Custom Built Rods
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Welcome to Custom Built Rods
This website has been developed to make choosing a custom built rod as easy as can be, the process couldn't be easier. We have broken the whole process down into 5 Easy Steps.
In order to give you the best experience this website has been made in flash, and therefore the back button on the browser, that most people use to navigate back and forth, does not work on this website, so please use the back buttons shown on the website where provided, or the menu at the top.
We are not currently taking payments online, all orders will be confirmed by phone, we accept all major credit and debit cards.
All our rods are lovingly built for us by Vic Gibson, Vic has been in the business of building Carp, Cat, and specialist fishing rods for over 30 years, and he is regarded by many as probably the U.K's leading rod builder and with more than 30 years experience the finish that he achieves is of the very highest standard and can only be descibed as second to none.
If there is anything you are unsure about or if you would like a quote on the exact specification you want please feel free to give us a call on 01992-462-044 or email info@custombuiltrods.co.uk
Here at custom built rods we pride ourselves on the custom rod building service we provide, which is somthing we have built up over the many years of building rods.
All our rods are lovingly built for us by Vic Gibson, Vic has been in the business of building Carp, Cat, and specialist fishing rods for over 30 years, and he is regarded by many as probably the U.K's leading rod builder and with more than 30 years experience the finish that he achieves is of the very highest standard and can only be descibed as second to none.
We only use Harrison & Century Blanks ( in our opinion Harrison & Centruy Blanks are the best there is! ) We then finish them with only the finest reel seats, and fittings available. Our rods can be finished to your own specification all the extra charges are shown in the build options section of this website.
Our standard build combinds numbered tip & butt section & your Name/Nickname written on the rod ( this is all inluded in the standard build price ). If there is anything you are unsure about or if you would like a quote on the exact specification you want please feel free to give us a call on 01992-462-044 or email info@custombuiltrods.co.uk
Harrison Blanks
Harrison Ballista 2 | Harrison Ballista Slim | Harrison Chimera | Harrison Torrix | Harrison Trebuchet | Harrison Specialist
The Ballista is Harrison’s most famous carp rod and small changes over the years have kept it in the frame. Very slim with more action in the butt than their other rods the Ballista remains a very firm favourite for medium range fishing.
The range extends from a 9’ stalker through to their legendary 12’ 6" 3 ¼ lb.
The 11’ 2 lb GTI version must rate as one of the most exciting rods to play fish on and for small waters, floater fishing and margin fishing there can’t be much better.
Available with a rugged unground finish or with custom colours at a little extra cost.
Blank Prices
9’ 3 piece 2 3/4 lb Stalker £73
11’ 2 lb Gti £68
12’ 2 1/4 lb £81
12’ 2 1/2 lb £82
12’ 2 3/4 lb £84
12’ 3 lb £85
12’ 3 1/2 lb £90
12’ 6 3 1/4 lb £94
12’ 6” 3 1/2 lb £100
For ground and glossed blanks in a different colour please add 10%
If you want a highly technical ultra slim rod for smaller waters this is the rod. The feel and action of slims is more traditional, bordering on parabolic, but this action is known to give you more power to play a fish. These are an excellent players rod but because of this they do lack a little power for Pva bag work or if you are looking to hit 100yds
The blanks are incredibly slim, more like a barbel rod than a carp rod. At 12’ the ideal alternative if your fishing is 80yds or less and you use leads of under 3 oz.
Available with a rugged unground finish or with custom colours at a little extra cost.
Blank Prices
12’ 2 3/4 lb £112
12’ 3 lb £115
For ground and glossed blanks in a different colour please add 10%
Harrison Chimera
Chimera has been one of our best selling Harrison ranges. It introduced the two weave concept to the carp market, which both aids performance and looks. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, this rod has been seriously flattered as it has been copied time and time by other companies. The looks are not so hard to copy but the action is a bit trickier. The Chimera is a forgiving rod compared to some on the market yet it casts as well as many stiffer rods, but has the elasticity to soak up any last lunges of a big fish close in. If there is such a thing as a good all round carp rod, then the 12’ 3lb Chimera is it. The 12’
3 ½ is an awesome distance machine that is not for everyone but the 3 ¼ offers the best of both worlds, a distance rod that anyone can enjoy using. The 3 1/4lb also makes an excellent rod for PVA bag/Method work.
The Chimeras have a similar action to the new Torrix but are a little thicker in profile, they are an extremely well balanced rod.
The Chimera is also available in the following colours, Chestnut, Burgundy, Deep Blue and Bottle Green.
Blank Prices
12’ 2 1/2 lb £96
12’ 2 3/4 lb £97
12’ 3 lb £99
12’ 3 1/4 lb £105
12’ 3 1/2 lb £117
13’ 3 1/4 lb £130
Chimera Spod 12’ 4 1/2 lb £89
The Chimera Spod also makes an awesome marker rod.
Harrison Torrix
Torrix is the latest and best Steve Harrison designed Carp Rod series. It utilises new tapers and new materials to produce fantastic performance at low diameter and weight. The butt and tip utilise two different carbon fibres in the zero axis to achieve low down casting power with forgiving no lock-up characteristics in the middle and tip. At ninety degrees is a ribcage of super lightweight carbon which controls the rod in compression. How the carbon performs in compression is as important in a bending rod as the way the fibres perform in tension. We aim for a design which balances the compression and tension performance to optimise the balance between casting and playing fish. The butt of the rod is given a surface ply of 1k carbon fabric which strengthens the rod, improves hoop strength and reduces torque. It looks pretty good too!
Most popular model is the 12’ 3 ¼ which will cast distance effortlessly in real world conditions and has produced close to 200yds on a casting field. New out is the 12’ 3 ½ which can achieve those extra few yards yet is still a very slim and light rod. Its also the most reliable rod series Harrison have ever made.
Harrison designed this as the ultimate carp rod with the best blank and the best fittings. People who have bought the rod tell us we achieved our aim. The rod and blank are made here in the UK, so why settle for less?
The Torrix is also available in the following colours, Chestnut, Burgundy, Deep Blue and Bottle Green.
Blank Prices
12’ 2 3/4 lb £117
12’ 3 lb £118
12’ 3 1/4 lb £121
12’ 3 1/2 lb £124
13’ 3 1/4 lb £136
Torrix Spod 12’ 4 3/4 lb £115
The Torrix Spod also doubles as an excellent long range marker rod.
Harrison Trebuchet
Harrison thought it was time they produced a rod that would outcast all-comers. Trebuchet is what they came up with. This is a rod that in the right hands will cast over 200yds without wind assistance. Average casters will produce greater distance with Chimera and Torrix, but Trebuchet rewards the best casters with the ultimate distance.
Some Comments from Terry Edmonds, tournament caster
After a few months casting and fishing with this rod I knew that Harrison had a winner the butt is perfect for carp casting styles being stiff enough to promote fast tip speed and compression yet soft enough to bend so the rod will work for normal less powerful casters, the mid section blends into the tip brilliantly and is the ultimate compromise between lead control and fish playing ability.
After months of casting these rods over 200yds many times I have found the rods totally reliable and not prone to softening. Not all distance rods can claim this! I believe that Steve Harrison has a superb rod here and it performs to the highest level as good or better than any other rod I have cast/fished with and believe me that is most of them. The Name of the rod is the Harrison TREBUCHET an awesome product.
The Trebuchet is also available in the same colours as the Torrix and Chimera ranges.
Blank Prices
12’ 3 to 5oz casting weight £162
13’ 3 to 5oz casting weight £169
Harrison are best known for their carp rod ranges but over the last few years have created some of the best specialist blanks around, indeed they are the only company we know that produce a range of dedicated blanks that are made in this country.
The flagship models are the Torrix 12 1 3/4 lb which has to be one of the best Barbel rods on the market, the other is the awesome 12’ 1 1/2 lb Twin tip specialist, this one really has to be seen to be believed. It is built on a beautiful translucent Chestnut coloured blank and comes supplied with a 1 1/2lb tc Avon tip and another 1 1/2 lb tip with a spliced in Carbon quiver tip, when finished with a full cork handle, dark brown whipping and tipped in metallic copper edgings this rod looks truly fantastic.
Harrison really have created a rod for all anglers for all occasions.
Blank Prices
12’ 1 1/2 lb Specialist £76
12’ 1 3/4 lb Specialist £78
Torrix 12’ 1 3/4 lb Specialist £97
12’ 1 1/2 lb Twin Tip £117
Chimera No1 12 1 1/2 lb £ 88
Chimera No2 12 1 3/4 lb £ 91
Century Blanks
Century Armalite Mk 3 | Century Full Metal Jacket | New Century FG | Century NG | Century SP | Century NCS
The early Armalites set a standard and trend that were regarded as truly legendary by specialists. The parabolic fighting curve and ease of use enabled Century to use the expression “Perfect Players Rod” TM
Using modern rod building techniques including Autoclaving and complex curved carbon fibre patterns Century can deliver an edge to the new MK3, optimising for that little bit more distance capability, resilience and resistance to test curve decay but still retain the action and “retro” look. To remain true to the original design they still utilise spigot joints – accurately fitted on a centreless grinder. The look and feel of the Armalite MK 3 also remain true to the original, which will be recognized by the thousands of people that have owned the original Armalites.
Blank Price
12’ 2 1/4 lb £147
12’ 2 3/4 lb £150
The FMJ has been developed to be the best long distance rod on the market, not everyone will appreciate or get the most from this rod but those that can will reap the rewards. The benefits of the FMJ are quicker tip speed recovery, better deconing of the line from the reel, reducing line slap resulting in extra distance. Measured casts up to 235 yards and fish to 70+ are testament to the
capabilities of this rod.. The tip is responsive to absorb lunges from fish however more care needs to be taken with fish close as this is a powerful rod, however once accustomed to this it becomes second nature.
Blank Prices
12’ 3 to 5oz casting weight £228
13’ 3 to 5oz casting weight £240
The Century FG is made entirely in UK under the Century ISO 9001 Quality and ISO 14001 Environmental management systems. They have carefully selected a UK produced low density resin carbon prepreg system that yields a great battle curve and is blended to give optimum casting performance.
The whole balance of the rod is ergonomic and delivers a perfect combination of cranking power and playability. The rod’s appearance is a very minimalist, matt carbon finish with understated black whippings and a very subtle logo, making the rod look like a government Stealth project, The whole package just exudes quality.
Century have been very mindful of the price point and balanced this target with economic lean manufacturing and placing maximum value in the blank and hardware. We are introducing our silicon based blank surface finish for durability and matching reel seat with carbon and stainless steel trim bands. The butt grip is a composite swell style covered with durable Japanese shrink rubber. All guides are Century SiC patterns.
Available in
12' 3lb with 40mm ring set @ £169.99
12' 3 1/4lb with 50mm ring set @£179.99
Now recognised as a cult rod and the benefits of the design are apparent to a wide range of specialist anglers. The types of carbon fibre used are genuinely leading edge. The understated silk finish on the surface of the Century NG seals an incredibly complex arrangement of patterns designed to give the Carp angler the most advanced multi-range rod available. The carbon patterns are cut using a CAD CAM machine that holds extremely tight tolerances. This ensures the action and T/C is faithfully reproduced from rod to rod. Frank Warwick has spent thousands of hours fishing NG’s and is recognised as an innovative and demanding angler who will take tackle to the limit. The tests Century have
completed on his early rods have indicated little or no test curve decay over a period of 3 years – clearly a benefit attributable to Autoclaving
The 12’ 3 1/2lb NG has to be one of the best allround multi-range rods on the market, it will launch a 3 1/2oz lead 150 yds but when playing fish close in feels more like a rod with a test curve a pound lighter.
Blank Prices
12’ 3 1/2 lb £156
13’ 3 1/2 lb £166
An SP in the right hands compresses into a lovely arc and the raw power in the butt and middle give the experienced carp angler the means to hit spots he could not reach with other rods. The SP adopts a very satisfying curve when a carp is captured and it doesn’t loose its power but it is compliant enough so you can enjoy the fight and not worry about hook pulls.
The SP is like the big brother to the NG, it loses some of the fish playing action due to the more powerful butt section but because of this it is better suited to PVA bag work or method fishing.
Blank Price
12’ 3 1/2 lb £156
The NCS carp rod is a well-proven tool with a fine pedigree. Frank Warwick and Danny Moeskops have been the primary field testers evaluating and refining the rods. The design concepts have been derived from the work we have pursued with Danny Moeskops - a passionate carp angler and the finest caster in the world and Frank Warwick - now recognised as the leading angler from the new generation of anglers in the sport.
Century have utilised the best raw materials to balance the requirements for performance, low weight and low diameter The architecture of the blank is a combination of machine cut cross ply 35gsm carbon, intermediate and high modulus carbon with a woven 1k-1k twill outer sheath. Century has optimised the carbon patterns to generate a classic mid to tip action that will assist in super smooth casts and effortless playability
The NCS action sits in between the NG and SP ranges. Century have
developed a carbon pattern configuration that delivers additional tip speed but retains a progressive curve
Blank Price
12’ 3 lb £125
12’ 3 1/4 lb £128
12’ 3 1/2 lb £130
Reel Seats
Available with either Silver, or Black hoods.
Fuji NPS 20 - £5.50
Fuji DPS 18 - £5.50
Fuji DPS 20 - £5.50
Century SS20
£49.50
Century AL20
£49.50
Century HB20
£19.95
Rings
Sic-Lites 30mm set comprising
30mm butt, 25, 20, 16, 12, 10mm intermediates and a 10mm tip
£12.00
Sic-Lites 40mm set comprising
40mm butt, 30, 25, 20, 16mm intermediates and a 12mm tip
£17.00
Sic-Lites 40mm set as above but with double rings throughout
£19.00
Sic-Lites 50mm set comprising
50mm butt, 40, 30, 25, 20mm intermediates and a 16mm tip
£28.00
Sic-Lite Barbel/Specialist set comprising 20mm butt through to a 8mm tip
£13.00
Sic-LiteTwin Tip set, as above but to include extra quiver tip section
£20.00
Std Fuji 40mm set comprising
40mm butt, 30, 25, 20, 16mm intermediates and a 12mm tip
£14.00
Fuji SiC 40mm set comprising
40mm butt, 30, 25, 20, 16mm intermediates and a 12mm tip
£58.00
Fuji SiC 40mm set as above but with double rings throughout
£60.00
Finishing Options Menu
Stainless collars to fit around reel seats and duplons - £4.00 each
Stainless Butt Caps - Coned or Flat - £4.00 each
Steve Neville Ball Peg Retaines - £7.00
Carbon Line Clips - £8.50
Metallic tippings throughout complete rod - £8.50
Chevrons, available in a wide choice of colours
£25.00
Vics Labour Charges
Standard build incorporating all whipping, fitting of handle
including any duplon or stainless, fitting of butt cap, tip whippings around handle area and any writing you require incl numbered sections etc.
£53.00
Standard build but with double leg rings throughout
£62.00
The following are in addition to the build prices above.
Supply and fit of abbreviated duplon Duplon or Grip tape handle
£5.50
Supply and fit of full duplon handle
£17.00
Supply and fit of full cork handle
£29.00
Satndard build on specialist rod including all whippings, fitting of full cork handle, tip whippings around handle and all writing
£82.00
Twin Tip build incl the above build but with the additional quivertip
£96.00
If there is anything you are unsure about or if you would like a quote on the exact specification you want please feel free to give us a call on 01992-462-044 or email info@custombuiltrods.co.uk
Johnson Ross Tackle
Address : 3-9 Amwell Street,
Hoddesdon,
Herts,
England
EN11 8TP
Tel : 01992-462-044
Email : info@custombuiltrods.co.uk
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