Naiad - Andrew Strachan - Custom Nets & Rod Repairs
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Fly rod repairs, refurbishments and builds in South Africa . All types of rod materials can be worke FLY ROD REPAIRS, REFURBISHMENTS, RESTORATIONS AND BUILDS.
Why Naiad? For a flyfisher it is fairly self-explanatory…
• (in classical mythology) a water nymph or goddess said to inhabit a river, spring, or waterfall.
• the aquatic larva or nymph of a dragonfly, mayfly, or stonefly. As an angler, we have all had it happen. The fishing rod breaks while fighting a fish, a door closes on a rod, or your beautiful 4-year old just happens to “find” your fly rod
in an unnatural shape …. Do you have a broken rod that is not covered by a warranty? Would you like an old rod refurbished? Would you like a bespoke custom rod? These of course I can do! Not only rods - I also refurbish / restore and repair old fly reels! Is your rod sentimental, antique, has no replacement spares available, or you just need a spare rod. Whether you have a break, a crushed section, a loose reel seat, or cork damage, please contact us for an estimate, our visit us with the damaged product in hand for best evaluation. Broken or Damaged Fishing
Perhaps you just want it as a “Wall Hanger” … or sometimes, you want a rod repaired in order fish it …
Perhaps it was your Grandfather’s or your Great Grandfather’s and there is some sentimental value … or you just want your rod fixed so that it looks “nice” again …
From the re-wrapping and varnishing of an entire rod of almost any material - to a single guide re-wrap, we can certainly help you with the restoration and repairs. All types of rod materials can be worked on. Graphite, Bamboo, Split Cane, Fibreglass – even old steel rods! Services Include:
• Finish Restoration / Rewrap / Varnish;
• Break repairs;
• Repair Ferrule Wraps;
• Guide rewrapping / replacement;
• Replace or Repair Cork Handles;
• Replace or Repair a damaged Reel Seat
• And more....
My goal when repairing a rod is to make the repair as close the original to preserve the rods character
CHECK THE IMAGES SECTION FOR SOME EXAMPLES OF MY REPAIR WORK
WHY DO I DO IT? Born out of a lifelong passion for all kinds of fishing, particularly fly-fishing. Combined with the love of working with my hands and restoring items to their former glory! Compounded with the love of working with wood, the handcrafting of bespoke custom nets has evolved into a means of a self-funded hobby – theoretically covering the costs of the “bucket list” trips! HOW ARE THE NETS MADE? Each net is painstakingly handcrafted through a meticulous process involving the generation of vast amounts of sawdust, clouds of steam, many G-clamps and bucket loads of sweat. Lengths of timber are ripped and cut to the right length, width and thickness. Thereafter they are slowly bent and clamped around a preformed frame and thereafter layers are laminated to form a rigid outer net shape. This is where the real patience comes into play – bending wood too quickly = breakage – and waiting for glue to dry is very frustrating!! The last step is cutting the shape and setting of the handle inner core itself and the final gluing it into place. Yet another long and painstaking process. After the patient waiting for glue to dry, the nets are sanded and smoothed, net thread recesses cut, holes drilled, brass retaining hoop inserts set, name / monogram / crests / logo’s drawn and then finally the net is sealed with natural oils. The last step of course is the sewing in of the net bag and if so desired the sewing of a net bag! The end result after between 25 and 50 (if not many more) hours per net is well the effort. Handing over one of these “hand-reared children” is both very difficult but also extremely rewarding! WHY? THE ZEN! Why would you want one? Fly-fishing has got to be the closest form of fishing to fishing’s’ basic origins. The “art of fly fishing is inherently a spiritual practice : Henry S. Butler“. It brings you down to the core and basics of fishing. The ZEN of it almost dictates that one needs as much handmade a natural equipment and flies as possible. Hence the desire for a bespoke natural wooden landing net. GIFTING IDEAS
Although these nets are, made to be 100% functional, they also make magnificent decorations in any pub, study, and workshop or man cave! The nets are an excellent choice as a gift for 21st birthdays, wedding and anniversary gifts, 40ths’ 50th’s etc., retirement and farewell gifts or just as a simple gift to oneself! THE WOOD AND NET SHAPES
As an African, I try my utmost to use local and indigenous African woods. However it is not always the case as there are many wonderful non indigenous woods that are absolutely beautiful and once worked and decently oiled bring out the magnificent grain patterns and colors of the wood. Naturally – I will not use any protected or embargoed species. Although I have a range of “standard” shapes, I can of course shape them to any desired shape and size.
