For the past two years, I've been donating a rod to a local Sportsman's League for their annual banquet. The rod is auctioned off and the proceeds go to the Youth Conservation Leadership Camp that the league sponsors. The first year, I just did a basic assembly rod...a 5' UL St. Croix SCIII. The only special thing was the club's pin inlayed in the butt cap. Last year, I stepped it up a bit and build a 5'9" UL Shikari SHIII with a green box elder burl reel seat and some inlayed burl cork on the grips. It too had the club's pin inlayed in the butt. Figuring since I did trout/panfish rods in the previous years, I wanted to do something a little more special......I opted to build a 10' steelhead rod. This is what I came up with:

NICE, let us know what it brings...

Sweeet looking build!

How did you get the single line of accent color in the guide wrap?

I am currently working on my first build and I can only hope to one day be able to do a build half as nice as that one looks...

How did you get the single line of accent color in the guide wrap?

I tied a piece of metallic thread into the wrap about 1/8" after I started it. Then I folded it back and continued to wrap the guide. Once I was almost finished, I layed the trim thread back over the wrap and continued to wrap over it, pulling the trim taught. About 3 or 4 wraps from completing, I trimmed off the excess trim thread and finished the wrap. It's easier to do than explain!

Instead of an auction this year, the club sold raffle tickets. The raffle took in $215 for the Conservation school..

Beautiful build Scott. What blank & guides did you choose to use?

Thank you all for the compliments. It didn't bring as much as I would have hoped, but every little bit helps. Tickets were $5 each or 3 for $10. The guy that won it got a SMOKIN' deal. $10 for a rod that I would have charged $385+ tax for.

Blank: All Star IGSH1202-2 (10'-0" ML/Fast) One of the last USA made AllStars. I still have one of these left in my personal inventory.

Guides: Pac Bay Minima, Fuji Alconite tip.

Winding Check: Batson AWWCO

Reel Seat: Batson RA-8.5

Wood: reelseatblanks.com Green box elder burl (finished with TruOil)

Grips: burl cork

Decal: Decal Connection peel-n-stick (green over silver)

Wow haven't seen any Shikari blanks since 06.

You must have got in on the sell off from Merrick Tackle.

Very Nice Build...

Tight Lines!

Wow haven't seen any Shikari blanks since 06.

Picked up the Shikari's in 2005 from Bingham. Got the All Stars at the ICRBE in 2006.

Picked up the Shikari's in 2005 from Bingham. Got the All Stars at the ICRBE in 2006.

Yeah Karen was my supplier for over 15 years.

Again nice work...

Finally got the good pics uploaded.

Outstanding. I was going to kid you about the fuscia blank but after seeing these pics I decide to keep my mouth shut.

I was going to kid you about the fuscia blank

I like my 6'8" MXF fuschia rod but it may be going up for sale shortly. I have a new 6'10" MXF SCV that needs built and I REALLY REALLY like my SCV's!! I figure I can sell the pink one to pay for the guides for the new one!

Yea or you give it to your wife. Have you seen any of the 2013 legend extreme blanks? Wandering how they compare to the 2012 blanks.

Yea or you give it to your wife. Have you seen any of the 2013 legend extreme blanks? Wandering how they compare to the 2012 blanks.

She's not a pink kind of girl, besides, she already has a 6'8" MXF SCIV and wouldn't want to go backwards! Haven't handled the 2013 blanks yet. I have a 6'10" MLXF on order though. Gonna give the wife my 6'9" MLXF SCV once I get the new one built and probably sell her SCIV MLXF.

Top notch work Scott! Great fit and finish all the way around. Love the cork and wood. Steve K. from realseats has some awesome wood and you did it justice!

Mike

very nice build man i like it alot