Glass Builder - F.D. Lyons

From our history comes the future and more than one fly rod builder I know has referenced the work of F.D. Lyons as someone who has inspired them in their rod building method.

I am honored that Mr. Lyons took the time to complete this interview.


I know that you have a long history in fly rod building and restoration. Can you tell the story about how you started building fly rods and where that journey has taken you?

I started building fiberglass rods in 1969 (I think). I purchased an 8 1/2 two piece yellow fiberglass rod, along with a Japanese knock off of a Pflueger Medalist model 1994 reel. A fly line was included in the "package". The total cost was $11.95 on the 6th floor sporting goods department at Meier & Frank Co. At about the same time, I purchased the book "A Primer of Fly-fishing by Roderick Haig-Brown. It contained instructions on how to cast a fly line. I practiced in my front yard with taunts from neighbors and family, "Are you catching anything?" Persistence paid off and the rest is history.

I began building fiberglass rods a few years later, after I had converted my father-in-law from bait fishing with a fly rod to fly fishing. Flies being less messy than worms. It was during this time that I also became enamored of split bamboo fly rods, but I could not afford the ones I wanted.


Who would you consider your mentors as you were learning this craft?

I did not have any mentors for building fiberglass rods. I was pretty much self-taught.


How would you describe your build style and what sets your builds a part from other builders?

I am not sure how I would describe my "build style". I purchase the blanks in one piece. I cut and ferrule them according to the customer's preference. I then select the cork rings. I cut the holes in the cork ring to fit the blank at the grip station. I then glue up the cork rings on a bolt using Elmer's wood glue. This process allows me to get a very tight fit, which eliminates glue lines. After the glue has dried overnight, I remove the glued-up cork rings from the bolt. Then I ream out the inside of the cork rings with a tapered reamer to fit the inside of the blank. Next I whip up a batch of two part epoxy, saturate the inside of the cork rings, and the station for the cork grip. Next I slide the cork rings down over the blank. This is messy but I have a paper towel on hand which is saturated with acetone to wipe the blank down after wards. I wear latex gloves during the whole operation.

When the glue is dry, I mount the butt section in my special little lathe and turn the cork to shape, using different grades of sand paper and different speeds. I learned this process by trial and error! All wraps are 00 nylon. I use Snake Brand nickle colored snake guides and a dark red agatine stripper. The color of my rod bags were chosen to match the color of the wraps. The gold thread used to sew the bags matches the antique gold in the signature or border wrap. The rod tubes are from Landmark. The label is my own design.


What fiberglass blanks do you build on? What lengths and line weights do you offer?

I use Lamiglas blanks that were designed exclusively for me. I initially offered line weights two through five weight and rods lengths from seven to eight feet in length. I have offered these rods in two or three piece. I can no longer offer all of these lengths and line weights.


For custom orders what is a typical build time that a client should expect?

Typical wait times are six months to a year from when the order is placed.


How would you like someone interested in contacting you about a possible fiberglass fly rod build?

I can be contacted by email at fdlyons@comcast.net or by telephone at 503-0760-3933. Please also check the F.D. Lyons website for more information.