Too Late for Christmas
(23rd Novemeber 2023)

That's the Christmas rod order boat sailed for 2023. I'm now busy working to get as many existing orders completed before the holiday shuts parcel services down until next year.

Rods in Stock
(26th June 2023)

I've changed my eel rods again. Last season's 10ft 3lb Torrixes are up for sale. Will also make good small water pike or carp rods. Info on Rods in Stock page and pics on Lumbland.

New rings and handle fittings
(26th May 2023)

Too much to write about here so click over to Lumbland to read about rings and fittings added to my rod build options.

Rods in Stock, new handle fittings and specs
(11th May 2023)

It's that time of year when I get a bit of time to play around with ideas for rod build. I found a couple of blanks which I hadn't got round to building so put handles and rings on them using non-standard fittings. Prices and details on my Rods in Stock page. Pictures on my blog.

EDIT - Rods sold.

American Tackle are starting to become popular in the carp rod world, partly because they offer good quality black reel seats, and also (I think) because of their steel lined rings/guides. I can't see the value of the weight reduction on distance carp rods that weigh a ton, but I guess they look nice!

However, they are not recommended for use with braid, so of less use to pike anglers I reckon. I've put a set of these Vortex rings on a new trio of tench rods I built myself - which also have a new split Duplon/shrink tube handle design that took me a while to get the way I liked. I'll be trying it out on some other rods soon. Maybe with some other AT rings. More info and photos on my Lumbland blog.

Rods in Stock
(22nd January 2023)

Belated New Year wishes! I think I'm on top of my backlog now, but orders are still coming in so still no promises of quick turn rounds. However, I do have four rods in stock.

These are one P-1 with standard ringing and cork handle with Fuji butt cap, one each Trickster Heavy and Light built standard but with SiC rings, and one 7ft 6in, 5-30g VHF I found lurking built similarly to my standard VHF fixed spool build but with smaller ring sizes. Prices on my Rods in Stock page.

Back to Work
(10th November 2022)

Following what was supposed to be a minor operation with short recovery time, but turned out to be a bit more than that, I've not done any work for the last three weeks during my convalescence. If you've had an order in for some time but not heard anything from me, this is why!

I'll be starting to catch up with the backlog from next Monday, but any orders received in the last week or so will, therefore, take a little longer to complete than they usually would. With that in mind I can't guarantee any new orders will be completed before Christmas.

New Rod
(15th June 2022)

After a little deliberation I have added a rather niche rod to my predator range. A stepped up P-5, which I have named (with my usual originality) the P-6. AKA The Beast!

I haven't done this on a whim, this is a rod I have previously built as a special for a couple of customers. One was looking for a beefed up P-5 to use with large natural baits and the other wanted a long rod to troll large artificials on big loughs. I reckon the P-6 would also make a good UK catfish rod and will certainly work as a spod rod if you are a fan of 11ft rods for non-predators.

The action is similar to that of the P-5 so it will bend if you have something big enough on the end of your line that you aren't afraid to give some stick. Anyone who thinks the Loch Tamer is a broom handle not only needs to tighten their drag but also avoid The Beast like the plague!

Spec and price here.

Rods in Stock
(23rd June 2022)

Three SS12-225s which I put the wrong handles on and a Staker I built for myself but decided it wasn't what I was looking fore before I used it in my Rods in Stock page.

More info and pics here.

Ordering Rods and New Torrix Additions
(13th June2022)

I'm back taking orders again!

I've updated my Torrix Specialist page with a few more rods.

Ordering Rods
(7th May 2022)

My plans to catch up on work last month got scuppered by illness and a week in hospital. The Spring Break is now extended until early June. If you would like to place an order fro rods it will be best to wait until then when I hope I'll almost be on top of things.

Rods and Blanks in Stock/Spring Break
(29th March 2022)

I've been sorting through by stock of blanks and found some part built rods. These are now fully built and on my Rods in Stock page. The P-3 I was building for myself but ran out of rings, which didn't arrive until pike season was over, so didn't get used. I also have some blanks in which aren't regular builds which I can build up to your spec. I'll add these later.

As I am still trying to catch up on builds for customers, and this is usually my quiet time, I'm not taking further orders (apart from stock rods) until the middle of May, or sooner if I get the decks cleared.

Return of the Duelists
(24th February 2022)

Harrison's have resurrected their VHF blanks in the 9ft models, which means I can build Duelists again. It'll be a while before I have blanks but they will be available soon. I intend to try to hold stocks of the Number 1 and Number 2. Don't hold me to that though!

Good News/Bad News
(4th February 2022)

The good news is that I'm easing myself back to work, the bad news is that carbon prices have forced an increase in blank prices and as a result my rods will be going up in price. The increase will take effect around the middle of this month. Order now to beat the increase!

More trebles
(21st September 2021)

I now have stock of barbed and semi-barbed, bronzed O'Shaughnessy trebles in sizes 4 and 6 in packs of 25.

Available here.

No more Duelist rods
(19th August 2021)

Harrison's have discontinued the VHF range of blanks.

Sadly that means there will be no more of my Duelist rods.

They have also stopped making three piece float rod blanks.

New treble hooks and rod ordering update.
(11th August 2021)

As Partridge trebles were a pain to get hold of with any consistency I stopped selling them a while back. The cheaper Eagle Claws in the pattern I stocked have also become difficult for me to get hold of. I have now filled the vacuum with a modern hook pattern (chemically sharpened point, black nickel finish) at a reasonable price. They have a round bend and are a medium gauge wire with a small barb. To start off I have sizes 4 and 6 priced at £4.50 per pack of ten.

Check them out here.

At last the blank delivery situation is improving. I've had two deliveries over the last fortnight and am expecting two more deliveries soon (over 60 blanks). As a result I'll be doing a lot of catching up on building rods to fulfill back orders for the next month or so.

It's been a nightmare trying to keep on stop of what blanks I have on ordered with new rod orders coming in so until I have cleared the log jam I'm not taking any new orders.

I hope things will be sorted out towards the end of August/early September .

Clearout sale continues
(26th April 2021)

The moulds are going fast! Some PVA and other coarse tackle added to a dedicated sale page.

Check it out here.

Lead and feeder mould clearout sale
(3rd April 2021)

I'm making space and clearing out some stock to do it.

All my bomb and feeder moulds are on sale. Check them out here. When they're gone, they're gone!

Webshop glitch
(19th February 2021)

A customer kindly made me aware that he was unable to pay for an on-line order using a card without having a PayPal account. I had a dig around backstage and think I have sorted the issue out. I can only imagine that some PayPal upgrade or other altered a setting because I hadn't touched anything!

In other news I've built a couple of rods using the new-look Fuji reel seats and rings and have to say they look smart together. Pictures to appear on my blog (which went AWOL for a while - this time entirely down to me messing about behind the scenes but appears to have returned...) when I've completed some other rod work worth showing. I might even get some fishing news on it as I have some new tackle to try out!

A few things
(4th February 2021)

That's the last of the DPS reel seats in black. No more available, so anyone wanting to match up an existing rod which has a black DPS 18 is out of luck. The closest I'll be able to get is an American Tackle version which I'll probably keep a few of in stock. Otherwise it's the new finish (see update below for link) on all DPS seats as standard. I'm also on my last batch of BSVOG rings, when they are gone it'll be the new rings as standard.

Blanks are still slow in coming through, still with now clue as to what will arrive next but it does seem to be a case of my main bait rod blanks arriving before lure rod or specialist blanks. Anything involving special treatment, such as spigots on Tricksters, is pretty much on permanent hold!

Finally, I apologise for not replying to e-mails as quickly as usual. I read some business expert say this is the most time efficient way to deal with a heavy e-mail load. So that's my excuse sorted out!

Thanks again to everyone who is patiently waiting for their rods to be built. I'm making some headway but no sooner do I get some blanks in than they are assigned to the building queue meaning I still have no spare stock!

Transition Period
(6th January 2021)

The new Fuji finishes are starting to arrive. Read all about it on Lumbland.

New Year, New Changes
(25th December 2020)

It's been a while coming but Fuji have now discontinued their black and gunsmoke finishes to both rings and reel seats, and my standard BSVOG ring has gone too. This means that I will only be able to match rods built in the past while my stocks of these fittings last. Which won't be long.

The word is that the change is due to the new finish is more protective when it comes to stopping rusting, and there was some health and safety issue with the old finishes. There is probably some truth in this but it's been noticeable for a few years that when the black finish went from a semi-matt to a gloss it was more easily scratched. I wonder if the new finishes are more scratch-resistant?

The black finish is replaced with what Fuji call 'Frosted Dark-Grey, and the gunsmoke with ''Shiny Gray'. The BSVOG is replaced by the BCLSVOG which features the wraparound design already in use with the existing SiC and Alconite frames, which will remain the same but in the new finishes.

If those changes isn't enough I've been told to expect Harrison's to drop some of their older blanks next year. The carbon supply problems the industry has experienced this year being the primary driver behind this rationalisation.

All in all, if anyone is thinking of having any rods built to match existing ones, especially older carp or specialist rods, it would be wise to get them ordered sooner rather than later. Although the slow supply situation is continuing it might mean a good match will be possible.

On that cheery note it's time to thank all my customers who have outstanding rod orders with me for their patience, there really is nothing I can do to speed up the blank supply chain, and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I'm hanging up my varnish brushes until January now!

I do still have a few rods In Stock!

Covid and Christmas
(23rd November 2020)

The blank situation hasn't improved any, so I still have a backlog of orders which is growing by the day. It's looking unlikely that most will be completed before Christmas, and any placed after today will have no prospect of completion until some time in the New Year.

Blanks are arriving now and then, but I'm completely at the mercy of Harrison's as to what turns up and when. There's no guarantee blanks I ordered weeks ago will turn up before blanks ordered yesterday! 'Unusual' blanks are taking the longest, so there's a better chance of getting one of my predator rods built than something like an Avon with a spliced in quivertip.

However, I do still have a few rods In Stock!

Covid hold ups
(9th October 2020)

A short note to apologise to anyone who is waiting on their rods. I'm not in the worst situation regarding deliveries from Harrison's as I only have a back log of a couple of months, but they are struggling to keep up at the moment. Angling experienced a boom earlier this year after lockdown was eased which created a demand for tackle. Added to that there have been staff shortages due to periods of isolation.

Blanks have been coming through in dribs and drabs, but not always everything I need to complete some orders of mixed rods.

I haven't been to the factory for six months but I envisage everyone there running around like the proverbial headless chicken!

Please believe me when I say I'm as frustrated as anyone who is waiting on their rods. Thank you for your patience.

In the meantime I do have some rods In Stock!

Rods in stock added
(30th September 2020)

Beat the wait for the new pike season! Ready to fish rods added to my In Stock page.

Old articles added
(11th July 2020)

I've added a link to my articles for The Pike Pool to my Articles page. Or just click this link.

Nice Words Belatedly Updated
(10th July 2020)

I've been a bit slack at blowing my own trumpet or the last few years, but I've added some recent words of appreciation which I've received to my Nice Words page.

As much as these give me a fuzzy glow I get an even warmer glow from hearing that people have caught big fish and personal bests using my rods.

Fuji supply Update
(12th May 2020)

BSVOGs are back in stock in sizes 30 and smaller, but no 40s. So now I can fit them to anything other than BB350s and X-1s. It's madness.

RBC 19s are back too, so that's straighforward.

Fuji supply woes
(3rd May 2020)

The situation regarding the BSVOG rings which are standard on most of my rods has not improved. I am lacking one crucial size. For a limited period I will be able to fit them to BB350s but no other rods. Worse still the BMNAG Alconite rings I use are also of limited avilability so they're not a viable alternative. I think MNSG SiCs might be a possibilty, at much greater expense, as an option.

With the above in mind I am now using Seymo 247S rings as my standard - they are almost identical to the BSVOG, and offering Kigan's as an upgrade.

The Fuji RBC butt caps I fit to Axioms and specialist rods are also on long back order, so I'll be fnishing all cork butts with a nylon button. At least retrofitting an RBC butt cap isn't a big job should they ever reappear.

Ring News
(15th March 2020)

I've put a post on Lumbland which has pics and info about the new Fuji rings and some other ring news. CLICK HERE to read it.

Changes ahead
(20th February 2020)

As customers with recent or pending rod orders will know the supply of BSVOG rings has been nonexistent in some sizes since early December. While Fuji is a Japanese company, like most firms these days, it has manufacturing plants in China. Every business getting stock from China is suffering supply problems at the moment due to factory closures caused by the Coronavirus mess. This is compounding the problems. Things are not much better right now, but improvement is promised...

However, there are big changes coming to all Fuji's black framed rings. For environmental reasons (I don't know what) the current black coating is being stopped and replaced with a new finish. I'm expecting a sample of this shortly.

This means that if anyone wants a rod building to match one they already have with black framed Fuji rings it would be a good idea to get an order in now. Or certainly within the next couple of months because at some point this year I expect making a match to be difficult at best or impossible at worst. I've not determined if this also applies to reel seats, but I suspect it does.

As Fuji's gunsmoke finish is also changing (although apparently not to the naked eye) it might be safest to opt for Kigan rings if you are ordering a rod soon with the intention of having one or more matched to it in the future. Maybe also go for plain steel hoods on Fuji reel seats - just in case.

This is as much as I know right now.

Torrix addition
(29th September 2019)

Over the last two or three years I've been asked to build an increasing number of floodwater barbel rods, mostly for Trent anglers, on the 2.5lb Torrix blank. As a result I've added this to my Torrix Specialist Rods page.

Torrix rods for sale.
(15th April 2019)

I'm selling my three 11ft 2lb Torrixes as I have no plans for tench or bream fishing this spring. Details on my blog here.

Torrix rods for Predators added.
(8th April 2019)

I know that Torrix blanks are designed for c*rp fishing, but they don't know that! While I wouldn't recommend the twelve footers for predator fishing some of the shorter blanks are actually pretty useful tools. The three I prefer and my thoughts about them can be found here.

Rebuilds.
(30th March 2019)

That's it. Absolutely NO MORE REBUILDS. If it's not a DLST rod don't even ask. Sorry if that sounds blunt but I simply don't have the time to undertake this work. I will still replace broken or damaged individual rings but that's about it.

FXH now available.
(1st June 2018)

At long last I have the reel seats to allow me to turn the blanks I got ages ago into FXH lure rods. Details of this rod which was previewed at last September's PAC Convention can be found on it's dedicated page.

Blank Colours
(8th May 2017)

Painted blanks are now only available in a choice of burgundy and clear coat.

Contact Details
(30th June 2016)

As of July 1st my virgin.net e-mail address will be discontinued. If you have that in your address book please change it to my dlst.co.uk address.

Rebuild service
(23rd March 2015)

After the recent breakage of a pair of rods in transit I have reconsidered my rebuild/refurb service as no amount of insurance can replace a much loved rod that is no longer in production.

As a result I am now only willing to undertake rebuilds/refurbs on rods which I have built or on rods delivered to and collected from me in person.

I hope the reasoning for this is understood.