Custom Fly Fishing Rods by Chris Lantzy, Custom Rod Maker
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Custom Fly Fishing Rods by Chris Lantzy, Custom Rod Maker

the pliant rod:

blog & news

Fly Fishing Entomology 

7/28/2015

 
You can't really take up the sport of fly fishing without becoming somewhat knowledgeable about aquatic bugs. You have to, because it's how you're trying to trick the fish (most of the time). I say 'somewhat' because you don't have to be an expert entomologist in order to catch a fish with a fly. However, it does help to know the bugs you're imitating with fur & feather.
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Now, some anglers go all out with the entomology. They learn every last, minute detail about each hatch they fish. They keep & collect samples of each type of bug. Some even raise these insects at home in aquariums, too just to watch them & study their behaviors. All that is fine, but it's not completely necessary.

Insect entomology for fly fishers is especially important if you want to tie your own original patterns for specific hatches you'll be fishing. There, it helps a lot to know the different parts of the bug, how they move, when they move, etc. Of course this is all useful in fishing as well. I encourage every angler, no matter what experience level, to observe the natural bugs on the stream. If you're just tossing a fly pattern because that's what a book told you to use, you're missing some of the richest & coolest parts of the sport.

These days there's tons of info about the mayflies & caddis that trout like to eat available at the click of a computer mouse. Still, it's good to have some reference materials on your shelf that you can go to anytime (or take with you on a trip). There are two books about fishing bugs I highly suggest every angler own.

The first is called "Hatches II" By Al Caucci & Bob Nastasi. This is a fantastic book that does more than just tell you what mayflies are hatching & when. It takes you straight through the entomology, patterns, & behavior of every major mayfly hatch in North America. It is far & away one of the best books I own.
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The second book that I recommend is by Gary LaFontaine, titled "Caddisflies". This is THE book about all things caddis. If there were a college-level class about caddisflies in regards to fly fishing, this would be the text book for it. Heck, this book would give you a PhD in fly fishing caddis!! What do you want to know about these bugs? Well, it's in this book. 
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A while back, Roger Rohrbeck set up a website all about fly fishing entomology. It is a fantastic reference for anyone wanting to learn more about the subject. You can visit the site HERE.

What I like about entomology is what I like about all the other aspects of fly fishing: you can go as deep (or as crazy) with it as you like. There's something in this sport for everyone & entomology is one part of it all. If you want to run around the stream with a big net & a box full of small jars, have at it!! There's nothing wrong with following your passions!! 

So no matter how much we get into it, we can all learn more about the bugs the fish we're trying to fool eat. Those two books & that website listed above are great resources for doing just that. It won't be wasted time for sure, as the more we learn about those insects, the better anglers we become.
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Available Restored Fiberglass: New Price!!!

7/24/2015

 
With the height of warm water fly fishing upon us - & the growing amount of clutter in the rod shop - I thought it would be a good time to offer a further discount on the restored glass fly rod I have listed on the Available Rods page.

This 8'-5" 7/8 wt rod began life back in the 1960's as a Shakespeare Wonder Rod. It has been rebuilt to now cast a line better than it ever did before. All line guides are now wrapped in fine brown silk thread. More guides were added to this rod & placed in the proper locations to better control the line when casting. This rod now fishes better than ever.
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Along with the new line guides, this rod received a entire cleaning & a re-coating of the rod shafts. It has also been fitted with a custom fit flannel rod bag & PVC canvas covered rod tube with padded ends, zippered closure, & a leather name tag describing the rod inside. 
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I think this would make an excellent rod for large or small mouth bass, larger trout, or really any situation where you need to chuck larger, buggy flies for bigger fish. It has a nice, classic, glass feel to it with plenty of back bone to fight heavier fish.
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These old Shakespeare production glass blanks were very nice, but since they were mass produced rods they cut some corners on rod components back then to keep prices down. This rod has now received the proper line guides, in the proper locations, wrapped in silk thread. It's now the rod it always should have been.
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This rod does have a few small issues: it's short by 1 inch & there is a very small scratch on the end cap of the reel seat. This in no way affects the rod's function. It will fish perfectly & it looks like a lot more expensive rod.

For more info & to see more photos of this rod, please visit the Available Rods page of this website. Please contact me with any questions you have about this rod or anything you see there.

Enjoy this restored vintage fiberglass rod, now at a reduced price!!

More Photos From Beyond The Rod Shop

7/21/2015

 
As you probably already know (I've said it enough times before), I love to see photos of your fishing adventures. I really enjoy seeing the places you folks fish because, as they say, trout (& other fish) live in beautiful places. I really get a kick out of seeing a rod or other piece of gear I've made in use out along the water.

Today I'm sharing more photos some of you have recently been kind enough to send me.

Here's a shot of some absolutely gorgeous water: It's the North Yuba River in Northern California. What a stream!!! I could look at that photo all day. Plus, there's a very cool custom glass rod in the shot that I made in my shop, too. Man, I have got to get to Northern California someday!!
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Recently, a good friend took a trip up to Maine. I will admit that I'm jealous. I haven't been to Maine in a while & I really miss it. Here's a shot he shared with me of the Kennebec River. The river flows not too far from Farmington, Maine - home of one of my rod making heroes Charles Wheeler who was an inspiration to my mortised bamboo rods & one of my favorite towns in the state!
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Here's a photo he sent me of the Moose River in northern Maine. The Moose River region of the state is awesome. I'd love to go exploring those woods & rivers with my fly rod!!
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A big thanks to all those who have shared your photos with me. Please folks, keep those photos & stories coming at me. I really do enjoy hearing about all your fishing trips, your fishing stories, & seeing the photos you take along the way. It really makes my day to see where some of the rods that were created in my rod shop end up in use!!

I hope that you're all having a safe & enjoyable summer so far.

7'-6" 2/2 Mortised Bamboo Fly Rod Now Available

7/16/2015

 
It's turning out to be a very busy summer here in the rod shop. To that end, I've just listed a new fly rod over on the Available Rods page of this site. This one is a very special rod indeed! It's a 7'-6", 2 piece/2 tip, 5 weight, mortised bamboo fly rod. The mortised strips on this rod are made from an ebonized soft wood, so as to not dampen the feel of the rod. I must say, they make this a very handsome rod.
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This rod has a sweet & smooth moderate action that I think you're going to love. It would be perfect on any trout stream & the envy of the other anglers. Decked out with top-shelf rod components, the good looks & the awesome feel of this rod come together to make this a wonderful piece of fishing tackle. 
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This rod features:
-Gorgeous feather inlay above the grip where the mortising starts.
-Down locking, screw-lock, darkened (or blued) Nickle-Silver reel seat with a rich walnut spacer.
-Blued Nickle-Silver ferrules.
-Red agate stripping guide in a blued Nickle-Silver bezel.
-Black line guides & tip tops.
-Black silk thread wraps.
-A wonderfully smooth moderate action.

In addition to all that, this rod comes in a custom fit brown (to match the walnut spacer) cotton flannel rod bag with black embellishment stitches. All this is housed in a custom made black canvas covered PVC rod tube with padded ends, zippered closure, & a leather name tag describing the rod inside.
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Folks, I'm really proud of this rod & I think you'll love fishing it & displaying it in your office, fly tying room, or den, too. It's a fantastic piece of usable fly fishing art that you can enjoy for a long time.

This rod has never been fished, having only seen action casting on the lawn & it is in new, mint condition. However, it was used as a demo rod & so I've reduced the price significantly.

To see more photos & to read more about this delightful rod, please visit the Available Rods page. If you have any questions about this rod, or anything else you see there, please feel free to contact me. I'm always happy to help in any way that I can.
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Fly Tying: Wet Fly Flank Feather Wings

7/14/2015

 
You know the old wet fly patterns with the wings made from a mallard, or duck, flank feathers? Ever had trouble getting those wings to look just right? Well, I do. That is, until I found this little trick to getting them right.

It should be simple: you simply align the flank feather on top of the hook while you're tying, measure it to get the length you want, & tie it down. Easy......well, almost. Usually I don't get the wing exactly right. Either it cocks to one side, or it isn't exactly straight with the hook. Mostly though, I have trouble getting the wing at the angle I want it at. Ideally the wing would be pointed at about a 45 degree angle from the hook shank. This is sometimes easier said than done. 

The answer to my problems came in an article written by Eric Austin. In the article he shares a method he discovered from reading some old fly tying books. Well, what's old is new again & this trick has really helped me to get the wings right.

The trick is to tie the feather on upside down & pointed in the wrong direction (than what you're used to). 
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You then fold the wing over, so it points toward the back of the hook, & tie it down. This results in a wing of the proper angle to the fly body.
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All credit goes to Eric for this one. I would have continued to struggle with my flank-feather wings if not for him & his article.


Please, take a moment to read Eric's article HERE. He goes into a lot more detail than I have & does a much better job of explaining it all than I have.


It's these little tips & ideas like this that take something that should be easy, but isn't, & makes your fly tying that much better. Thanks, Eric!!

Some Fly Fishing Basics 

7/10/2015

 
I enjoy being helpful to anglers, especially those new to fly fishing. As a rod maker I sometimes get asked by newer anglers about the gear & tackle needed for fly fishing. Well, I'm always willing to share my advice with those who need it.

However, it's my thinking that when I see an expert fly angler, rather than parrot them to the newer angler asking me questions, I simply point them in the direction of the expert. This is especially true when Hank Patterson, expert fly fishing guide, has something to say. I have found Hank's advice & opinions to be remarkable. 

I don't think any of us can measure up to Hank, so when he speaks we should listen. Here then, is Hank's advice about essential gear needed for fly fishing. You should maybe take notes....

Edward Vom Hofe

7/6/2015

 
Edward Vom Hofe was a very famous reel maker. Coming from a family of reel makers, he set out on his own to realize his own success through his own ideas. In the end, he changed the way we look at reels.

His reels were beautiful & their designs became the standard by which all high-end reels are judged today. He was the first to use hard rubber side plates - a striking & elegant look. The gentle S-curves of his handles added a touch of class to each reel. But most important was what was inside the reel. His simplified drag systems worked better than anything before it. He made it easier to oil & lubricate the reel with special ports, so you didn't have to tear the reel apart to lubricate it. He continued to improve & innovate reels throughout his long career.

Collectors of all fishing tackle seek after Vom Hoffe reels. He made reels for many large game fish, not just fly reels, too. His work always bring top prices on the market today.

Here is a brief video discussing & showing the history of the Edward Vom Hofe reels & his career:

Happy Independence Day!!

7/4/2015

 
Have a safe & happy 4th of July everybody!!
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Rejuvenating Hackle 

7/1/2015

 
Here's an old tip, but one you might not know about. Hackle feathers on your well used flies will sometimes lose their shape. Maybe they got crushed in your pocket or on the drying patch of your fishing bag or vest? Better yet, maybe so many fish took your fly that the hackle got a little messed up? Sometimes, especially at the end of the season, the hackles on the flies you fished a lot will just be "funky" - loaded with dried up, gunky floatant, or caked with creek slime or mud.

These flies, if there's nothing else wrong with them, can be salvaged. There's no need to strip the hook & re-tie the fly. I know an angler who used to do that & that's fine if you want to, but you don't have to.

How do you rejuvenate the hackle on your flies? Answer: with steam. Simply heat up some water in a tea kettle until it starts to steam & - with your hemostats holding your fly (be careful - remember, steam can hurt you) - pass the fly through the steam. Keep moving & rotating the fly through the steam. This will only take about 30 seconds at most.

When you do this you'll see the steam start to work almost immediately. With dry flies you'll see the hackles straighten out & go back to their original shape. Wet fly hackle will also straighten out, too. Any dirt, grease, or other nastiness on your hackle will / should come off in the steam. If not, the steam will loosen that garbage up enough for you to gently wipe it off the feather(s) with a soft cloth.

When you're done make sure you dry your flies thoroughly before you put them away, locked up in your box or fly wallet. Also make sure that as you let them dry that you place them in such a way that doesn't crush one side of the hackles you just straightened. A piece of foam to hook them in is ideal.

To show you the process, here's a photo of how I steam-clean the hackles of a dry fly:
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This is a good piece of maintenance to do when you can't get on the stream (like when the streams are all flooded out, like now) or at the end of the season. After you're done steaming you can take a good inventory of your flies to see what ones you need to tie more of.

It might sound like an infomercial to say, but you can breathe new life back into your flies in only a few seconds with the power of steam!!

    The Pliant Rod

    News from the shop of Chris Lantzy, Custom Rod Maker along with industry news, profiles of interesting characters, reviews, history, & whatever else strikes our fancy. Your comments & feedback are welcome. Please email me your thoughts.


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    SEE MORE ROD PHOTOS!!!

    Please visit my Flickr pages to see even more rod photos including those available for sale, different rod features, & more. I'll be continuing to add photos there, so check it often. 

    Watch Some Videos!!

    Take a look into the rod shop & see some rods in living color motion pictures!! Check out my youtube videos. 
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