San Diego Rod from Way Back In Time

Started by Classic Mako, June 09, 2021, 10:18:15 PM

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Classic Mako

Found this one at a Garage Sale in Port Angeles, WA, a couple of years ago.    Reel seat was a corroded mass of aluminum.   Original cord wrap on the butt was rotten and covered with electrical tape. The owner was about 80 years old, retired some 15 years ago and moved to Port Angeles to get away from the S. Cali hustle.



Wraps were not bad, re done by the owner a few years before the garage sale.  The rod is a 9 foot one piece Calcutta Bamboo used on the head boats many years ago.  Sort of heavy action, it pulls about like my 50 pound 8 foot E Glass rod.





Butt end.



Installing a new old stock Varmac reel seat that I had in the junk box.





Seat on with new cord wrap.





Weaving new Turk's heads



For the wrap



Ready to fish





I put the period Long Beach Live Bait reel back on and took it Halibut jigging.  Dredged up a 37 pounder with the combo, out in the Straits of Juan De Fuca, on the Rock Pile at 140 feet.  Slack tide so I could get the 10 oz jig down to the rocks.

As near as I can tell the Live Bait Penn is about vintage 1947.  Maybe you Penn Collectors will have a better idea.



The Live Bait with an old Long Beach.



Now it has its place hanging in the collection.





Wompus Cat

Stunning ,Astonishing,Artistic,Excellent are only a Start for the work you have accomplished.
Nice Job on those original weaves.

Thanks for posting .
Love the set-up!
If a Grass Hopper Carried a Shotgun then the Birds wouldn't MESS with Him

Classic Mako

Yea I am retired, love fishing and rod building.

A couple of deep drop Halibut Rods, finished them a few weeks ago.  Will have to post photos of them finished.   Will have Electra Mates installed.





I have a 8 foot Rainshadow blank in the lathe now, 40-80 Tuna Jigging Blank.  It will be used for jigging Halibut with 6 to 10 oz jigs.   Will take a few pics and post.


Jeri

Nice to see some historic rods rebuilt. Have a 1950's Hardy boat rod as a project when I get round to it, the workmanship of the components back then was huge, The reel seat on its own is a machinists dream.

Well done.

Rocket Dog

I'm jealous of your wark bench and area..... I got to clean out my garage.

Ron Jones

Where are you that you are shopping in Port Angeles? I am in Quilcene when I am not at the Boss'.

The Man
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

oc1

REALLY nicely done in every detail.  The original builder did a good job with the bamboo as well.  How did the calcutta feel fishing?  Probably came home a little bent, huh?

Donnyboat

Great job in every detail, thanks for the pics, cheers Don.
Don, or donnyboat

Classic Mako

#8
Quote from: Ron Jones on June 10, 2021, 06:38:28 AM
Where are you that you are shopping in Port Angeles? I am in Quilcene when I am not at the Boss'.

The Man

East side of Port Angeles, up Mount Pleasant Road.   I can see Victoria B.C. from the driveway, looking across the Straits and my favorite fishing area, Coyote Bank, 31-36 Bank, and the Rock Pile area.

Found the Calcutta rod on the way to the dump on the west side of Port Angeles,  just happened to pass by the yard sale and saw fishing rods.   Cost me all of $5.

I am just 10 miles from Batson and Utmost, I mainly use Batson/Rainshadow components and blanks, I buy through Utmost as I am not a dealer.


Classic Mako

Quote from: oc1 on June 10, 2021, 06:40:34 AM
REALLY nicely done in every detail.  The original builder did a good job with the bamboo as well.  How did the calcutta feel fishing?  Probably came home a little bent, huh?

This Calcutta is a very strong rod, I had no problem with the 37 pound Halibut.   It already had a bend, likely from age and growth conditions, did not add to any bend with the Hali.

Back in my Florida days (1960's) we made shark rods using Calcutta, just gotta pick the  correct blank.  The fishing stores all had barrels full of big Calcutta for rod making, ah, the  good old days, cannot find a good Calcutta any more.

Classic Mako

Quote from: Rocket Dog on June 10, 2021, 06:33:52 AM
I'm jealous of your wark bench and area..... I got to clean out my garage.


The shop is actually a small machine shop, I clear off one of the benches when rod making. When not in use the rod lathe hangs up in the ceiling with the rods and rod blanks.



Classic Mako

The other rack:



Gluing up 80 pound blanks to Aluminum Butts



The machine shop tooling comes in handy when making the heavy class rods:




oc1

#12
Quote from: Classic Mako on June 10, 2021, 04:59:38 PM
Back in my Florida days (1960's) we made shark rods using Calcutta, just gotta pick the  correct blank.  The fishing stores all had barrels full of big Calcutta for rod making, ah, the  good old days, cannot find a good Calcutta any more.
That's how it was in Corpus Christi back then too.  The largest tarpon I ever caught (6'2") was off a pier with a Calcutta rod.  

Frank's Supply in Huntington Beach, CA sells a lot of bamboo products including good Calcutta cane.  The longest they will ship is eight foot but you can specify how they trim the culm to get the diameter you want.  To build a longer calcutta surf rod you would need the culm cut in half and shipped it two pieces.

Nice machine shop.

Classic Mako

Quote from: oc1 on June 10, 2021, 07:12:47 PM
Quote from: Classic Mako on June 10, 2021, 04:59:38 PM
Back in my Florida days (1960's) we made shark rods using Calcutta, just gotta pick the  correct blank.  The fishing stores all had barrels full of big Calcutta for rod making, ah, the  good old days, cannot find a good Calcutta any more.
That's how it was in Corpus Christi back then too.  The largest tarpon I ever caught (6'2") was off a pier with a Calcutta rod.  

Frank's Supply in Huntington Beach, CA sells a lot of bamboo products including good Calcutta cane.  The longest they will ship is eight foot but you can specify how they trim the culm to get the diameter you want.  To build a longer calcutta surf rod you would need the culm cut in half and shipped it two pieces.

Nice machine shop.


Thanks for the tip, Calcutta is none existent here.  Lots of carbon fiber composite blanks though, over at Batson/Rainshadow.

I have a friend that is moving to this area, he is a bit east of San Diego nmow.  Might be able to talk him into visiting Franks and picking up some Calcutta for me.  His new home is about 5 miles from mine.   He will be bringing horses, so a few Calcuttas will be an easy fit in the horse dtrailer.

oc1

#14
I have always been curious about Batson.  Do they have an exclusive deal with some big Asian manufacturer or something.  Maybe I'm imagining it, but it seems like you can always tell if a blank is from that manufacturer.  Some are sold as Rainshadow, some are sold as other brands, and some sold unbranded.  All exactly alike.