He didn't want to go too long for his first two handed rod, so, after researching the Sage rod lineup, he decided on the 12' 6" three piece rod.
Everything about a two handed rod is long and a departure from the usual for a rod builder. The individual sections required the whole length of my epoxy drying bench.
The usual cork handle on a trout rod is about 6 1/2" long and uses about 13 or 14 cork rings. The upper grip on this rod took over 30 rings. I purchased the bottom grip but reshaped it into a nice sort of Fullwells shape.
This is a big, long rod. The upper grip is nearly fifteen inches long and the lower one plenty for a good baseball bat type hold. The reel seat is from Struble and is a larger diameter than on trout rods and a bit longer to accommodate two locking rings and a lower slider. It is done in nickelsilver with a cocobola wood insert and is wonderfully polished.
Guides on two handed rods are pretty much trout rod fare, but the guide spacing is long, really long. Since shooting line is not nearly as much a consideration with these rods, having more guides is not an advantage. I use standard chrome snakes and ceramic insert strippers both from Pacific Bay.
Bob Venneri machines the winding checks for all the rods I do with his reel seats. I do all the rest myself, from nickel silver, aluminum or black delrin to match black anodized fittings. As you can see, my epoxy work is definitely a craft in itself. I get comments and inquiries about it and Mary Lu's writing almost daily.
This two handed rod is typical of the kinds of things I do on special builds. I don't depart from my recognizable style, yet can give you the options you desire. This rod from Sage is only available with a considerably shorter grip, both upper and lower and a considerably less attractive full metal reel seat. My superior components combined with my superior fit and finish and Mary Lu's wonderful rod bags makes a Performance Fly Rod by Dave Lewis always special to you.
