My Late Fathers Surf Rod - Thank you Dave
In 1991 at the age of just 51 my father suffered a massive heart failure and passed on from this world. Something about hardening of the arteries. I was just 21 and anyone who has lost a mate will know the feeling.
Now I didn't get much at all by way of inheritance, but i did get his old Surf rod. Now this rod has done some work I gotta tell ya. I have a picture of me with him on the rocks at Straddie and I must have been about 4 years old, and that was 1974, so it has to be around 40 years old now.
He and his rod had dragged a heap of tailor up the beach over the years and I do recall stories of big Spaniards off the rocks at Point Lookout. The good old days!! Anyway, when I was given the rod it had had a hard life, and sadly for the rod, things were not going to get better any time soon. Not only had the rod lost it's owner but it had now been given to a young man who was mad into drag racing and NOT fishing. So sadly it was shoved up the top of the shed roof where it lay for another 15 years.
Life is a funny thing and it's amazing how your priorities change. Cars give way to girls, and girls give way to house and a wife, then comes kids and then....Well a bloke needs some solitude from all the noise of life. So you find yourself standing on a beach, with your old mans Surf rod in your hands. Like I say, it's funny how life works.
Now a rod as valuable as this deserves better and I finally made the decision to have it rebuilt. I was going to do it myself and I spent hours reading threads in here....but I just didn't trust myself to do it right. Now the only bloke I know who builds rods is the guy from Budds Bait and Tackle in Cleveland. So off I went.
On arrival at Budds the signage had changed to "Mossips" and I am told the prior Rod builder has gone. " But dont worry we have a new guy....Dave"
What a dilemma!! There I am standing there with the most valuable possession I own and I am supposed to just hand it to some bloke called Dave. So I swallowed down hard and with a leap of faith handed the rod over.
Well, I just want to thank Dave for the amazing job he did on this old rod. I would go as far as to say that the old man must have given you a hand in some way because he also would have loved the job you did. Thank you Dave.
It turns out that underneath that old Mulberry coloured (Dad must have painted it at some stage) paint job lay an early Len Butterworth. No wonder the thing casts like a cannon. Long live the name Len Butterworth. Check out the texture that Dave achieved by simply sanding the rod and then clear coating...Looks fantastic in the flesh.
I am glad that Dave retained much of the original hardware while at the same time adding some mod cons like Fuji Guides. Does anyone know where I can get a replacement rubber for the butt??
The Boys at Mossips want me to put it on the wall...but I have a quite promise to keep, and that is to stand my two sons in the sand and give them a turn with the old girl...You never know how there life is gunna turn out. Funny how life works!!
Regards to all
BilgeBoy
Reply With Quote
