Shop updates and Small Water Montana
Hey everyone! It’s been a little while. Lots going on in the background here at the rod shop. I’ve moved the shop to a new space in the West End area of Winston-Salem. I’m now making rods below a great guitar shop called Heyday Guitars and next to the best fish market in town called Sea Products. I’m back to making rods full time and am taking orders for standard and custom builds. I have a lot of big news coming soon, so please keep an eye here on the blog or my Instagram page, Facebook, or check out the Facebook fan page too. As part of my continued efforts to simplify and streamline my offerings, I will be moving some of the current lineup to the retired list and I will be reissuing some of my old designs with some improvements as well as some new rods. My new shop is a comfortable place to come and spend a little time.
Now on to the fun part! This summer, my wife, Kristin, and I went to visit my friend Dusty in Bozeman for some fishing and rod testing. The main idea was to test out some rod designs on some small stream cutthroat trout there. I love fishing the big water that’s out there but I still prefer fishing small streams for wary wild fish so we concentrated on the smaller creeks that feed the big water. We camped in a new spot almost every night and got to see some wild and beautiful places. Anywhere from south of Bozeman along the Galatin, to the Crazy’s, to the Bitterroots south of Missoula, to a few spots near the Bob Marshall Wilderness. We caught some amazing fish in some out of the way places. Primarily Yellowstone and Westlope cutthroat with some browns and brook trout mixed in there too. The rods we fished were some new designs I’m enjoying quite a bit. A 6’3”3wt, a 7’3”3wt, and a 7’4”4wt. They have a semi-parabolic feel to them and some emphasize that taper idea more than others. The 733 is a bit more of a ‘double hinge idea than the others but you can feel it in all of them. It’s hard to pick a favorite of these but the little 633 really is quite a lot of fun. Our first day fishing it was the first day on the water. We caught healthy, wide-tailed, hard fighting Yellowstone cutthroat that measured 12-16”. I did not expect fish this size in a small sidewalk-width creek and wasn’t sure how the rod would handle them. I was pleasantly surprised! The rod handled them perfectly, and it was FUN. Fighting those fish in the strong flows from the butt section of the rod, while the tip guided them, was like no other rod I’ve experienced. We fished two flies, a Royal Wulff and one of Dave Fason’s foam ants.
When we fished the 733, it was on a higher gradient, clear and deep creek on the outside of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Lots of pocket water similar to fishing in the Blue Ridge Parkway area but with big and feisty fish. The Westslope cutthroat were beautifully colored and ate with enthusiasm. Mostly Dave’s foam ants and a few small Wulff’s and an Adams here and there to try and mimic the occasional hatches. Challenging wading as the water was strong and cold. The feel of this rod is delicate overall with surprising capability. It reminds me of a lighter in hand Studio ThinLine rod in how it cast and fishes. It really shines in pocket water and the slower action is fantastic for those tricky cutthroat strikes. Delicate presentations and complex roll-mends under cover are really fun with this rod.
We fished the 744 most of the time after experiencing the strong flows and longer casts of the slightly bigger creeks. It fished really well in close, too. Excellent tip strength and feel. The mid and butt sections have both finesse and strength that help guide the cast and fight the fish. Bitterroot area creeks and more Westslope cutthroat that hit hard and pulled strong.
The last day was a special one. We fished near Yellowstone Park and lost count of the fish we caught and we soaked it all in. We ended with roadside tacos.
Be on the lookout for these rods hitting my web store soon. I have a few of each that I’ll be listing over the coming days. Custom orders available as well.
Several of you know of how the last few years have gone for me. It’s been rough personally, and that’s extended to my rod business as well. Ya’ll have been so incredibly kind and patient with orders and communications. Through all of that, and into this half of life, I have a lot to be grateful for. My wife Kristin is top of the list as are my kids, Maren and Graeme. Life is incredibly difficult and it’s incredibly wonderful. Beauty is everywhere, even if it’s way up above the storms and takes a little effort to see and experience. Thank you as always for your continued support and for helping to make this little fishing pole business a reality. It wouldn’t be what it is without you. I’m grateful for each of you.
As always, feel free to reach out with questions or to chat. I’m here. If you’re in the Winston-Salem area, stop by the rod shop and say hello.
