A couple years ago I was browsing the market for NOS Mildrum stripping guides. A gentleman in Stockholm contacted me and offered me a bunch of them. We decided to stay in touch, and I have since then visited my friend a few times in his flat to look at his wonderful reel collection and wiggle some rods. Last time we met he told me he didn't plan to build any more rods. He asked if I was interested in a few old blanks. I knew he had some rare ones in the closet, and asked if he was ready to let go of his old Sage SFL fiberglass blanks. To my great happiness he agreed to sell a 580 and the even more rare 476 blank. This 7'6'', 4wt rod was partly built by him, but with single foot guides on the tip section. I stripped it down, and made some minor finish repairs before I completed the build close to the original version. The reel seat and grip were turned and glued by my friend, and I decided to keep them. This rod will be kept as a memory of a dear friend, who partly helped me to finish it and passed it on as a true gentleman. Besides these Sage blanks, I also have another very special blank that I will keep for the future. Thank you, Stig - for your kindness and inspiration!
