Shikari 6'6" 6-12lb Baitcasting Rod

I have heard of the name but never seen the actual SHIKARI blank before. The wall of this blank is quite thin and it came unfinished.

This ex-fast action blank is 6'6" and rated at 6-12lb.

Custom gloss black Fuji ACS reel seat and components

Rear cork handle and MATAGI butt cap

Reel seat on the blank

Test fitting the whole handle

The butt....

A thin layer of epoxy over the blank before wrapping

Wrapping above fore grip

Completed handle

Spiral guide placement

Epoxy in progress

Rod owner's name...



Completed rod





TESTING SESSION.....


In the hand of the owner

Landed a 18lb Afrika Catfish...

Tri-matrix Fly Rod

I had all the stuffs with me for a long time now and finally I found the time to built it. The rod fly blank is a 3/4wt 7' 3pc and in matrix green finish.

The green color really does not comes out in the photo.

The components.

Aluminum triangular reel seat and half wells cork grip.

Test fit.

Wrapping with green thread.

That is the consequences of being lazy. The plan was actually to have a visible green wrapping on the guides but it got darken. It look like maroon but it is actually dark green.

The completed rod.

The matching game....

Rustic 4wt Fiberglass Fly Rod

This is another fiberglass fly rod project which I have started a few months ago but only managed to complete last week.

A 7'3" 2pc 4wt fiberglass blank in rustic brown finish. Maybe because of this, they called it Rustic River. This blank has a tip over butt ferrule joint.

Cigar shaped cork grip with down locking burled wood

And this is how it looked like when assembled to the blank.

The agate stripping guide just matches the color of this blank..

The completed rod with a matching agate line guided modern vintage fly reel

Another FLY FOX refurbishment

Here is another Phillipson Fly Fox fly rod refurbishment project.

No major issue with this rod. Just clacking sound from the ferrule when casting, a bad wrapping at the ferrule joints, a jaggered end at the bottom section and a broken cork grip at the butt cap.

First task was to fix the clacking sound. Had the old wrapping and ferrule removed.

The parts was cleaned and free of old epoxy residue before I apply epoxy to fix the ferrule.

And then rewrap the jointing part following the existing wrapping design.

Next to make good the jaggered male ferrule top. Sand to make the edges straight and dap a drop of epoxy to seal the gap.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Now for the most difficult part. The cork grip...

The damaged and loosen cork grip was cut and removed.

Replaced it will new cork rings



The grip was lathed to size matching the existing handle.

A layer of cork sealant was applied on the cork handle before affixing the handware.

But before that I had to remove some paint at the fore grip..

BEFORE:

AFTER:

DONE.

Another refurbished FLY FOX.

1st Lamiglas TXC completed in 2013

This 7 footer Lamiglas TRIFLEX blank is rated at 15-30lb and I would say this is a heavy rod with tremendous fish fighting control and lifting power.

Started this in December last year and completed in January on my new wrapping jig.


Setting out for the reel seat and rear grip with aluminum gimbal.

Completed handle.

Then the guides..

And done with the epoxy.

Frankly speaking... I ain't no good with big rod..... LOL