9', 4pc, 4/5

kbproctor · January 19, 2011, 11:11pm

This is a 9’, 4pc, 4/5 on a Tiger Eye blank.

I turned a Cocobolo insert for the Pac Bay A7 TiCH hardware. The grip is a rework of a cork grip that was pretty pitted. I whacked the ends off, replaced them with burl, turned that and wrapped the rest of the original grip with rattan accented with Pro Wrap Brass Metallic. It has a feather inlay on the grip made to look like one of the old winged wet flies as well as a Jungle Cock inlay ahead of the grip.

Ahead of the grip, I put “Liars Marks” at 12, 16, 20, and 24 inches. Those are the silver metallic wraps you see in the photos. I wrapped the TiCH single foot guides with Gudebrod Olive with Pro Wrap Brass Metallic Accents.

lastchance · January 19, 2011, 11:38pm

Beautiful. How did you make that wet fly inlay? Is that a painted hook with actual feathers inlayed?
Bruce

kbproctor · January 19, 2011, 11:43pm

No, that is a real hook. I got a bunch of cheap Ebay hooks that bend pretty easily. I bent the hook sideways to match the curve of the grip and then cut a split in the grip to push the hook into so it was flush. Once the CA glue had set, I used bits and pieces of feathers to create the illusion of the fly. I used CP to stick the feather pieces down. The whole grip is finished with Mudhole’s Pro Kote thread finish.

dave_potts · January 20, 2011, 12:39am

Very nice Kevin. Those Tiger Eye rods are beautiful in the sunlight. I really like that grip.

Dave

rayhill190 · January 20, 2011, 2:50am

Kevin,
Wow,you have come far in a short period of time.Love your work.Ray

kbproctor · January 20, 2011, 4:25am

Thank you. I still have a long way to go, though. My grips are not quite where I want them, yet and the finish technique is still evolving, but I’ll get there.

thunderthumbs · January 21, 2011, 4:30pm

Wow, KB, that’s a really ugly rod! Just send it to me and I’ll make sure nobody else ever uses it. I’m just kidding, that’s beautiful!

TT.

kbproctor · January 21, 2011, 4:43pm

Sorry, TT. That one already has a new home.

fishdog54 · January 22, 2011, 7:37pm

Kevin,

Beautiful - A lot of work in that handle!! Nice try TT, he (Kevin) almost fell for your sly deception!! LOL!! Can’t blame you though! Was thinking the same thing - MANY TIMES!!

Best regards, Dave S.

jimsnarocks · January 23, 2011, 4:23pm

Kevin, Love the work on the grip. That is a nice looking rod.
Where do you get the Pro-wrap accents? Jim

kbproctor · January 23, 2011, 8:53pm

ProWrap is Mudhole’s line of threads and it is nice stuff. Similar to Gudebrod in the way it wraps with lots
more colors.