9’ 5 Wt featuring a Mike Popick Birch Bark grip.
Not long ago I broke my favorite 5 weight. I have had the grip and reel seat for several years and decided it was about time to put it to use. Thanks Mike for a great grip and reel seat!
Particulars:
Blank: 9’ 5 weight 4 piece private label
Handle and reel seat: Birch bark grip with spalted maple accents and a spalted maple reel seat turned by Mike. I added the black accents in the grip. Finished with 3/4 coats of Tru-Oil.
Guides: Black with black ceramic inserts
Wraps: 1/8 inch gold mylar tape overwrapped 1/16 inch with Gudebrod #340 “A” and continued up over guide foot. No color preservative and finished with Flex-Coat epoxy.
Inscription: Gold Speedball ink applied with a nib ink pen.
You will absolutely love using the Popick grip and reel seat! Beauty in engineering and esthetics. Actually warms up in your hand when you’re casting!
You’ve done a beautiful job in your building!!Two great works, together! Doesn’t get much better!!
Very nice. I’ve always been a huge fan of birch bark grips!
Really nice. Are birch grips heavy?
I didn’t think them any heavier than a good cork. They’re composed of little bitty thin layers of the bark from the birch tree.
That is one real pretty rod. Jim
Sirrom,
Just beautiful! A wonderful job on matching the wraps with the seat and handle - they really compliment each other. Those birch bark handles are really something else!
Best regards, Dave S.
Very nice! The handle and reel seat are beautiful! I wish I could do inscriptions like that!
Thanks everyone for your kind comments.
Baitwaister, et al.
I cheat when I do the inscriptions. I use a font on the computer, one that is written rather than printed. Quill is probably my favorite font. Print it out the appropriate size on a thin piece of paper. Make “poor man’s” carbon paper by rubbing pencil over the back of the printing. This works better than carbon paper and even graphite paper. Prepare the area where the inscription will go by roughing it up with a pencil eraser. ( All you want is to make the area look dull, this dullness will disappear when the finish is applied) Transfer the inscription using a fairly thin, but blunted scribe. A ball point pen with a small ball works well. Then use the old time pen nib and your choice of colored Speedball ink or watered down acrylic paint and “paint” your inscription. If you don’t like the way the inscription comes out, it is a very easy to remove it and start over. Let dry completely. Then simply flow the finish over the inscrption being careful not to touch it. I use a spatula.
BTW Do all thread work before you do the inscription, including adding color preservative, but before you add the finish coat.
Sweet looking rod!!! Congrats
Fatman
Love that grip and seat.