Another MUIR build by Patrick Ryan in Utah

7’  5 pc  3wt Muir blank by JP Ross & Company.  When I received the blank, I asked JP how he wanted it built up…….he said  NO, build it for myself!  Lately I’ve been immersed in building bamboo but if there’s anything better that casting grass, it’s casting glass, so I got super excited at the prospect of building a glass rod I can take into the back country of Idaho.

The hardest part of building a rod for yourself is deciding the composition of the rod.  It’s also the most enjoyable.  I decided I wanted to go with “simple elegance” with a black and gold accent.  The reel seat was easy, blackened nickel silver, but the spacer was a little more challenging.  Snake Brand sent me four buckeye burl spacers to choose from and trusted me to return the ones I didn’t use.  The black and cream is the perfect fit as you can see from the picture’s.  The stripping guide is also blackened nickel silver with a black agate center, simple elegance perfected.  The guides, hook keep and tip top are bronze for that gold look.  All of it is wrapped with black gossamer silk with gold and black tipping.

You never know how a rod will function until the last coating is dried and you string it up for the first time.   Well, all I can say is this is a sweet casting rod!  So much so, I am going to play hooky tomorrow just to try it out. 

The reel seat is blackened nickel silver down locking  seat with a Buckeye burl wood spacer.  The wrapping is black silk with gold and black silk tipping. The hook keep and snake guides are gold  bronzed and the stripping guide is blackened nickel silver with a black agate.

by: Patrick Ryan