Blog Archives

Custom Fly Fishing Rods by Chris Lantzy, Custom Rod Maker

Rod Tubes

4/28/2015

The other day, I received a note from a friend who had recently had me make him a rod bag & rod tube for his bamboo fly rod. His note made my day & made me smile from ear to ear. Here's what he said:

"I am absolutely completely satisfied with the craftsmanship, the fit, and the appearance of your work. My wife typically sews my rod bags and she too was blown away by the quality of the material, the stitching, and the design that went into the bag with the loop sewn in to assist with getting the rod out of the tube. Please use this testimonial in any way you can as having researched aftermarket options, your product(s) may just be not only of equal to better quality but the best value out there."
-Steve in Ohio

Thanks, Steve. Your kind words really brightened my day & reminded me why I do this. Plus, it got me to thinking about all the features of the accessories I offer, particularly the rod tubes.......

One of the accessories I offer happens to be rod tubes we make right here in the shop. I offer two types of rod tubes: a fancy black powder-coated aluminum tube with real brass end caps, & a PVC canvas-covered rod tube. It's these canvas covered tubes I'd like to show you here.

There are many fine, little details that go into making these rod tubes that, I think, makes them some of the best out there. First off, these tubes feature a zippered closure at the top. The benefit of this is that you're never going to lose the cap. How many times have I seen a nice rod in a tube without a cap!! Somehow those things have a way of rolling away, never to be seen again. Here, you never have to worry about that, the "cap" is attached.

The zipper used on these tubes is a heavy duty metal zipper, in size 3, so as not to be too bulky, but strong enough to last a lifetime of opening & closing. It's stitched in to the tube cover with a very heavy seam stitch.

These tubes have a handle attached to make it easier to carry them. The handle is also made of canvas that has been doubled over, which means that you won't have any frayed edges & it makes them stronger.

Both ends of these rod tubes are padded with a very dense foam. This protects the rod inside in two ways: it stops any sharp objects from puncturing the tube at the ends; & it provides crucial padding for the rod.

But what about the actual tube, inside the canvas cover? Well, with these tubes you need not worry about anything damaging your rod inside. These tubes are extremely strong. The side walls of these tubes are 1/8 inches thick & can take a lot of weight, or force, being put on them. This gives them strength, & the PVC material reduces weight. They're actually much stronger than the thinner metal tubes used to house rods - you can even drive a truck over them, though please don't try that yourself.

Take a close look at that pipe again. The top edge of the pipe is slightly beveled. We do this to make sliding the rod in & out of the tube easier - there's no hard edge to catch any line guides on, just a nice & smooth surface! It's those small details that really add up in the overall quality of these tubes.

Each tube has a stitched leather name tag just beneath the opening. On these leather tags is written, in black ink & script, a description of the rod inside. These tags make it convenient for you to see which rod is in the tube.

Oh, & the canvas covers, they are all made from one piece of canvas. This means that there are no pieces that could tear off - it's all one piece of very strong, heavy canvas material sewn together with a strong, continuous seam along the back of the cover. No, you won't have to worry about these covers falling to pieces.

So if that wasn't enough, we can make these tubes for an exact fit to your rod in its rod bag!! That's right, these tubes can be custom made at just about any length.

Why would you want a rod tube made to fit your rod exactly? Because, if the rod tube is longer than the rod inside, it will slide back & forth, jostling the rod inside. That's not good & you don't want that. Sliding back & forth inside the tube is absolutely no good for your fly rod, especially those delicate tips!! We can make a rod tube for you that will give you a nice, perfect fit for your rod, with no sliding or jostling.

In addition to all this, you can choose from multiple colors for your rod tube. So if there's a color scheme to your rod, a neat way to tie your entire rig together is with the color of the bag & rod tube, having them match or harmonize with the color scheme of your rod, the wraps on your rod, the color of the wood in your reel seat, etc. Custom colors are available as well for a small charge.

These are the tubes that come standard with all my Prudential & Classical Series rods, both graphite & bamboo. Still, they are so nice that sometimes folks who get a Custom Series rod order these tubes in addition, to take their rods out into the field. Other folks have a rod that, for whatever reason, didn't have a tube when they got it. These make a perfect home for your homeless fly rod.

As you can tell, I'm really proud of these rod tubes. I think you'll really like them. To me they are the best quality tube you can get & they offer a cheaper alternative to lesser quality tubes you can buy on the market today. Give these tubes a try!! Contact me to let me know what rod tubes you need.

Get Fishing!!!

4/25/2015

Trout seasons are beginning all across the country right now. After this long winter, isn't it good to get out & wet a line?

I was able to get out for a short while yesterday for the first time in a very long while. It was a beautiful day &, while the trout didn't cooperate with my plans for them, it was just nice to get out onto the stream. I had some bugs to work out of my fishing skills anyway.

I hope that you're all able to take some time - even it's it's only for an hour or two - to get out along the stream & wet a line.

4'-4" One Piece "Banty" Rod Now Available

4/20/2015

I just recently listed this 4'-4", 1 piece, 4 wt "Banty" fly rod over on the Available Rods page of this website. This is a neat little rod that a lot of folks always ask me about. The folks who have one really seem to like fishing with them. I think you will, too.

The grip of this rod is about an inch shorter than my standard grip, because the rod is so short, but the trick I've found to having a shorter grip is to make it the same diameter as a regular grip. The normal diameter gives you something to hold onto & makes for a grip that's just as comfortable as my standard grips.

The reel seat on this rod is very nice, too. It has dark aluminum "cap & ring" style hardware & an all cork body.

The rod has all black line guides & tip top, too. These are secured with rich, red colored silk thread wraps - a nice, traditional look.

This rod also has a blued stripping guide & a blued Nickle-Silver winding check in front of the grip. These all match the other black metal parts of the rod.

These Banty rods are very popular. There is no ferrule to interrupt the action of the rod, so it has a nice smooth feel. It's a pretty versatile rod, too. I've made these rods for folks that have used them to catch small brookies on tiny, tree & brush covered mountain streams & for folks who have targeted large-mouth bass on big lakes, & everything in between. While it's labeled as a 4 wt (& that's what works well for me), I know some anglers enjoy fishing this rod with a 3 wt line, too.

It comes complete with a custom made red flannel rod bag & a maroon canvas covered PVC rod tube with padded ends, zippered closure, & a leather name tag describing the rod inside - just like the ones I offer on the Accessories page.

To see more photos & to read more about this rod, please take a look at the Available Rods page. If you have any questions about anything you see there, please contact me. Here's a chance to get a neat little rod without waiting for me to make one for you.

Learning To Match A Hatch

4/20/2015

In the beginning, when someone first takes up the sport of fly fishing, it can be a little overwhelming when you think of all the things that you have to learn to be "good" at it. Not that you're ever done learning about fly fishing - that's one of its biggest charms, but watching a competent angler fool a tricky fish can make you realize just how much you don't know. Of all the basic skills that we need to learn to fool a fish, entomology - or the study of insects as it relates to fly fishing - can be one the most puzzling & confusing things to learn.

Most of us fly anglers learn from a mixture of books, videos, & other anglers. There are many books about the bugs a fly angler needs to know & asking a more experienced angler who is willing to help can really shorten your learning curve. Hiring a guide can be another great resource, but since most of us don't always have a guide with us (especially on local waters) we'll have to do most of the bug-detective work ourselves; and yes- entomology is mostly detective work, as it applies to us fly fishers.

That's part of the fun anyway, trying to figure out which fly to use. If you're just getting into this part of the sport - the entomology - how do you decide which fly is best to use when a good hatch is on? Unless the beginner is armed with a specific fly for a specific hatch they usually end up tossing either a generalized pattern (hare's ear, pheasant tail nymph, adams, etc) or some kind of attractor pattern. They're then left to rely on their abilities to manipulate fly & line for success. I call this the "cast & hope" method & there's nothing wrong with it. It's what we all do when there is no hatch happening. But when a certain type of bug is coming off the water in great numbers, we're going to want to take advantage of the situation.

After experiencing enough hatches on local waters that they aren't prepared for, an angler is going to start wanting to get into the action by matching hatch. If they can do this on a fly they've tied &/or designed themselves, then it won't be long before the "desire" morphs into an "obsession".

So how do you begin figuring out these hatches for yourself? Well, understand that it might not happen quickly. Depending on the duration of the hatch, it might take you until next season before you can prove your theories. That can be a little maddening, but as you well know, patience is the key to success in angling. So while there are several ways to figure out mayfly & caddis hatches, here are some basic procedures:

1.) Pick ONE -& only one - of your local hatches that the trout feed on predominately when those insects are on the water.
2.) Study that insect very intensely. This usually means catching specimens of the dun, mature adult, & nymph or larva & pupa.
3.) Going to the tying vise & either inventing a pattern to copy that insect exactly or modifying an existing pattern to better copy your local bug.

Now, all that sounds great, but how do you actually execute those procedures above? In all reality, it's not quite as easy as I made it sound. There are some fly fishing entomology books that will help guide you. I would avoid delving into any really technical college text books on the entomology, unless that's your cup-'o-tea, because this stuff can get pretty confusing & entomology is a huge field of study. We're only looking at a very small part of it, as it pertains to the bugs our fish eat. Add to that the discipline it takes to do this. You're going to be spending time with a net in your hand trying to catch bugs, or turning over rocks from the stream bed while other anglers have their lines in the water. Trust me, that discipline will be well rewarded in the future.

So here are some pointers to get you started:

-Start with an easily identified hatch. Ideally, it would be one that's on the water when nothing else that looks like it is, too. For example, you might locally have a green drake hatch that is physically bigger than any other local hatches; or maybe, like me, you have a heavy local white fly hatch that, because of it's distinct color, can't possibly be confused with any other bug. Your local hatch charts might be of help here, too.

-When the hatch that you've chosen to study is on the water, take time to just sit & watch it. Don't fish, only observe - at least part of the time. After you've studied the bug's natural behavior, try to catch a specimen. Ideally you'd take this specimen home with you, but taking a very detailed photo will also work, if you have the knowledge & skills to take good macro shots.

-Armed with the example you took from the stream (or a really good set of photos), head to your tying vise & get creative. You might need to make up several different patterns to try. Get back to the water while the hatch is still on & see how your new flies work. If not, maybe take some more samples or photos & try it all again until you get it. This process may very well stretch into the next fishing season, so be patient.

In fly fishing, nothing trumps local knowledge of the water you're fishing. By methodically learning to match a single hatch you'll be expanding your knowledge of the sport & the water you fish. After you've learned one hatch inside & out, you can then move onto the others in the same way. This will be a multiple-year commitment on your part, but it's well worth it. I promise you that, as a fly angler, nothing will bring you more satisfaction & reward than when you match the hatch, catching trout on a fly of your own design that you created by studying the natural insect.

Some Thoughts On Landing A Fish

4/16/2015

It has happened to all of us who have ever hooked a fish: sometimes sometimes the fish gets off our hook before we have a chance to bring it in. Sometimes it happens very quickly, only a few seconds after the hook was set; while other times we loose the fish just as we're ready to net or beach the creature. Either way it's somewhere between a bit of a let down or a devastating heartbreak when we lose a fish.

So why does this happen? Well, if it only happens to you occasionally than I wouldn't worry - it happens to every angler from the beginner to the most experienced in the world. However, if you're constantly losing fish while playing them you're probably doing something wrong as common sense would dictate. It could be how you handle your fly line, the angle of your fly rod during the fight, or the amount of pressure you're putting on the fish & line. There's a lot of things you have to do to bring a fish to hand, but that's what makes it challenging.

I once had a fellow who worked part time as a fly fishing guide tell me that the two things most anglers do that causes them to lose a fish off the hook is that they either a.) put too much pressure on the fish; or b.) move around too much while fighting the fish. To me that makes sense.

It's a natural reaction when you set the hook to keep a lot of pressure on the fish, but the trick is to set the hook with some force, but then to let up a little. You have to keep constant pressure on the fish the entire time, but you don't want to stretch the limits of your fine leader. Remember, the heavier the fish, the less pressure you can put on it before your tippet snaps. Of course you can go too far the other way, allowing slack line, for if you do the fish will almost certainly be lost. What you need is a nice, even pressure to wear the fish down as it fights. This might be hard to do while your adrenaline is pumping like crazy, but it's a skill you're going to need to land the most fish.

Sometimes we make the fight with the fish last too long. The idea here is to bring the fish quickly to the net or hand, that way you don't give it any time to escape the hook. Sometimes in an attempt to play out, or tire, the fish an angler can go too far & exhaust the fish. That can lead to it's demise & kill it. Playing a fish too long is unnecessary & unsportsmanlike. Don't ever extend a fight with a fish on purpose because you think that it's fun.

Another reason a fish can jump off the hook is because the angler is too animated & thus really scare the fish into an uncontrollable panic. Trout, especially, can actually harm themselves in such a panic.

It's not that the fish has the comprehension enough to understand exactly what's going on. Rather, they see a large shape along the shoreline or protruding from the water (you) & as long as you remain fairly still they take you to be a large bush or some other object naturally along the stream. However, if during a fight with the fish you should be jumping around, waving arms, churning the water with your legs, & running up & down the stream the fish will have it in its small instinctive mind reason enough to figure that the large, thrashing blob (you) is associated with the hook in it's mouth or the weird pull it keeps feeling toward that crazy blob. That would be a little scary.

So it's best to remain in one place when playing a fish if you can - sometimes, like when salmon fishing, you don't have a choice & you will be following the fish up or down stream. When this happens try to do so as calmly as you can. It will be safer for you, any other anglers, & your gear.

So when you hook a nice fish be physically calm & as stationary as you can & land the fish as quickly as you safely can - ideally before the fish has an idea of what's going on. Do plan out how you will bring any fish to hand before you hook up.

Playing & fighting a fish can be great fun. That said, I still feel that the biggest thrill from the sport comes from the take - the fooling of the fish to take your fake fly as real food. When that happens I know my theories & ideas worked & I want to get on to trying to fool the next fish.

Reaching Out Around The World With Fly Rods

4/13/2015

Folks, I've said it many times before (& I'll say it again) - one of the coolest things about being a rod maker is all the wonderful people you meet. I've been fortunate enough to befriend anglers from all over the place.

Recently I was honored by my friend, Bernard, who sent me some photos of a rod I made in action catching fish in the country of Austria. He was using a 5'-0", 3 weight bamboo fly rod I made to land some beautiful fish.

Bernard had this rod lined up with a natural silk fly line & he was landing these beauties pictured above & below on a dry fly. A bamboo fly rod, silk fly line, & dry fly action - now that's fly fishing!!

That's a 13" trout on a 5'-0" 3 wt fly rod, folks!!

Or how about this 14 1/2" dandy:

Oh, & he was also catching grayling, too!! It's quit obvious that Bernard is a very skilled & knowledgeable fly fisherman. This one was a nice 15 1/2" long:

Bernard was fishing in the River Steyr in Upper Austria & that's where these photos were taken. As you can see, it's a beautiful river in an amazing part of the world.

A little bit of trivia for you - the River Steyr flows into the town of the same name. It's where the famous composer Franz Schubert spent many hours writing his famous "Trout Quintet".

Personally, I have always wanted to visit this part of the world. I've read a lot about this region of Europe & am fascinated by the people, the food, & the culture there. It would be a dream come true for me to take a trip there someday.

We rod makers don't always get to spend enough time outside of the rod shop, & even though I love to make rods about as much as I like to fish, it always makes my day when someone sends me photos of a rod I made in the field. I absolutely love it & I feel great knowing that the rod I made is bringing them enjoyment & good sport. To all of you who have a rod I made, I'd be honored to see some photos of you & the rod in action along your favorite stream, river, or lake.

So while I might never get the chance to wet a line in the River Steyr myself, I am extremely thankful to my friend Bernard for sharing his fishing there with me through photos. Thank you, Bernard!!

A Chris Lantzy made bamboo fly rod in action along the River Steyr in Austria.

Fishing Bags

4/9/2015

I want to show you some detailed photos of the fishing bags that are made in my shop. These bags are a great alternative to a fishing vest & have a traditional look to them. Plus, as the photos will show, they are made & designed to last a lifetime of heavy fishing. These are the bags described over on the Accessories page of this website.

These bags will hold a lot of weight. One of the reasons for that is because the flap, back, bottom, & front are all one piece of canvas. There is no bottom piece or bottom seam to tear out on these bags. The body of the bag is all one piece for maximum strength.

Most commercial fishing bags have pockets on the front, just like these ones. However on most bags those pockets are made from one or two pieces of material that's just been sewn onto the front of the bag. My bags have another layer of material on the front. You see, on my bags the pockets are first sewn onto another piece of canvas the size of the bag front. This unit is then sewn onto the front of the bag. This makes the front of my bags two layers thick behind the pockets. All this adds strength to the material. It won’t rip & it’s very resistant to punctures.

The pockets themselves are both double stitched for added strength & then everything gets top stitched. It takes a lot of thread, but results in strong pockets that won’t tear or wear out with heavy use.

The side pockets, four in total & made to fit tippet spools & other accessories, are made in the same exact way as the front pockets. Again, the sides of my bags are also two layers thick behind the pockets.

The shoulder strap on any bag is very important. The adjustable straps on my bags are made from canvas that has been doubled over, making them two layers thick. They are then triple-stitched, with a very heavy seam stitch down the middle. You can hang a lot of weight from these straps.

These straps are attached to the bag in such a way that it will never come loose from the bag. Where it is sewn in at the sides of the bag it’s sandwiched between the backings of the side pockets & the base piece of the bag. Remember, the sides are two layers thick. Here’s a close-up look inside the bag where the strap is attached on one side:

The lining of these bags is not only sewn in at the edge seams, but also fused onto the canvas of the bag. This means that you can’t pull it away from the material – it’s attached everywhere. By sewing the liner in & fusing it to the canvas this greatly reduces the risk of the liner ever getting torn or ripped.

It’s also the small details that add up in the overall quality of these bags. For instance, the snap closures used to secure the flap of the bag are strong, industrial snaps. These are the same type as used on saddles, safety equipment, etc.

The Velcro-type material used for the pocket closures are stitched all the way around – not just at the corners, like in other commercial bags.

Many of the other fishing bags on the market today are fitted with metal buckles & snaps that will tarnish or rust after a while. The metal on my bags is all either chromed or made of brass. These are sure to last a lifetime without leaving nasty rust stains on the bag.

It’s all these details that help make these bags, I believe, the best you can get. Add to all this that you can get them in your choice of three colors: green, brown, or black. As for the price I think you’ll be amazed at what you get for the cost. Lesser made bags sell for twice as much, making these the best value in fishing bags anywhere!! Please contact me if you have any questions about these bags.

Hand crafted in the U.S.A.

Hatch Lists, or Beware of Unverified Info

4/6/2015

In this day of instant info available on the internet, you should always beware of what you read. This is also true for info about specific trout streams you might be thinking about visiting to fish for the first time.

Case in point: I was recently reading a short article about the hatches that can found on one of my local streams. Well, it didn't take me reading too long before I was asking, "which stream is this supposed to be?" Hardly any of the info in the article was correct. Now, they did manage to mention a few of the hatches that occur on my stream, so it wasn't completely false information. However, they listed at least a half dozen hatches that DON'T occur on this stream at all.

In addition to adding hatches to my stream, some of the info about the hatches that actually do occur was wrong. For example, it mentioned that the Brown Drakes hatch only at night. They do hatch at night, but they also hatch in the late afternoon & you can fish this hatch while the sun is still out. They mention that the Brown Drake is a minor hatch but, in truth, it is one of the major hatches of this stream & by far the largest, physically, which brings out the bigger fish into the light of day.

This article was heavy on mayfly info, but on this stream, caddis are more important for most of the year. There are numerous different caddis hatches throughout the season on this stream. This article listed only two caddis hatches!!!

The article (surprise, surprise) appeared on a website that sells flies. The company is located far away from my stream, too. Plus the article wasn't credited to any author. All this should send up red flags when you read stuff like that.

Well, you can see what's happening here: they're listing too many hatches in the article in an attempt to sell more flies. They're hoping you'll buy a dozen of each fly listed for your trip to this stream. Is that right? At best it's irresponsible. At worst it's a scam.

As I always say - nothing trumps local knowledge. So if you're planning a trip to a new stream do your research. Find a fly shop local to that area. Read the fly shop's website for info. Call ahead to them & explain that you'll be in the area & ask for their advice. When you do go to that new stream, stop in at that fly shop to thank them for their help & buy something from them - maybe those flies you thought about buying online. It's always best to go to the source for info, rather than believing anything you read online. Not everyone is trying to take advantage of you, but there are some bad eggs out there. When in doubt, or if something just doesn't sound right about a new stream, ask a local. I've found that most local anglers want you to have success & enjoy the streams they call home.

Happy Easter

4/3/2015

To all of you who celebrate the Holiday, I wish you a happy & blessed Easter!!

The Legend of The Blue Trout (Repost)

4/1/2015

It's April Fool's day folks, & so....

Once upon a time, a faithful fly angler named Norman was fishing in his favorite stream. He was an especially faithful angler because he hadn't caught a fish in five years. Others had, he knew.

For five long seasons he watched as the rods of his fellow anglers bent with life to the power of fighting trout. Always pleasant to others, Norman congratulated the other anglers on their catches & was happy for their success - in spite of his own lack of luck. They were in there, teasing him - mocking him it would seem. Through the five years Norman tried everything he could think of. He read all the fly fishing books & magazine articles he could, following their advice & directions to the letter. He even went so far as to hire a guide on his home waters, but was declared a hopeless case.

Finally one day, Norman couldn't take it anymore. He sat down along the stream bank & wept at his terrible streak of fishless days. This was the end of the line for him. He made up his mind to sell his rod & all his gear when he got back home.

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there when he heard approaching footsteps of someone coming thorough the woods. Wiping his eyes & trying to hide his shame, Norman saw him emerge from the bushes. He was a tall man, decked out in a flannel shirt with an old fishing vest stained from years of use. His old rubber hip waders had been patched so many times you couldn't tell where the patches began & the original wader ended. He smoked an old broken pipe & wore a torn & rumpled felt hat on his head that his long grey hair stuck out from underneath. His long grey beard was twisted & gnarly. Even though this was his home stream, Norman was sure he had never seen this mystical angler before.

The strange angler approached Norman & stood above him. "I understand what you're going through", he said. "For five long years I've been watching you go without a fish. Many times I thought of offering you some advice, but I could see nothing you were doing wrong. However, your faith & persistence in attempting to catch a trout have earned you this prize." The mystical angler then pulled an old tin from his vest pocket & produced a fly for Norman. "Take this & cast it down & across in front of that log on the other side of the stream over there. It will only take one cast. Your hard times are over if you'll fish this fly." Reaching up & taking it from his hand, Norman saw that it was the strangest fly he had ever seen. It had a deer hair tail of translucent green, a body of what looked like fur from a tabby cat, & polka-dotted hackle of red & white. "Thanks," said Norman. Looking up he saw the angler was gone without a sound - as if he had vanished.

"My goodness, I must be cracking up" thought Norman, but there was that bizarre fly in his hand. Figuring he had nothing left to loose, he tied on the weird fly to the end of his tippet & waded out into position to cast.

The fly landed on the water. It took a good drift as Norman mended his line to get a good swing in front of the log. Suddenly his line stopped dead in the water & he felt the pull. Setting the hook, the fight was on. The fish dove down & Norman played him well. Swimming in figure eights Norman pulled the line to straighten him out. The fish went for some underwater branches, but Norman moved it away. Suddenly the trout surfaced for only a second & as he gave slack line he thought the trout looked different somehow, but didn't have time to ponder it at the moment. For every trick the trout tried, Norman knew a counter-move. Back & forth they went like this for hours.

Finally, tired & worn out from the fight, Norman brought this prize trout to hand. It was then that he noticed it was blue!! It was a blue trout!! How could this be?

While staring in stunned silence at this rare sight, suddenly the fish spoke to Norman. "You put up a good fight" the trout said. Startled by this Norman dropped the fish & his fly snapped off his line, but the fish didn't swim away. It floated in the stream with it's head above the water & said, "I have not been played with such care, grace, & skill by an angler as you. I have been bested by you, sir. It has been an honor to be brought to your hand. For your skill & sportsmanship I will grant you three wishes before I swim away. However, choose your wishes quickly, as a hatch will soon be on & I must leave you."

He couldn't believe this was happening. Certainly he must be loosing his mind, but there was the trout, blue as could be in front of him. Norman's thoughts began to race as a grin formed on his face.......

No one knows what happened after that, but Norman never had another fishless day in all his years. So despair not fellow anglers who may be struggling to catch a fish. If you are faithful, persistent, & celebrate the successes of other anglers, regardless of your bad luck like Norman, you may just be lucky enough to find the blue trout.

Seriously though, folks, blue trout do exist - in hatchery trout. This is a naturally occurring, but rare, abnormality found mostly in rainbow trout & in a few brown trout as well. It's believed that this mutation occurs because of an abnormality in the fish's thyroid that produce hormones that cause the odd coloration. At PA Fish Commission hatcheries, they separate these trout out from the others that will be stocked. That's why you never hear of anyone catching one. These blue trout can be found swimming in the pools at the hatcheries. If you want to see a blue trout, contact a PA Fish Commission hatchery to see them.

To read more about blue trout, please click HERE.

There's nothing magical about a blue trout....or is there??..........

the pliant rod:

Rod Tubes

Get Fishing!!!

4'-4" One Piece "Banty" Rod Now Available

Learning To Match A Hatch

Some Thoughts On Landing A Fish

Reaching Out Around The World With Fly Rods

Fishing Bags

Hatch Lists, or Beware of Unverified Info

Happy Easter

The Legend of The Blue Trout (Repost)

The Pliant Rod

These rods are available right now. please Go to the "Available rods" page for more details:

7'-6"
3/2, 4/5 wt
classical series
bamboo

6'-4"
2/2, 4/5 wt
classical series bamboo

10'-0", 4 pc, 5/6 wt
custom series graphite

hand stitched leather accessories

DISCOUNTED REEL CASES
(IN LIMITED SIZES & COLORS):

NEW!! SEE MORE ROD PHOTOS!!!

Watch Some Videos!!

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