# My New Baby



## tjbjornsen (Oct 31, 2009)

Well, I did not build it, so don't know if this is the proper place to post, but I thought you all might enjoy anyway.
Just got my new baby back from Wayne Fowlkes, and am already jumping out of my skin to go out and throw it. It is my first custom built rod, and I feel like a kid on X-Mas morning!
It is a CTS SE 1201-2 2-4oz.
I wanted it built as simply as possible, and I think Wayne did a fantastic job of that.
He has a thread that when epoxied almost disappears on that Cobalt CTS blank. You can almost not see where the thread begins and the blank ends.
The chrome guides almost seem to float on top of the rod.
It is a beautiful match for my Jerry Foran Abu 6500.
Now all i need is for someone to let me know that the Pompano have shown up down in Southern NC!!!
Whooo!


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## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

Stunning ,understated, elegant--they won't know what hit them !!! Something tells me it might be late April- mid May before "they're here" .


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## Tacpayne (Dec 20, 2008)

You should be a proud man, that is very nice


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## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

Stunning ,understated, elegant... HStew you hit it right on the head


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## lil red jeep (Aug 17, 2007)

Beautiful rod. Wayne doesn't mess around does he?


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## tjbjornsen (Oct 31, 2009)

Nope,
He sure does not.

And as beautiful as the rod is, I think I had just as much fun hanging out in his shop soaking up knowledge, and listening to stories.
And being around what has to be thousands of amazing rods and blanks is a lot of fun too. Last time I was there I took the time to count the drying motors/racks/set-ups that he has in there. If my count was right, he can have something like 48 rods drying at the same time.
He is a heckuva guy, and as nice and down to home as you could ask for.
Just got back from throwing it for the first time.
Lots of wind here tonight, but I think the best I got out of it with 4 oz was about 140 yards, maybe a little more. (No scoffing from the big distance crowd, I'm still learning this conventional thing! :redface:
I'll have to check out Google Earth and compare measurements on the lake I was tossing into with what my eyes were telling me, but whatever it was, it felt sweet.
Super relaxed, loads beautifully, the reel seat is perfect for the length of my arms, and it felt perfectly balanced with both the Abu and the 525 Mag.
I was just about to move down to 2 oz to see how it loaded with that when the rains came.
It is a beautiful thing.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Sweet.


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## tjbjornsen (Oct 31, 2009)

And Thanks for all of the nice comments!
I really appreciate it.


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## Fishinbuddy (Mar 11, 2009)

Wayne does great work. That looks awesome.


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