It's not that I'm a perfectionist, in the usual sense of wanting everything to look perfect, but I do like things to be functional and will fiddle about with them until they are. Things that are designed to be functional usually look right. There's a design adage that says form must follow function and it's one I try to follow when rod building. Certainly when it comes to my own rods. The less fittings I can have on them the better.I like to think my Isotube is a functional solution to a small problem. The ones on my own barbel rods have only the section of tip where the tube is painted white, but some customers like to have their rod tips painted down to the first ring. In the past I have whipped both ends of the tube in whatever colour thread the rings where whipped in. That was until I bought some white thread on a whim. I also bought some dayglo orange thread at the same time, but so far I haven't plucked up the courage to use it on a rod!
The white thread, to my eyes, gives a more functional look to an Isotube when used to whip over the bottom end. It also makes nice distance markers on a plumbing rod. In time I might well find other uses for it - and maybe even for the fluoro orange!
In other news, I recently got handed an ancient fibreglass Milbro float rod to fettle. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to match the thread colours, so I surprised myself when one of the shades of red I have in my box of threads came pretty close. I was doubly surprised to find a shade of green to match the tipping colour. I think the rod had more sentimental value for its owner than anything, and he was a happy chappy to have it looking improved. Given that the Dural butt is bent I doubt that the rod will be fished with in anger. Although it might be handy for fishing round corners!
