Here We Go Again
Building from my past experience replacing a heavy fluker's rod grips from the rear - as documented in an earlier thread, I've put in a fair amount of time considering another, similar make-over. But this one will be far more difficult, and I'm not entirely convinced that it will turn out to the same level of quality and satisfaction.
But nothing ventured, nothing gained, and so this time I am tackling a Cape Fear rod that I've never quite "taken to." For those that are unfamiliar with this company's products, back in the late '90's Cape Fear was a well-regarded "boutique" brand that pioneered, perfected and produced 6-sided rod blanks (and complete rods); constructed of unidirectional high-modulus graphite "wedges," bonded together at the edges and center. Building in this manner what they created was a very strong blank, albeit just a touch heavier in weight than a typical high modulus tubular blank - which is only to be expected, despite the advanced carbon sheets that they used. Ehh, ya gotta give to get in this world. Trade-offs, its always a question of trade-offs.
In order to artificially create a "spine," they blended some S-glass into one of the panels. This panel was meant to carry the guide set.
Cape Fear was a fairly popular esoteric manufacturer right up until the second Gulf War - when the type of graphite they required became scarce, due to war-time aerospace needs, or so I'm told. They ran thru their remaining inventory of the raw graphite, then tried other grades and types of graphite - with less than satisfactory results. And so, after a couple years, that was that, they went under.
Anyway, my particular rod started life as a factory built model # ADV174-70C, and though I liked it well enough, I always felt that the rear handle was too short and the guide set was not in keeping with a list price in the mid-$300's. That was a TON of money for a "factory" rod back then; even one as techy as this one. Additionally, it always felt a bit tip-heavy, which for me was the main reason I never bonded with it. I did occasionally take it deep fluking and Bay clam chumming, mounting a proper bait caster, but it was always one of the last rods I reached for when heading out.
So back when Capt, Neil was still building rods, we stripped the "less-than-Fuji" factory guide set, took a inch or so off the tip to "tighten" it up a bit, and added a few inches to the rear cork butt. It was A LOT of work for Neil, as wrapping a blank like this was bad enough , what with the guide thread not wanting to snug tightly on the hex blank without gaps.
Worse still, the guide wraps' epoxy finish also proved problematic, refusing to lay evenly while rotating in his rod dryer - as it tended to migrate to the 6 "high points" of the blank. I do not know what he did to get it to flatten properly, but whatever it was, it worked, and he delivered the rod back to me, ready to go.
Yeah, great, except I still couldn't bond with it. Still a wee bit tip heavy, and I had other rods that I just flat out liked more for the apps that this rod would fill. So it's been sitting in its rack in my basement for a least 15 seasons, waiting for the day that I either took another shot at "fixing" it, or maybe just selling it off - as there appears to be a substantial market for customs built on the original CF Hextech blanks.
Most that know me well will tell you that I'm not one to sell anything. I'm kind of a fishing gear pack rack. So it was just a matter of time 'til I got around to this project. And now is that time.
If you want to read a bit on the Cape Fear technology and lineup - check out this article, borrowed with respect from Tacktour.com:
Cape Fear Rods - Technical Bass Hextek Technology
End Part One - plenty more on tap.
Building from my past experience replacing a heavy fluker's rod grips from the rear - as documented in an earlier thread, I've put in a fair amount of time considering another, similar make-over. But this one will be far more difficult, and I'm not entirely convinced that it will turn out to the same level of quality and satisfaction.
But nothing ventured, nothing gained, and so this time I am tackling a Cape Fear rod that I've never quite "taken to." For those that are unfamiliar with this company's products, back in the late '90's Cape Fear was a well-regarded "boutique" brand that pioneered, perfected and produced 6-sided rod blanks (and complete rods); constructed of unidirectional high-modulus graphite "wedges," bonded together at the edges and center. Building in this manner what they created was a very strong blank, albeit just a touch heavier in weight than a typical high modulus tubular blank - which is only to be expected, despite the advanced carbon sheets that they used. Ehh, ya gotta give to get in this world. Trade-offs, its always a question of trade-offs.
In order to artificially create a "spine," they blended some S-glass into one of the panels. This panel was meant to carry the guide set.
Cape Fear was a fairly popular esoteric manufacturer right up until the second Gulf War - when the type of graphite they required became scarce, due to war-time aerospace needs, or so I'm told. They ran thru their remaining inventory of the raw graphite, then tried other grades and types of graphite - with less than satisfactory results. And so, after a couple years, that was that, they went under.
Anyway, my particular rod started life as a factory built model # ADV174-70C, and though I liked it well enough, I always felt that the rear handle was too short and the guide set was not in keeping with a list price in the mid-$300's. That was a TON of money for a "factory" rod back then; even one as techy as this one. Additionally, it always felt a bit tip-heavy, which for me was the main reason I never bonded with it. I did occasionally take it deep fluking and Bay clam chumming, mounting a proper bait caster, but it was always one of the last rods I reached for when heading out.
So back when Capt, Neil was still building rods, we stripped the "less-than-Fuji" factory guide set, took a inch or so off the tip to "tighten" it up a bit, and added a few inches to the rear cork butt. It was A LOT of work for Neil, as wrapping a blank like this was bad enough , what with the guide thread not wanting to snug tightly on the hex blank without gaps.
Worse still, the guide wraps' epoxy finish also proved problematic, refusing to lay evenly while rotating in his rod dryer - as it tended to migrate to the 6 "high points" of the blank. I do not know what he did to get it to flatten properly, but whatever it was, it worked, and he delivered the rod back to me, ready to go.
Yeah, great, except I still couldn't bond with it. Still a wee bit tip heavy, and I had other rods that I just flat out liked more for the apps that this rod would fill. So it's been sitting in its rack in my basement for a least 15 seasons, waiting for the day that I either took another shot at "fixing" it, or maybe just selling it off - as there appears to be a substantial market for customs built on the original CF Hextech blanks.
Most that know me well will tell you that I'm not one to sell anything. I'm kind of a fishing gear pack rack. So it was just a matter of time 'til I got around to this project. And now is that time.
If you want to read a bit on the Cape Fear technology and lineup - check out this article, borrowed with respect from Tacktour.com:
Cape Fear Rods - Technical Bass Hextek Technology
End Part One - plenty more on tap.
Not exactly open to new things when it comes to fishing.....
