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Epic 686 by Fine Tackle
Post 27 Jun 2017, 02:50 • #1 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/22/09
Posts: 1494
Location: Sweden
Here is another recently finished Epic 686. This was built to a returning customer and friend here in Sweden. The reel seat is made of NS skeleton and Bocote, and has an ergonomic transition to a comfortable reversed Ritz grip, with a slight flare in thumb position. Light chrome guides wrapped in YLI silk, and a Mildrum style stripping guide.

Thanks for looking!
Christian

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Post 27 Jun 2017, 05:40 • #2 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/29/09
Posts: 906
Location: US-MI
Beautiful build. Well done.


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Post 27 Jun 2017, 05:43 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 10/10/15
Posts: 427
Location: Italy
Very very nice Christian !!

Paolo.


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Post 27 Jun 2017, 07:30 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/26/12
Posts: 1778
Location: Dubois Pa
Beautiful!

Bob


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Post 27 Jun 2017, 12:54 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/22/09
Posts: 1494
Location: Sweden
:)


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Epic 686 by Fine Tackle
Post 27 Jun 2017, 14:27 • #6 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 08/25/08
Posts: 1526
Location: Delton, MI
That Reverse Ritz grip is one of the most comfortable and useful grips for rods 6wt and over. I like it for smaller grips as well. Unlike many grips that have swells, it has a straight or lightly curved section that allows you to slide your hand up and down it slightly. During the course of a day's fishing, this helps reduce grip fatigue to a large degree. What feels great at the beginning of the day, doesn't always feel so great at midday or at the end of the day. This grip design is made for seasoned fisherman who fish long hours. It's an absolutely terrific choice! Kudos! By the way....Hi, Christian! We missed you at this years MichiGlass! We'd love to see you come back. You are always welcome!


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Post 27 Jun 2017, 14:57 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/22/09
Posts: 1494
Location: Sweden
CrustyBugger wrote:
That Reverse Ritz grip is one of the most comfortable and useful grips for rods 6wt and over. I like it for smaller grips as well. Unlike many grips that have swells, it has a straight or lightly curved section that allows you to slide your hand up and down it slightly. During the course of a day's fishing, this helps reduce grip fatigue to a large degree. What feels great at the beginning of the day, doesn't always feel so great at midday or at the end of the day. This grip design is made for seasoned fisherman who fish long hours. It's an absolutely terrific choice! Kudos! By the way....Hi, Christian! We missed you at this years MichiGlass! We'd love to see you come back. You are always welcome!


Thanks, Crusty! I missed you too. I was actually in the area in mid June, but business only and in Chicago. Let's target next year! Thanks for your kind words, always appreciated.


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Post 27 Jun 2017, 19:55 • #8 
Guide
Joined: 02/16/16
Posts: 213
Location: US-NY
That is beautiful, I really like the clear wraps on that blank ! Simplicity personified !


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Post 27 Jun 2017, 20:23 • #9 
Guide
Joined: 08/29/15
Posts: 292
Location: The Cottonwoods, NM
Really nice build and a purposeful taper....


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Post 28 Jun 2017, 01:51 • #10 
Master Guide
Joined: 03/13/16
Posts: 540
Location: Brielle, The Netherlands
Hi Christian,

This is really again a beauty, woodwork is TOP.

Nico


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Post 28 Jun 2017, 06:56 • #11 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
Very nice photo and account of the grip, which indeed has an idea behind its elegant appearance. Essentially, the more distinctly contoured a grip, the more potential it has to be perfect for some hands or one hand, but imperfect for many hands or one hand in multiple positions. Gradual contours offer more options for the individual and the many, and it will be perfect or close more often. In a way, the simple cigar grip is another form of the same idea. Essentially, toward the upper and lower ends of a grip, some want a narrowing taper, some want a boss. The permutations depend on the thumb and the heel of the hand.

When it looks great and works great, that is a grip. Thanks for showing.


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Epic 686 by Fine Tackle
Post 28 Jun 2017, 08:16 • #12 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 08/25/08
Posts: 1526
Location: Delton, MI
Yes, but it's not just how it accommodates more hands, it's also about how it accommodates an individual's hand over time. During a fishing session, your hand can feel more comfortable switching position slightly. This helps greatly. It's like driving your car on a long trip. You shift around back and forth to stay comfortable.


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Post 28 Jun 2017, 09:43 • #13 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/30/10
Posts: 1847
Location: Michigan
Very nice!


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Post 28 Jun 2017, 10:13 • #14 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/25/09
Posts: 2319
Great looking build


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Post 28 Jun 2017, 12:01 • #15 
Master Guide
Joined: 05/24/13
Posts: 364
Location: US-PA
Looks great!


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Post 28 Jun 2017, 19:40 • #16 
Sport
Joined: 12/25/12
Posts: 76
Location: Canada
Christian, I love the way you transitioned the seat to the grip on this rod, very creative and stylish! It's the first time I have seen this treatment. The spacer is also exceptionally handsome, as the rod as a whole is. I've never been drawn towards "nude" blanks, but you finished this one out wonderfully and I really like what you have achieved with the rod.


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Post 28 Jun 2017, 21:05 • #17 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/09
Posts: 5561
Location: Relocated to the Drought Stricken West.
As on all your rods, the design elements are wonderful and it is executed perfectly. The more I look at the rod, the more I see the beauty in it.

No flourishes. Subtle wrap color, with no trim bands allow the guide feet to be their own decoration. No winding check, but a perfect fit of the cork to the blank. And the bag completes the package.


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Post 01 Jul 2017, 10:56 • #18 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/30/09
Posts: 2527
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
That's a seriously cool use of symmetry with the seat/grip transition. And Wonderful grip too!


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Post 02 Jul 2017, 07:53 • #19 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/22/11
Posts: 1720
Location: US-TX
Function and form. Excellent.


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Post 04 Jul 2017, 04:47 • #20 
Sport
Joined: 01/04/16
Posts: 48
Location: Poland
This is very nice rod, but in my humble opinion the functionality of this grip is questionable.
The transition is bulky, if one compare it to Mr. Harada's inventions.
Mr. Harada's grips have been evaluated with a focus on ergonomics, based on field tests,
what is clearly visible. This example seems to be an aesthetic oriented choice, what is fine.
The design should be credited to the japanese master.


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Post 04 Jul 2017, 12:04 • #21 
Administrator
Joined: 07/17/06
Posts: 5599
Location: South Carolina
So fresh. So clean.


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Post 04 Jul 2017, 13:07 • #22 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/22/09
Posts: 1494
Location: Sweden
randomrodmaker wrote:
This is very nice rod, but in my humble opinion the functionality of this grip is questionable.
The transition is bulky, if one compare it to Mr. Harada's inventions.
Mr. Harada's grips have been evaluated with a focus on ergonomics, based on field tests,
what is clearly visible. This example seems to be an aesthetic oriented choice, what is fine.
The design should be credited to the japanese master.


Randomrodmaker - I appreciate your comments. A few words to clarify my thoughts behind the design.

I always make my grips based on ergonomics. I also have an aesthetic ambition, but these two have to work together. This grip works great for my hand from an ergonomic point of view, but we all have different hands. I'm surprised that you can tell from photo that this grip doesn't suit your hand.

Here is another build, with an identical transition. This build was based on a Shimano rod series from the 90's, the Freestone rods. If you browse down, you will see the original reel seat. Very few things in fly fishing were invented recently:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=54332

And here are two more builds from my shop, with outspoken nods to Mr. Harada's design. I'm a big fan of him, and never had the intention to hide this:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=52405

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=55829

Respectfully,
Christian


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Post 04 Jul 2017, 14:50 • #23 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 08/14/06
Posts: 1227
Location: Panther City, Texas
as always, an elegantly constructed combination of form and function, or as Barclay said, "seriously cool". As whirlpool and Crusty pointed out so well, the grip is precise in appearance and forgiving in function. Very nice indeed.


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