Custom rods

[mikench]

Idling away an hour or so I looked in on eBay and searched for barbel rods and Harrison blanks. I saw a few which puzzled me. One was a custom built Harrison Torrix with a matching 6' landing net pole. The net handle came in a bag but the rod did not. The explanation for the absence of a rod bag was that it was a custom made rod. If I was a rod maker I would make sure that from a self marketing perspective that it came in a quality bag with my name featured prominently. Why would you have a rod made with fancy guides, gold/ diamond encrusted/ titanium whippings ,Your initials and not supply it and keep it in a bag ?

The prices are silly even more so when some rods and reels are sold in pairs or trios. If I wanted a custom built rod, which I don't, I would only want one and would buy new with my own modest spec. I definitely would not want à forty mm butt ring or worse nor my initials or any ôther bling.

 

[David Rogers 3]

The only custom-built rod I own had no bag included, but as I was collecting it in person I was cheeky and asked for (and was given) one !

 

[nottskev]

Funnily enough, Mike, two of very few rods I've had made up for me are Harrison barbel rods, a 12' 1.75 Torrix and an 11'6" Chimera, with a TC around 2lb. Neither involved fancy whippings etc. in each case I wanted a specific reel seat and a shorter than standard handle, and the Chimera wasn't available made up anymore in 2019. In a nice coincidence, Harrison supplied the blank and the rod-builder I asked to make it up, from a list on the Harrison website, told me he made hundreds of these when he worked for Harrison, and almost certainly made the 2003 model I already had - would I like this one identical? Like you, I'm always slightly bemused by the garish whippings and ostentatious handles displayed as examples of rod-builders' work on their websites. Seems to be getting into personalised number plate territory. Another one, also on a Harrison blank, is a 10' fly rod blank with a short full cork handle and two tops, float and quiver. If I ever find a small river with more than one chub per 100m, I'm ready for it.

As for having your name on.... why? I read that when a pushy passenger was giving an airport desk clerk grief - "Do you have any idea who I am?" etc - she got on the tannoy and put out the message: "could anyone with medical expertise come to the desk, please, where we have a passenger who has no idea who he is."

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I have a few custom built rods but none of them have any "bling" features other than my initials (writ small) on the underside of the butt section.

I chose custom to get the exact cork handles, reel fittings and rings that I wanted.

 

[john step]

I cannot recall his name at the moment but a well known rod builder( Birminham ?) had an order for a match rod with something like this transcribed on the butt which he declined to do I think.

" Mick Mack the w*nker spanker"

Edited Terry Eustace is a name that has popped up in the memory cells.

 

[S-Kippy]

I cannot recall his name at the moment but a well known rod builder( Birminham ?) had an order for a match rod with something like this transcribed on the butt which he declined to do I think.

" Mick Mack the w*nker spanker"

Edited Terry Eustace is a name that has popped up in the memory cells.

It was indeed Terry Eustace though I remembered the quote as being

" Mack the Crack's ****er Spanker"

I also recall the tale of a girl asking if he could put something like "To xxxx on the occasion of our engagement from xxxxxx" to which Terry replied that he could put any old sentimental bollox she wanted on a rod.

He didnt get the order !

 

[flightliner]

I've knocked a few rods up over the years, from a boys garden cane job with safety pin runners thro to swing tip rods, a couple of thirteen foot match rods and the odd fly rod.
In every case the tone of them has been one of being very understated save for the TC on a specimen rod.
Its been some thirty years since I made one now as during that period rods in general have improoved,, especially where choice for a given task is concerned.
These days if I need a rod altering I take it to a friend who does it for me.

 

[mikench]

I saw a custom built Spod Rod for sale with fancy rings and seat for £200 and up. Who the heck wants one at all let alone a custom built one?

 

[flightliner]

Any strong 3lb TC rod will be suitable, I use a pike rod,
It throws a spomb just fine and far enough for me on the big waters I use.
Still, someone will buy it Mike, horses for courses and all that!

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I have a few custom rods that I've commissioned over the years, usually because I wanted specific rings and more importantly for me, a full cork handle.

I've not used my marker or spod rods for quite a while in fact mostly since I got my Viper bait bat . . . but as Mick says; horses for courses . . . .

 

[sam vimes]

One was a custom built Harrison Torrix with a matching 6' landing net pole. The net handle came in a bag but the rod did not. The explanation for the absence of a rod bag was that it was a custom made rod. If I was a rod maker I would make sure that from a self marketing perspective that it came in a quality bag with my name featured prominently. Why would you have a rod made with fancy guides, gold/ diamond encrusted/ titanium whippings ,Your initials and not supply it and keep it in a bag ?

Most custom rod builders offer bags, though it's sometimes as an optional extra (at a price). However, many buyers simply don't want them, even if they are free. My regular tackle shop has a draw full of rod bags that customers didn't even want to take when they've purchased their brand new rod.

 

[barbelboi]

The only rods I have had made up were on Harrison blanks by Peregrine (back in the days when they were based near Bath). All came with the heavy duty Harrison bags................

 

[Ray Roberts]

I haven’t built a rod for ages but I am going to have a crack at salvaging one that I broke a few years ago when my barrow tipped over. It was a decent Free spirit 2.5LB tc carp rod. The top section was crushed just below the joint. I had it custom built with a full cork handle at the time. Free spirit couldn’t supply a new section, so it’s been sitting in a cupboard for about eight years. I’m going to take all of the rings off and mark the side they came off, shorten the butt section and make up a new spigot. The whipping thread came today and I bought a couple of new rings of the same size as the smallest for the tip section from; “The Tackle Box”, when I was last in there, as I want to use it for a multiplier. All I’m waiting on now is the heavy duty epoxy for the spigot. I may wait until I’ve actually used it, to work out whether to shorten the butt a little. I will post some photos, before and after once I’ve finished it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[barbelboi]

That's all very well Ray but did you get a bag with it............................

 

[hague01]

The only rods I have had made up were on Harrison blanks by Peregrine (back in the days when they were based near Bath). All came with the heavy duty Harrison bags................

They are still near Bath. Roger made both mine 3 years ago. He was talking of retirement and I know he was unwell last year but the web site suggests still operational. Highly skilled individual!

 

[Ray Roberts]

That's all very well Ray but did you get a bag with it............................

I’ve still got the original bag. I may have to cut it down and sew up the bottom, or tie a knot in it if I can’t be arsed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[hague01]

I have emailed roger to ask if he is still building. I have a hankering for a quality Avon. Dave coster's new rods are due end June and include an Avon I am told.

 

[barbelboi]

Thankfully my Avons are still going strong after some 12 years - the other rod I had made up (bought) from him was a cork handled Balista Slim (2.25) for taking large carp off the top - beautiful playing action.............

 

[hague01]

I hear roger is taking it easy nowadays but still building. Great character, quite a reputation which I was convinced when we fished together for a day, deliberately cultivated and enjoyed.

 

[hague01]

I saw a custom built Spod Rod for sale with fancy rings and seat for £200 and up. Who the heck wants one at all let alone a custom built one?

Having established Roger of peregrine,although taking it easy, is building, I am ordering my Avon. Marroon whippings and silver Wye butt to match the others. Been on my mind for a very long time so nettle grasped.