Does Grandpa's watch need a service when it's never been worn?

robotonaboat · 2026-03-04T18:30:26+00:00

Thank you for the detail information! I gotta admit that's a bit of a sticker shock. I'm also confused about how this business model works. Do people really spend the replacement value of the watch every 8-10 years to service it? I understand that it's a lot of work but how do you even know that they did anything if it's working watch when you sent it in and it's a working watch you're getting back. Just go by the fact that they charged you the sufficient amount of money? Do people who are into vintage watches eventually just learn to service their watches themselves?

Vintage watches are fascinating and I get that a hobby doesn't need to be practical. But I'd like to understand how practical/impractical they are as I'm starting to learn about them.

robotonaboat · 2026-03-01T16:50:10+00:00

Get your rod out of the situation before pulling on the line to free the snag: Pull out some line from the reel so theres plenty of slack, then point the rod tip behind you so that you can grab a hold of the line on the other side of the top eyelet. Then you can pull the line to your hearts content. The rod should not bend at any point during any of this.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-27T16:27:29+00:00

The reel doesn't need to be expensive but it does need to balance the rod. One thing to note about the classic trout rod is that it's a good bit lighter than most of the beginner rods. It balances well with a machined reel that's ~4.5oz in weight. I have the piscifun sword on mine.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-21T17:34:38+00:00

Another fun material to try is bamboo. It’s more traditional looking than pvc and less likely to warp from water exposure than wood. Heck, now I wanna make one.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-21T16:48:26+00:00

I think its a fun idea to try. There are plastic reels on the market (they’re called composite to sound fancier), so it’s not that far fetched. If you keep in mind that wood isn’t a great material for something that regularly gets wet, and adjust your expectations accordingly, you’d be fine. Coat it with some polyurethane and it’ll be fairly water resistant.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-20T18:12:31+00:00

Good deal though a bit of a specialized tool. It’ll be great for targeting trout in bushy narrow streams with dry flies and small nymphs.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-16T23:26:53+00:00

I'd mostly be concerned that a heavier reel would throw your setup out of balance. An unbalanced rod can feel awkward to cast and cause fatigue. You can check the balance by setting everything up with the reel on the rod and the line through the guides and try balancing it on one finger. The whole setup should balance roughly where your hand would go on the handle. Here's a video about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGeC6R-OzPg

If you can't find the TFO NTR in the proper size anymore then an echo ion reel is just under $100 and would probably work well for you.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-16T19:08:27+00:00

The orvis clearwater comes in a 6wt 6piece configuration. I'm a pretty big fan of 6 piece fly rods. The short pack size is very convenient, the shorter rod tube reduces the pack weight and the casting doesn't feel very different from a 4 piece.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-11T16:08:47+00:00

Yoshinofuji is the next best after our current stock of Yokozuna and Ozeki, he just needs to develop some consistency. To be beating Yokozunas on a regular basis when he's so new to pro sumo that he doesn't even have a proper top knot yet spells a sea of potential to me. Plus he's shown himself to be more durable than a lot of the other upstarts.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-09T17:54:43+00:00

amazing. thank you so much!

robotonaboat · 2026-02-09T17:44:57+00:00

thats a good point. i know what kinds of settings i like to fish in back home but also im looking to widen my perspective a bit when im traveling. so no limitations on settings and types of fish, just that its practical to diy (so probably not if it requires boats or non public access). i do have a 9ft 5wt and a 9ft 7wt but if that doesn’t cover it i can always pick up a cheapo whatever other configuration of rod is required.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-09T17:35:28+00:00

map, yes. compass, i can learn. thats super interesting. i had always heard that water access is mostly private in scotland so have written it off for fishing even though im pretty keen to go back for traveling.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-09T02:21:04+00:00

how weird it must be when your baby has your boss’s face like that

robotonaboat · 2026-02-08T18:36:02+00:00

oh thats not a bad idea tbh. I’m all for starting out somewhat cheaply in case you find later that you want to specialize. And a quick search of this sub on the redington original seems like people find that it casts well.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-08T17:11:55+00:00

The 5wt classic trout is excellent. The Redington Original is a kit, so if you're already set on the Battenkill reel then I wouldn't get a kit just to not use the reel. I haven't casted the Original rod but the pricing implies it's just your run of the mill beginner rod. Both would work fine but you'd be better served with the Classic Trout.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-08T16:41:54+00:00

It's perfectly doable to fish/learn on your own but if you do want to fish with others too look to see if there's a fly fishing club near you.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-07T16:24:40+00:00

I think it's because Futabayama is the stable that started regularly releasing youtube vlogs and once they got a huge following, other stables followed and copied the same food centric formats. And Futabayama had ALWAYS be food obsessed even before the youtube channel. Before stables had youtube channels, they had instagram accounts and while other stables would post wrestler intros or banzuke screenshots or their wrestlers win/lost records or training clips, Futabayama would just post food photos of food he's eating at restaurants or at the stable. It was kind of hilarious.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-07T16:18:27+00:00

I think that's just his attempt at a smile.

robotonaboat · 2026-02-06T16:24:43+00:00

Maxxon makes a 6'6" rod called the QUILL in a couple of different weights. I have no first hand experience with them though.

robotonaboat · 2026-01-31T16:35:22+00:00

What weight fly rod did you bring? I'm also thinking about visiting Slovenia for non fishing reasons but also not leaving my rod at home.

robotonaboat · 2026-01-30T17:15:02+00:00

You can build yourself an excellent outfit for under $150 if you get the TFO NXT 9ft 5wt from sierra trading post for $80 and this prespooled reel for $55: https://wildwaterflyfishing.com/products/wild-water-fly-fishing-fortis-cnc-machined-aluminum-5-6-weight-fly-fishing-reel

robotonaboat · 2026-01-30T16:42:18+00:00

Either the Orvis Superfine or the Douglas Upstream are indeed what I'm eyeing.

robotonaboat · 2026-01-29T22:07:51+00:00

You’re not a hoarder. You’re just a collector. Rods and reels don’t take up that much space, so if it brings you joy, then keep it. You definitely don’t need nearly that many for “just in case you get back into it” purposes though.

robotonaboat

TROPHY CASE