Here is the article in email form from the author.  There are no pictures to go with it, however.  Hope this helps.

Make your rods “Modern”
 
Rods have really evolved in the past few years.  Larger lures that cast harder are common, saltwater reels and baits that pull harder have initiated  changes in rod design resulting from the needs of the modern angler.  Rod models in the nine foot range with larger and longer handles are quickly becoming the industry standard among anglers who cast.  Measured from the rear of the reel seat  almost all older rods and the majority of factory made rods come with handles in the 11-14” range. After trying out dozens of models and helping design hundreds of custom rods for both clients and myself  I have found that most anglers prefer handles in the 16” range. A longer handle spreads the distance of the hands during the cast making the push/pull motion of casting much easier.  The push/pull style of casting loads the rod effectively so it does the work…not the angler. Another benefit of the longer handle is enhanced  leverage on the hook set. A rod braced against the anglers side  and pushed or pulled with the rod hand while using a turn of the body will generate far more power than the old “butt in gut” style of hold and hookset. Fatigue during the retrieve on hard pulling lures can also be reduced with the longer handle tucked up under the arm. Perhaps the most significant benefit is adding total length to a shorter rod…your ability to make a larger, rounder figure eights will improve and your back will thank you  at the end of the day.
 

Not everyone has the budget or desire to upgrade every rod in their collection especially quality rods that can still get the job done.  Take your existing collection of old school  rods and make them modern by adding handle length. Of course you can have a custom rod shop extend your handle  but adding length is simple, uses basic tools and can be accomplished in less than an hour…plus you shape the handle to your own preferences and have the satisfaction of making yourself a better rod for the job.
 
Tools: hacksaw with fine toothed blade,  flat wood file and/or sandpaper,  rat tail file
Materials: epoxy, oak dowel rod, cork rings, and solid cork end piece or butt cap
 

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First cut off the end of the current handle with the fine tooth saw exposing the rod blank
 
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Using sandpaper wrapped on a rat tail file or similar item lightly sand the interior of the rod blank removing any old epoxy or glue and preparing it to properly bond to the new handle.
 

Choose an appropriate sized  hardwood dowel rod ( I prefer oak) and sand or file  to get a snug but not overly tight fit inside the blank. The dowel should extend 4-5” into the blank. Make sure you have enough total length of  dowel rod to make the handle extension long enough.
 
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Coat both the inside of the blank and dowel with epoxy, insert the coated dowel into the blank and seat it using a few LIGHT taps,  DO NOT force it as you are looking for a snug fit, the epoxy will do the rest. The rest of the dowel should extend longer than your final handle length.
 
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Ream out the inside of enough cork rings to fit on the dowel rod and provide the length you desire minus ½“…using five minute epoxy glue the rings on the dowel rod.  Use light pressure or some weight to ensure the rings stack tightly while drying.
 
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Contour your handle, using a wood working file or 80-100 grit sandpaper reduce the diameter of the handle to slightly larger than the final size blending the extension into the old handle. Cork is soft and it is easy to remove too much so take your time with this step. Once the cork is close to it’s final dimension cut the dowel rod off  flush with the cork.
 
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Using epoxy glue the solid end piece of cork  to the end of the handle then shape it to blend with the rest of the cork. Another option is to re-use the stock butt end. Sand lightly to the final size and you are finished with your modern handle. Cast, retrieve, figure eight…repeat until you get results