Alex Paul
Leo Fernandez spends his workweek winding paper into huge rolls that will eventually be cut and shipped around the U.S.
When he isn’t at work, Fernandez enjoys winding thread onto fishing rod blanks, creating custom fishing outfits for friends and co-workers.
A hand-written thank you card sits on a shelf filled with fishing paraphernalia. The card was sent by a youngster whose fishing rod Fernandez had fixed much to the joy of the youngster and his parent with whom Fernandez works.
“That’s what I really like is seeing someone enjoy one of the rods I’ve made,” Fernandez said of the hobby he runs out of a small room at his home on Tamarack.
A calligrapher for many years, Fernandez said he began searching for a new hobby about 1992.
“I got in touch with Glenn Wicks in Creswell,” Fernandez said. “He has a barn full of fishing rods and pieces needed to build them.”
Using techniques learned at a Rod Crafters seminar held in Woodland, Wash., and information gleaned from reading several books about the subject, Fernandez ventured into custom rod work.
Each rod blank has its own characteristics, Fernandez said. Finding the proper bending points and the spine of the blank is important to developing a balanced outfit.
“I work on the rods when I have the time,” Fernandez said. “How much time I spend depends on how many guys want a new rod.”
Fernandez buys many of his supplies from catalogs, but also trades finished rods for supplies from his friend in Creswell.
He makes everything from ultralights to beefy steelhead and sturgeon rods.
His personal favorite is a perfectly balanced ultralight that weighs in at just five or six ounces including the reel. He likes to jig for kokanee with it.
“I used silicone carbide guides to cut the weight as much as possible,” he said with pride. “I recently caught several three to three and one half pound shad with it. It’s fun.”
Fernandez said he begins by determining what type of fishing an angler wants to do with the rod.
That information determins what type of rod blank he will use, then he cleans it with a mixture of alcohol and dish soap.
“I look for the spine. Every blank has one and that sometimes determines a cheap rod from a custom rod. Sometimes the cheap rods won’t have the guides aligned right to the spine. That makes a difference in how the rod bends and casts.”
He cuts cork for the handle based on the individual’s hand size and preference.
“I would say most people like a handle that’s about 8 1/2 to 9 inches long,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez uses a two-part epoxy glue to mate the cork to the blank. He adds a reel seat and the top handle and then places the outfit in a winding machine.
He lets the blank sit in the winding machine for 24 hours to allow it to settle before he begins the thread winding process.
Using a chart, he determines where the guides should be placed based on the length of the rod. For example, a seven foot trout rod will usually require seven guides.
Fernandez tapes the guides to the blank during the alignment process. He sands the guides, preparing them for the thread that he will wind to hold them to the blank.
Although he used to wind the colorful threads by hand, he now lets the winding machine (at RPMs to 3,800) do the hard work.
Thread patterns can be as simple or intricate as the rod builder or rod buyer likes. There are numerous books that describe how to weave patterns onto the blanks.
“I like to match the thread color to the rod color to make a nice looking outfit,” Fernandez said. His hobby room has dozens of colorful threads to choose from. Among his favorites is a bright blue.
Fernandez hasn’t entirely abandoned his old calligraphy talents. He puts a finishing touch on each rod by using a heated pen and foil to detail information about the rod, its owner’s name and of course, the builder’s name.
“I started this so I could fix my own rods,” Fernandez said. “Now, I really enjoy making them for people and seeing how much they enjoy fishing with one of my rods.”