My new toy finished!

[Steeldrifter]

For the past 3 weeks in between customer rods I have been working on what I consider my "piece de resistance" :D It is a new Steelhead rod for myself and I wanted this to be by far the best build I have done. So I spent a considerable amount of time making sure everything was just how I wanted it, and now that it is done I feel it was worth the wait.

Blank is a prototype blank that Batson made just for me and is a 10ft 7wt 4pc Rainshadow.

Grips- The grips are coated with 9 coats of Marine grade spar urethane and hand smoothed between each coat. That alone took about 5 days work to do that. I did the grips in somewhat of a "mini spey" style so that it would keep the reel away from my vest and all the stuff hanging off the vest when a big Steelhead decides to make a run. I rounded the rear grip and plugged it then sanded it smooth so it doesn't require any cap. The front grip is 9.5" long and is 1/2" rubberized ring, two turns of gold thread, 1/8" rubber gasket material, 1/4" dark mix, 1/4" rubber gasket material with 3 turns of gold thread, 1/2" burnt, 11 rings dark mix, 1/2" burnt, 3 turns gold thread, 1/4" rubber gasket material, 1/4" dark mix, 1/8" gasket material, two turns gold thread, 1/2" rubberized.

Reel seat is bethlehem olive wood with nickle silver hardware and two lock nuts (used a 2nd set of hardware for the extra lock nut.

Has a polished metal winding check both on the front of the grip and then another used as a transition piece between the rear of the threaded barrel and the rear grip.

The main wraps are black, Teal, metallic gold, single turn trim on the edges of the black both inner and outer, then double turn gold between the teal and outer black. Over 120+ single turn trim bands on the whole rod.

The feather inlays are done over a base of black thread with teal and gold trim, and are something that I just started with nothing specific in mind for the feather inlay when I started it. I just sat down and started working on it and this is what came to me. All in all there are 58 Jungle Cock feathers in total in the feather inlay.

opposite the feather inlay I had an idea to do something I have never seen on a rod before. My favorite river to fish and where this rod will be used the most is the Au Sable river. So I took a quill pen and hand drew the course of the Au Sable from a map on the blank, then put the main towns that I fish along the course from the start of the headwaters in Grayling to the outflow at the mouth in Oscoda.

Guides are double foot snake guides with a FUJI fully Titanium frame stripper and an oversized tip top.

I also matched it up with a new fully machined reel and a custom tube I made just for this rod.

I'll be putting it to use in a few days and hope to have some pics of the first Steelhead it lands.

Steve

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/2060/steel1t.jpg

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/8286/steel2x.jpg

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/4599/steel3.jpg

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/7007/steel4v.jpg

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/3934/steel5.jpg

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7177/steel6.jpg

http://img864.imageshack.us/img864/5316/steel7.jpg

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/7589/steel8.jpg

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/6898/steel14.jpg

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/7353/steel9.jpg

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/6583/steel10.jpg

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/8229/steel11.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/9772/steel12s.jpg

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/4484/steel13.jpg

[NewtoThisGame]

o...m........g

[bear]

You are out of control. very nice!

[GWP]

Nice!
Wondering how they built it to your preferences. Did you supply them with some CCS figures?

[lhadad]

The sky limit has been reached.

[hoyhj40]

Wow!!!! Looks great!!!

[Steeldrifter]

Nice!
Wondering how they built it to your preferences. Did you supply them with some CCS figures?


Thanks guys. GWP the action/CCS of the blank they make commercially (10ft 7wt 2pc) I already liked, so I just had them copy the same taper of that blank but only in a 4pc version. Why they don't offer that blank in a 4pc already commercially is beyond me, because hardly anyone wants to tote around a 5ft rod tube now a days it seems.

Steve

[GWP]

I hear that!! Good luck with it, hope to see some pics.

[BaKDRFT]

I would be afraid to take it out and use it

[Gunnar]

WOW Steve!
That rod is amazing!!
The 120 single turns make me shudder just thinking about them :eek:
Love the JC inlay and the craftsmanship of the grip.....and the map of the Au Sable is especially cool!
You sir are a true Jedi !! :cool:

[Ray D-O]

It is good hand that make good thing - This is more than good.
Thanks for showing and make my keyboard wet with drool.

[grizzlybaffler]

Take that beautiful rod out and get it dirty by catching a steelhead! Great looking pole and I mean that in the most heterosexual way possible

[River Swan]

Drifter - That is a gnarly rod! i mean that in a good way!

late - RS

[Blueracer]

Way to put all those ideas together into one rod Steve.

Question for you about the urethane: how exactly did you hand smooth it? I've brushed on a few layers on a rod before to keep the cork from soiling and protect it better from dirt, slim and grime but never so many layers. So did you do something besides even brush strokes? That's all I thought I needed to do. It sounds like you did something different. Please advise. Thanks!

[Steeldrifter]

Blueracer I took some scotchbrite and rubbed down the entire grip between each coat. That helps to get rid of any tiny imperfections that are in the finish so that it comes out glass smooth.

Steve

[Boardinluke]

Beautiful.

[Driften]

Prettiest hot rod I've seen this summer! :)

[GoldenOliver]

All I have to say is that is a lot of jungle cock. :eek: