Custom Hand-Built Fly Rods
The Ultimate Fly Rods for Northern California Fly Fishing
Mark with an amazing 21-inch Brown Winter Streamer Fishing
on the “Glass Guide Rod”
8’ 4 wt Glass Rod Stripping custom “Zezer Bugger” debunking the myth that glass rods are only good on small creeks for little fish!
I have been looking for the perfect fly rod for the last decade. Plenty of excellent 600.00 to 1,200.00 fly rods are on the market, but I don't use those rods. I own a few and never use them. Why? First, I guide over 125 days a year, and when I am not guiding, I am bushwacking through the steep backcountry, looking for “untouched” waters. On our guided trips, 35 percent of that time, we were on rafts, which can be brutal on fly rods. On the other hand, I am not a fan of cheap rods or “one-season guide rods”. I have spent the last 5 years trying to find the perfect “Mid-Level” rod for both my guiding and my own personal fly fishing. I am not like most guides who use cheap rods for clients and own a fancy selection of rods for myself. I don't hand my clients cheap rods. I fish the same rods my clients fish; most guides hand their clients an Orvis Clearwater while they fish a Helios.
For a while, I found the perfect balance of price, quality, and the rod I needed for the rivers I fished with Moonshine Rods. There was a time when the company was a “Small Batch” Rod manufacturer, and their rods were great for what I was looking for. Things changed, and so did the quality of their rods and their customer service. I played around with some other companies and even had a full sponsorship deal on the table. But still felt something was missing, and I ended up collecting a hodgepodge of Fly Rods like most folks and feeling a deep connection to any of them. So I continued to search for the perfect “Mid-Level” Rod again….
Price Point
For the last 10 years, I have been primarily fishing and guiding on "Mid-Level Pricepoint Rods." I love a well-balanced $500.00 Fly Rod! The rods I fished had the balance of a quality blank without the inflated price of the latest and greatest must-have. I look for a rod that will last a lifetime, fish like an extension of my hand, and live up to the daily abuse of guiding and backcountry Fly Fishing, which is a big ask! Each year, I find it harder and harder to replace that entry "Mid-Level" rod with something I trust. Moonshine rods were the perfect balance for me before they sold out. All of the Eco Rods I have fished broke. Mid-priced price Orvis Rods seemed too stiff and heavy, same thoughts on Reddington. Sure, Orvis, Reddington, Sage, Thomas and Thomas, Scott, and so on make great rods, but you have to dive into the $600-1,000.00 range before you get out what I was looking for in a fly rod.
The Light Bulb Moment
Last season, I met Andy From Steffan Brothers when he booked a week-long Backcountry Fly Fishing Client Appreciation Trip, and he changed my opinion about higher-end rods. He reminded me that the majority of the premium was in the blank. During our discussions, he turned to me and said, "If you can find great blanks that fish well for your needs, purchase them and build your rods for your business." He explained the rod industry, build quality, rod tapers, and so on. At that moment, I realized I should start building my own rods! One of the most important things I learned from Andy was “Rod Taper” and how that variable was the key to finding the right feel in a Fly Rod in the sea of overwhelming choices! On top of all the great knowledge Andy shared, he brought a dozen or so different rods for his clients to demo and I was able to fish and feel the difference in each of them. He helped me determine what blanks and tapers I liked and why.
Leaning on Andy's experience with rod blanks, component kits, and build characteristics, I got to work "building my fly rod shop," gathering tools, tips, and tricks of the trade. We discussed the types of rods that I fished and guided with, and we put together a simple menu:
A 10’ 3wt | Dedicated Tight Line Nymphing Rod - light, fast, accurate, and razor-sharp! The thinner taper is geared for detecting the lightest of takes and managing your files with insane accuracy.
A 10' 4wt | Cech Nymphing Style Taper - light, fast, accurate, more depth to cast large streamers, fish indicators, and overall a slightly more powerful rod. The Cech Style Taper features a stiffer butt section to allow more punch with larger presentations while keeping the tip section razor thin to pick up the subtle takes. A true “well-rounded” Northern California river Rod.
8' 3/4 wt | Fiberglass Guide Rod - Steffan Brothers Custom Tapered Blank - Long and flexible, perfect for Dry Flies, Dry Droppers and stripping our buggers!
Over the last few months, I have built up a few of these rods, dialed in my build specs, and spent countless days testing them on the river, in rafts, and with clients.
Nothing is more satisfying than when hard work pays off and you build something you are proud of! Last week, a client on my raft caught some amazing fish on a rod I built and a fly I tied. That's a fantastic feeling!
Although building a custom line of fly rods using hand-selected blanks, reel seats, corks, guides, and so on is hard work, I look forward to sharing these hand-purpose-built rods with my clients on trips and selling them in limited batches.
Fly Rod Materials and Tapers
Graphite Rods
Graphite fly rods are lightweight, high-performance fishing rods made from graphite composites, a material known for its strength, flexibility, and responsiveness. These rods have become a popular choice among fly anglers due to their ability to offer precision, sensitivity, and power, catering to a wide range of fishing styles and environments.
What makes one graphite rod stand out from another? Materials and Taper! An inexpensive graphite rod will be much heavier than a high-end rod, and the taper will be much less aggressive, leaving the rod feeling heavy and thick. An inexpensive rod with an aggressive taper might fish well for 20 trips but then break all of a sudden as the low-cost build has its limits. Finding the right balance in a Mid-Level Fly Rod is the trick! Having a custom rod builder you trust as your “taper advisor” is invaluable! Our Graphite Rod blanks are Handmade in the USA.
Fiberglass Rods “Glass Rods”
Newschool Glass Rods! Despite being overshadowed by graphite in terms of popularity, fiberglass fly rods have seen a resurgence in recent years. Modern designs have improved their performance, offering a blend of vintage charm and contemporary functionality. Many manufacturers now produce lightweight, high-performance fiberglass rods suitable for a wide range of fishing techniques.
Durability and Feel - Glass rods are extremely durable and a fun factor that will change the way you look at Fly Rods! Catching a 20 in Brown or an average 12 in Rainbow on a “Glass Rod” will put a new smile on your face, trust me!
Amazing Dry Fly Rods - Their softer action is perfect for presenting dry flies in a natural, unobtrusive manner
The Perfect Streamer Rod! - The flex and Feel of a glass Rod can animate your streamer in ways a graphite rod can’t. The flex and wiggle translated through your line to your fly is one of the most underrated aspects of Glass Rods!
Lost Sierra Fly Co-Rods and What Makes Them Stand Out
10’ 3wt | Dedicate Tight Line Nymphing Rod - Aggressive Tapper, light, fast, accurate, and razor-sharp!
Our dedicated Nymphing Rod has an aggressive taper, an industry-standard lightweight, and guide-tested durability at a “Mid-Level” price point. It took me years to find this rod!
Limited small batch releases $500.00. USA Handmade Blanks: These rods will fish like a top-of-the-line Sage or Orvis Rod for half the price!
10' 4wt | Multi-purpose Rod - light, fast, accurate, more depth to cast large streamers, fish indicators, and overall a slightly more powerful rod. USA Handmade Blanks: These rods will fish like a top-of-the-line Sage or Orvis Rod for half the price!
Limited small batch releases $500.00
8' 4wt | Fiberglass Guide Rod - Steffan Brothers Custom Tapered Blank - Long and flexible, perfect for Dry Flies, Dry Droppers and stripping our buggers! Finding the right length and taper for this rod was a challenge. The “Glass Guide Rod” combines the fun factor of a light, smaller glass rod with the reach and power needed for larger rivers and larger fish with the right Taper and harder-to-find, 8-foot blank for a 3/4 wt rod!
Limited small batch releases $450.00
7’6 4wt | Jedi Glass - This is my personal favorite Glass Rod Build. Top-of-the-line components, laser-etched reel seat on a custom tapered S-Glass Blank. Pure magic!
Limited small batch releases $550.00
Lost Sierra Fly Rods - hand-built in the Lost Sierra and guide tested! - coming soon, Jan 2025!
Mark Putting the “bend in the cork” on the Guide Glass Rod
8’ 4wt Guide Glass Rod is the perfect length and feel for handling large fish and big casts while keeping that fun fiberglass feel!
Andy from Steffen Brothers Rods fishing the Tight Line Nymphing Rod!
Packraft Fly Fishing the Remote Canyon putting rods to the test!
Garret on a nice Wild Rainbow with the 10’ 4wt.
Late Fall Walk and Wade on the Middle Section of the Wild and Scenic Middle Fork Feather River. A 10’ 4wt is the go-to all-around choice on Northern California rivers!
Fly Fishing for Wild Rainbow and Brown Trout on Handmade Fly Rods and Flies on the Wild and Scenic Middle Fork Feather River - Living and sharing the dream!
