Every rod is built with someone in mind.
Nobody needs an expensive watch to tell time. People buy one for a graduation, a retirement, a wedding, a first child — something worth marking. Fly rods are the same. You can catch a trout on a rod from any shop. But almost every rod I build is bought with someone in mind: a father, a son, a best friend, a business partner, or the person you were on a river years ago.
Why the story matters
That's why every commission starts with a conversation, not a spec sheet. I ask who the rod is for, who taught them to fish, and where they feel most at home on the water. Then I turn those answers into details you can see: wrap colors taken from a river that matters, a reel seat cut from wood with a history, an inscription with a name, a date, or a few words only the two of you understand.
The details stay quiet. The rod doesn't need to explain itself — the person holding it knows.
It still has to fish
A rod with a story still has to be a great rod. Before I built rods, I spent years guiding on the Bighorn River in Montana, watching anglers of every skill level fish every kind of rod. That taught me how much the right rod matters, and how rarely an off-the-shelf rod fits the way someone actually fishes.
I've built custom fly rods and trained other rod builders for about five years. After building in Montana, my shop is now in downtown Franklin, Tennessee. I build every rod myself, one at a time — about four a month — for anglers fishing everything from small mountain streams to saltwater flats.
What I build on
Most rods are built on North Fork Composites or CTS blanks. I use Sage and other quality blanks when they suit the angler better. Components are chosen for quality first — every guide, wrap and reel seat has to earn its place.
Custom commissions from $1,400 · Built by hand in Franklin, Tennessee.
Who's the rod for?
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