If you’ve been a craftsmen of sorts for a extended period of time, pushing the limits of your ability is not uncommon. There comes a time where you may even wish to try something outside your boundary and really test yourself. For a Custom Rod Builder I think building a Leather Stand-Up Game Rod in white thread is definitely at the top of the hardest tests you can put yourself through.
You may ask, “why even bother?” For me it’s because I know it’s hard and because I want to know if I can do it. I want to know my limits and discover how far I can go. Not that I’m constantly asking the question but after several years of pursuing your craft you can’t help compare you abilities with those that occupy the same art. For me, the nonstop scrutiny of my own work helps in not only improving my skill level but also my passion. That hunger to contribute to the art of Rod Building in an artistic, practical and engineering discipline is what drives me and what I hope makes me a better builder. No matter which discipline you’re pursuing, you’re not going to get any better standing still. Though, loving what you do makes it a lot easier. Whether it’s testing a blank on the deflection board or trying to come up with new well balanced thread pattern, that need to keep striving for perfection is what I love about my art.
When I decided to attempt this complicated build I knew that without forward planning I would come undone. The most difficult steps, back and front grip ramps, blending of overbinds with trim work, white threadwork finish on leather would require foresight and skill. This Northern Deep Reef beast required ample ingenuity and even more patience. Built on a Double Helical Core Neritica 6′, 30-50Kg line rated blank, leather 14″ Game grip, ALPS HXN 37Kg boat guides, makes it the perfect setup for an Overhead for North Australian Deep Reef fishing. Obviously for this piece, I extended its complexity by binding the entire rod with white coloured thread with simple gold and gunsmoke trims and marbling for centre trims.
A labour of love would have to be the most accurate description but one of the most rewarding builds I’ve ever completed. If I was requested to repeat the build, I wouldn’t hesitate, mainly to improve it even more.
