Refurbishing the "Pink Panther" 868-4 from 2011

This rod has been one of my favorite rods, built back in August 2011. I caught some very nice striped bass on it. It needed its single foot guides replaced. The Fuji strippers were OK and also the tip top, so I left those unchanged, but rewrapped them. I put Pac Bay Minima single foots, so hopefully they can last another ten years or so...

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Striped Bass and Conquistador Glass

First week of striped bass fishing in 2020, under COVID-19.

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Retrograph "Sightcast" 906-4

Fresh off the bench...the black rod! The blank was made by CD rods. Stealthy looking streamer rod, medium fast action, syncork grip, Fuji seat, Pac Bay TiCH guides. Built for rugged use in saltwater. It will make a nice sight-casting fly rod for schoolie stripers near my house.

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Syncork Grip Completed

I am not in love with this material. It is hard to work with and it doesn't look that great. However it is very durable.

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Syncork Grip

Laying out a grip to be turned out of Syncork rings. This is an interesting material I obtained and used way back, while living in St. Paul, MN. I still have few rings left and will be using them for the upcoming Retrograph "Sightcast" 9' 6wt.

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Retrograph Fly Rods

L to R: 904, 904, 865, all 4 piece models

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Retrospective

Current builds (on the left) vs old builds from twenty years ago (on the right.) Those were built in 1999, on G. Loomis Mega-taper saltwater fly rod blanks. Caught plenty of fish, but still in pretty good shape.

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