Significant ABU Friends

Jack Erskine

Several people  whom I have long considered as significant contributors to the use of ABU fishing equipment in Australia from the earliest days were Vic McCristal of Cardwell North Queensland and Jack Erskine of Cairns and ABU Service Manager Jay Parker.

I first met Jack some thirty years ago when I commissioned him to build several custom sport-fishing rods for me. Jack has since moved and re-named his new business to Jack Erskine's Precision Reel Engineering where he does R&D work for PENN Reels now. We know that the ABU of old is no longer an entity and obvious other corporations are quick to recognize and capitalize on his ability.

I once had an ABU Diplomat 622 Doubled handed baitcaster that I bought in London in the seventies.  Alas sadly, it was broken and the only part left was the Speedlock handle for which I'm trying to find a suitable 3 or 4 piece rod blank suitable for packing in a suitcase. The double-handed speedlock butt from this 622  rod was rebuilt on a Fenwick 10kg bait-casting blank in October 1979 by genius and cutting edge rod-builder Jack Erskine of Precision Reel Engineering 2 Finch Street Bayview Heights P O Box 2382 Cairns QLD 4870 Australia Phone: (07) 40546048 Mobile: 0413 584 897 Fax: (07) 4054 7487 Email: sportint@cairns.net.au

By the way, Jack's Bronze Trophy small oblique view above, see larger view of (front and back) of the one eyed bragging fisherman with elastic arms is now gracing these pages  as it has just been restored. It has its little bronze ABU (naturally) fishing rod and reel missing from the stand. If anyone has idea how I can restore this attachment, ie finding another or making a cast from another, I would very much appreciate hearing from you.

We have recently re-met via this website and when he learned of this new failure in the cast alloy of the butt, he immediately has offered a solution to the problem (after 26 years....What a warranty!! Who said quality is not as important as price?) It will be fantastic  to feel the old double handed speedlock butt again in my hands...I could just never throw it away! 

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