Patent ID: 7770321

Claim:
A fishing pole comprising: a rod having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end configured to receive a grip and the distal end comprising at least one line guide for receiving a fishing line; and the grip comprising: a flexible mounting tube configured to engage the proximal end of the rod and having an exterior shape, a first end with a cap, a second end with a ring, and a wall extending between the cap and the ring having a cylindrical cross-section, a first end of the wall in the region near the cap having a first minimum thickness, a second end of the wall in the region of the ring having a second minimum thickness, and an interior portion of the wall having a third minimum thickness, the first and second minimum thicknesses being larger than the third minimum thickness, a sheet including a polymer outside layer and an inside layer, said sheet comprising at least a pair of side edges, an interior surface, and an exterior surface, such sheet having a configuration corresponding to the exterior shape of the flexible mounting tube; the sheet being wrapped about and adhered to the mounting tube, wherein the sheet comprises a first end and a second end, the first end and second end defining a length of the sheet; and an interior portion of the sheet between the first and second ends, the interior portion having an area of smallest width, wherein the area of smallest width subdivides the length of the sheet into a first sublength and a second sublength, wherein a ratio of the first sublength to the second sublength is between about 1:1 and 1.5:1, and with the at least a pair of side edges of the sheet abutting one another to define a longitudinal seam extending from the interior surface of the sheet to the exterior surface of the polymer layer.