent in an up direction make a note of that side of the blank. The tip will be placed so that it and all subsequent guides will pull the bend down, thus making the pole straight. Then with a pair of pliers hold the tip guide and heat the guide with a lit match until the ferrule cement you put in it starts to bubble. Quickly put the tip on the blank. It will set up strong in a matter of seconds.

2. Now comes the hard part, tying tip section. For the guides I like to use light colored thread. For this particular pole I used a light grey thread. The guides were placed in the following order.

The second guide was 6 1/4" from the first guide. ( smallest single foot guide they have )

The third guide was 6 3/4" from the second guide. ( smallest single foot guide they have )

The fourth guide was 7 1/2" from the third guide. ( smallest single foot guide they have )

The fifth guide was 8" from the fourth guide. ( smallest single foot guide they have )

The sixth guide was 8 1/4" from the fifth guide and at the bottom of the top section. ( the second smallest guide they have )

The seventh guide was 10" from the top of the bottom section. ( the third smallest guide they have )

Now tie the bottom most tip section guide on first. Be careful to start your thread very close to the bottom of the tip. This tie is important to add strength to the section of the pole. Tie it as you will tie all of them.

* Place your 1 foot of books on the floor. I like to use a slippery computer magazine as the bottom most "book". Place the thread through the magazine and place the books on top. Now take the thread and place it on the pole where you want to start your "wind". Overlap the very first wind and continue for a dozen or so winds keeping them close and straight together. Now cut off the excess thread used to start the wind. Make sure you have a 4" piece of excess thread ready to use for the end of the wind. Continue winding the thread until you reach the length you desire. Pick up the 4" piece of excess thread an make a loop. Place the loop under the last wind on the pole and continue winding a dozen or so turns. When done cut the thread on the pole a few inches past the end wind. Place the end of the wind through the loop. Now grasp the two ends of the loop and pull until the end of the thread is pulled under the dozen winds and comes out of the loop. Take your razor blade and cut the end of the thread by pulling the end of the thread down and slicing the thread with the blade. If done correctly there will be no evidence there was an end to the thread.

* Now tie on your first rod guide near the bottom of the blank tip. I like to cut a narrow strip of masking tape to hold the guide in place until I get some turns of thread in place. It is important to get the tip and the guides lined up correctly. Constantly eyeball and check that the guides are lined up right and not spiraled around the pole. I like to mark these spots on the pole using masking tape before I start tying. Start by overlapping the first few turns as above and work your way to the guide. Getting the turns to rise onto the guide may take some practice. Finish tying and double check it's alignment. Now is the time to change it if it is not right. Continue with the rest of the guides.

3. Now that the tip section is tied and ready for coating lets finish the bottom section of the blank. Start with the corks ( I like to use the smaller corks as ordered from Cabella's TX-31-1419, 1 1/8" at 25 for $12.95 ) and make them fit onto the pole. These corks have very small holes. You will have to make the holes bigger in order to fit them onto the pole. This is where a drill or round file will come in handy. When the corks fit snugly you are ready to start gluing. But first, my preference is to get the bottom cork ready. I've always had a hard time finding the right "butt cap" for fishing poles. So I started making my own using cork. You may want to also. I use a cork and fill the hole with a like shaped piece of cork. I mix the glue and glue the like shaped piece of cork into the hole. When I glue the corks to the pole I leave the bottom cork hang over the end 1/8th inch or so and put the butt cap cork on last. So lets take the bottom blank and spread some mixed glue onto the last 1/2" of the blank. Now take the first cork to be glued onto the bottom blank and and slide it down onto the glue and let it hang out past the end of the blank 1/8" or so. Do the same thing with the second cork only make sure the cork of the first one is covered with glue where the two corks will meet. Do the same for the next corks and press the corks tightly together until the cork section below the reel seat is completed. Keep firm pressure on this and wipe excess glue off the cork as you go. When the glue starts to set up and dry you can start the next section. I like to use 11 corks for the bottom cork section below the reel seat.

4. Attaching the reel seat is really quite easy. Use your high quality masking tape and wind it onto the blank where the reel seat will be. I use 1/2" masking tape of high quality (not soft). I wind the tape close to the freshly glued cork until it is just high enough that the reel seat will fit over it. Then I wind another 1/2" masking tape slightly ahead of the previous one. By the time I get done there are probably 4 or more winds of masking tape, all just high enough that the reel seat will barely fit over them. Then I mix another batch of glue and smear the heck of glue on the masking tape and in between. I try to get as much glue on it as I can. Then I slide the reel seat over the glue and masking tape. Wipe any excess glue off the reel seat ASAP. Wait till the glue for the reel seat has set and start the next section.

5. Now that the reel seat is set and solid mix some more glue and put 1/2" worth next to the top of the reel seat and slide the next cork down. Continue until the corks are all on. I like to use 5 corks above the reel seat. After the corks are all set continue with the next step.

6. Take some masking tape, magazine paper, whatever it takes to cover the reel seat and the rod blank to prepare the pole for sanding. You don't want to scratch your new rod. I like to use super heavy weight sandpaper to rough out the handle first, then use fine sandpaper after that. I take my sheet sander and place it upside down in a vise to do the sanding. When the handle is just right proceed to the next step.

7. Place a few drops of glue next to the last or top cork. slide the winding check down and glue it in place next to the cork.

8. Being careful to line the bottom guide up with the reel seat, tape it in place, and tie it onto the bottom blank.

9. Apply Color Preserver to all the thread wraps per instructions on the bottle.

10. Apply the rod wrapping finish following the instructions closely. I bought the finish made by "Flex Coat". It comes in three flavors. I like the long drying one that lasts longer. It's VERY important to turn the rod frequently while it's drying. I turn it every five minutes for the first few hours, then every 15 minutes, then every 1/2 hour until I can't stand it any longer. Let it sit overnight and your new unique pole is ready.