Significant ABU Friends
Jack Erskine
VALE my good friend Jack, recently passed in USA whilst at I Cast 2012, to be sorely missed by so many.
Jack died peacefully in his sleep several days ago.
Message from family
"We
hope
to have Jack Home Saturday or Sunday so the funeral will most
likely be Wednesday or Thursday next week.
We are all waiting on his return to make the final
arrangements."
To be sadly missed by so many and such a loss to the sport fishing world!
"Jack's funeral will be held at 2.00pm Friday the 27th July at Centenary Lakes Christian Community Hall, Cnr Greenslopes & McNamara Streets, Cairns."
18.07.2012
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.
Jack had been honoured by Len Borgstrom and ABU by naming a reel (The Jack Erskine Royal Express II) after him for the ground-breaking work he achieved in reel design, especially magnetic braking, speed control etc, some utiilized designs by ABU as well as Penn ( now a PF subsiduary) . Jack also helped with design issues in testing the Ambassadeur 20/30 series IGFA reels off Cairns, North Queensland AUSTRALIA in the mid 70's.
What more can be said about Jack Erskine than his profile here!
Trying "Googling" Jack and spend days reading tribute to his exploits in the Sportfishing world.
The original Royal
Express named after Jack was kindly given to my collection
by my friend Rod
Cameron of South Australia
Jack has a most comprehensive workshop. |
 ABU saw fit to name the Ambassadeur Royal Express and Royal Express II Ambassadeur 4600 reels after Jack Erskine. Note the before its time one off mag conversion. |
| 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
|
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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!
Another lovely surprise gift from Jack! Parts to appear soon!
The nature of the man is to help whoever whenever.
Enjoy his recent induction as a Life Member of the I.G.F.A
I look forward to his special baitcaster appearing sometime soon.
Jack is currently away in Florida USA to attend the I Cast event . He still had the time, just a week before he left, to post me this old ABU Service manual below to help me further with my research.
Also while over there he will meet with up the Accurate people , twin Nilsen brothers Doug and David and their Dad Jack, to collect my new Accurate 30 spinning reel which will feature here as it had the twin drag system designed by Jack E himself. Look forward to sharing this with readers in the not so distant future.
I suspect Jack will take the opportunity to fish while in Florida as well with some of his many mates.
Hopefully some pics will grace this page later.
