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Custom Turned Cork Grips on my latest rod, a 13' Centerpin / Float Rod

This was one LUCKY shot. Copyright 2004 Matt Pedersen

This one didn't make the cut in our little "grip war"..but it IS going on my next personal rod.

So a fellow rod builder and I are having a "grip war"...aka. who can turn the cooler grip. This was my latest submission.

Frank Nardomarino donated that Orvis BBS - Bob @ Hook & Hackle donated the blank and a case, Rick K. from Rods by Rick chipped in tons of line, backing, leader, tippet. Me? Turned the handle, guides, and put the thing together.

Dave donated this stunning Reel seat for the Team OC rod.

There's the wrap real close up...inspired by the Winslow Rods reel seat.

This odd mix of side-by-side Blue Dun and Spring Green was the closest color match I could get to the reel seat!

A whole bunch of us got together to put a full combo together. See my website (www.ramblingreports.com) for the whole story.

Again, Tim wanted conservative. I came up with this wrap and well it might just be one of my new favorite patterns.

Going with Tim's "keep it conservative" request, this was all the "decoration" I put into his rod. He LOVED it.

Tim wanted a "conservative rod"...didn't specify much other than that. We stuck with TiCH hardware everywhere including the Pac Bay Channel Lock Reel Seat

first shot at this...I love looking at it all magnified in a photograph...you can't see all those imperfections normally!

Ok, so not quite primary shades but this actually turned out to be a stunning rod. Reel seat is Tulipwood.

This was I picked up from Damon Rods....nice cherry burl making a real signature seat on Spin's 5pc fly rod.

Another look at the single foot snakes on Spin's rod.

Gudebrod Navy makes perfect low contrast wraps on the Forecast blanks (color preserver was used).

Ok, so I just built it with no one in mind for more practice and ended up giving it to spin. The metallic copper and black/white classic twist thread was a surprising color combination.

Yes, just the same wrap on a snake vs. the stripper guide.

Ken was all about red when he selected colors and components for his rod.

I had some fun with this one...took a while but was worth it!