Handle Extension

[Baldy]

I have a 7'6" Premier MH that I use for jerks and big cranks. I love the rod, but the handle is too short for me. Anybody know where I can get a longer butt for the rod?

Thanks -
Baldy

[davelumb]

I have extended a couple of St Croix handles for pike anglers who had the same problem here in the UK. Any professional rod builder should be able do the job for you, or you could do it yourself. It's easy enough to do, but finding the materials might be difficult.

You'll need a piece of carbon rod blank of the same taper as the rod blank, and cork to fit the outside of that.

I think current SC rods have a rubber/cork compound at the butt end of the rod. This can be cut off and the remains reamed out from inside the blank.

Make sure that the piece of carbon you insert into the butt is thick enough in the wall to stand powerful casts - ideally it should be slightly thicker than the rod blank's wall. Glue at least six inches of the extension inside the rod butt. Use a two pack epoxy glue for this - thin the glue by heating and smear a THIN film on the extension piece before inserting it. Push well in and tape the joint with masking tape - or the extension might pop out as the glue sets.

Leave for 24 hours then trim to length, fit and shape cork rings (using an expanding glue will make this easier as you will be fitting against the taper of the blank - if that makes sense), then add a new butt cap to tidy the job up.

Hope this is some help.

Dave Lumb