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Custom Fly Fishing Rods by Chris Lantzy, Custom Rod Maker

Remembering Andy Royer....

9/29/2015

Have you ever worked with someone who you always liked to have contact with; someone who you thought that it would be cool to know them better outside of your job? Well, that's the way I always felt about Andy Royer....

Andy was better known as "The Bamboo Broker" & he was, without a doubt, an expert on bamboo. He was THE man for rod makers who were looking for the best bamboo to make their rods from. In fact I feel safe in saying that most rod makers got their cane from Andy. As a result, he became the hub in the wheel of rod makers everywhere.

Sadly, Andy passed away earlier this month after a two year battle with cancer. During that time he kept a blog, which he shared with everybody, all about what he was going through & what was going on in his life. It was one of the bravest things I've ever seen & it made me admire him even more than I already did. One day he was living his life, the next he was told he was terminal. He handled it all with such grace & dignity. He was still a young man when he passed, but he packed more life into his short years than most of us.

The bamboo in my fly rods came from Andy. I knew I could count on him to always send me the best. I didn't have to worry about the quality of the cane, if there would be any poles I just couldn't use for rods - it was always the best bamboo in the world. To insure that, Andy & his wife (who is now transitioning into running the business) would make annual trips to China to personally hand pick the bamboo for us rod makers & talk with the growers about what we needed to make our rods. This, of course, resulted in anglers getting better rods. In essence, Andy was the best bamboo supplier out there.

Every time I talked with Andy I would hang up the phone in a good mood, feeling better than I had before. I suspect he had that effect on all the people he came in contact with. Our conversations were brief but always pleasant & even though they always focused around business, I still felt a personal connection with the guy. I was just one of many rod makers he worked with, but he always made me feel like I was his only client.

I send all of Andy's loved ones, his wife, his children, my prayers & well wishes. Thank you, Andy. Thank you for sharing your bravery with all of us, giving us all an example to follow. Thank you for all that you did for us rod makers. Thank you for being so cool to me. The next cane I split, I split in your honor.

Documentary: Joe Brooks, The Story of How Loved Changed Fishing Forever

9/21/2015

If you don't know who Joe Brooks was, you're missing out on some fantastic writing & information about fly fishing. I've talked here about Joe before - please read my previous article HERE - but it turns out that there's even more to the man who did more to promote fly fishing than anyone before him.

In case you don't know, Joe Brooks was one of the most famous anglers of the 20th century. He wrote many books & articles, & appeared on TV showing folks how to fly fish. He was one of the very first to promote the concept of 'catch & release' starting back in the 1940's. He was also the first one to show a large audience that you can catch any fish that swims on a fly. Through articles & TV he was the first to take us to exotic locations, catching strange & wonderful fish we had never heard of before.

He was also a great educator in fly fishing, too. Through his books he showed many anglers the finer aspects of the sport. In fact, I feel safe in saying that a majority of the 'how-to' fly fishing books written since the last quarter of the 20th century are pretty much just restating the things that Brooks wrote about in hos books, even though the authors might not be aware.

I've lately been really surprised by how Joe Brooks & his contributions to our sport have been either fading from our memories or he simply isn't as known now as he once was. That's a terrible shame, as reading his books & articles are a real benefit for any fly angler - even still today. In my opinion, if you don't have a copy of "Trout Fishing" on your bookshelf, your library isn't complete.

Hopefully that will change soon. Joe's great nephews (Joe & Michael Brooks), along with the legendary Left Kreh, are working to produce a movie about the life of Joe Brooks. It promises to tell the entire story - & it seems there's a lot more than any of us previously knew.

I always knew that Joe had a very loving relationship with his wife Mary. However, I didn't know that before she came into his life, Joe was an alcoholic who had all but hit rock bottom in his life. Through Mary's love & their passion for fly fishing, he turned his life around &, in turn, went on to change how we fish by establishing a new career that would make him famous & all of us better anglers.

"Joe Brooks The Story of How Loved Changed Fishing Forever" promises to show how Joe redeemed himself & in turn, influenced generations of anglers. You can learn more about this film, about Joe, & help to get it produced by donating HERE.

I, for one, look forward to seeing this documentary about the man who really has helped me become a better angler. For that, I really appreciate everything Joe Brooks did for the sport.

Fly Fishing & The Brain

9/18/2015

I like it when I read a scientific take on fly fishing, as I find it amusing that some of the best minds in science & medicine are just now starting to learn what we fly anglers have known all along - fly fishing can be very good for you. It has a bevy of health benefits for mind & body.

So I read, with great interest & amusement, an article recent'y published by the Harvard Mahoney Neuroscience Institute, in it's newsletter called "On The Brain" about how fly fishing can reduce stress.

It turns out (at least science is now learning) that fly fishing can break up the normal brain patterns of everyday life & that is healthy for the brain. In fact, it can be used as a relaxation technique & combat stress & the 'fish or flight' response we all instinctively have when facing stress in our daily lives. (So tell us something we don't know).

From the article.......

"The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation describes fly-fishing as a natural stress reliever because fly anglers are surrounded by nature, unplugged from electronics, and distanced from the so-called real world. That notion is buttressed by a 2009 study by a team of researchers drawn from the University of Southern Maine, the University of Utah, and the VA in Salt Lake City. In their study involving combat veterans found that participants had significant reductions in stress and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and improvements in sleep quality after participating in a fly-fishing retreat.

In other ways, fly-fishing has been compared to meditation, in that fly-fishers perform a simple, repeated task, often for hours on end."

Yup folks, that's right - fly fishing is fun & relaxing. Maybe that's why so many of the people who take up the sport end up doing it for life, some becoming truly engrossed & falling in love with it?

So now you have even more scientific proof to use as an excuse to go fly fishing!!! To read the entire article, please click HERE.

Fly Rods: Graphite vs Bamboo vs Fiberglass

9/12/2015

In my experience, I’ve noticed that most anglers have a personal preference concerning what materials they’re fly rods are made from: graphite, bamboo, or fiberglass. If you’ve been fly fishing for a while, chances are that you fall into one of the three camps. Sometimes though, you might consider jumping ship & trying another make of rod for a while. Maybe you’ve heard some things about them & wonder what all the fuss is about. I’ve known anglers who have gone through phases as well. For those of you thinking about the stuff your rod is made from. I want to give you some things to consider - some food for thought.

As a custom rod maker working in all three materials, I consider myself pretty lucky to be able to cast & fish with all three types of rods. Better yet, I get to work & talk with anglers who might have preferences for one of those material specifically. So, rather than me going on about how these rods are different from each other, I’d like to share with you some of my observations about why some anglers prefer one material over the others.

Fiberglass: Some anglers have come to feel most graphite rods are too stiff. The trend with large rod companies has been for faster rods & graphite is perfect for that. However, anglers that prefer glass aren’t necessarily after faster rods, per say. Many anglers prefer the traditional “feel” of glass rods. They have actions more like bamboo - the first glass rods developed were based on bamboo rod tapers. These anglers like the protection the softer tips of fiberglass rods give to tippets when setting a hook, as opposed to the stiffer graphite rods. These anglers get all this feel & rod actions at a price lower than bamboo rods & most higher end graphite. Also, fiberglass has been used as a rod material for many decades now, so some of these anglers just have a personal nostalgia towards glass rods. It’s what the grew up fishing with & by continuing to use these rods today, they feel connected with their past.

Graphite: Most fly anglers today fish with graphite. That’s mostly because most rods are made of graphite today, but why? The material of graphite is more versatile & easier to change in the construction of the blank. Graphite also tends to be “stronger” than glass or bamboo & more resistant to breakage. Very high-modulus graphite rods do tend to be more brittle than other rods. For years I continued to see rods of higher & higher modulus, until they discovered this fact (then came boron, which is a whole other story). Unlike bamboo, graphite can be fished in very cold conditions without too much worry. Graphite rods tend to be more sensitive than glass rods (that’s the theory, anyway). They also weigh less, too. So you get sensitivity & strength with less weight. However, if a rod is properly balanced, weight isn’t much of a factor as a balanced rod will require less effort to cast. Also, it should be noted that some folks really like a fast rod & for that graphite is the way to go for sure. With the vast majority of fly rods being made of graphite these days, you have a wider selection available to you in all price ranges. This can be very convenient - especially for the angler on a budget.

Bamboo: Fly fishing has many traditions. Fishing with cane is one way to be in two eras at one time. Some anglers find the “feel” & actions of bamboo to be superior to anything else. Some misconstrued & misinformed opinions aside, bamboo rods can be made in any rod action - they’re not all slow buggy whips. Some anglers like the idea of a rod made from what was once a living thing - like the flies they tie from fur & feather, the bamboo has a sort of “life” to it. It is a natural product, not created from man-made chemicals & synthetics. Bamboo is a renewable resource, about as ‘green’ as you can get, & that has real appeal to some folks. Some anglers feel that a bamboo rod is a work of art & appreciate that aspect. Much more time & labor goes into the making of a bamboo rod than any of the other two rod materials by far. Anglers that fish with bamboo also do so for the nostalgia, too - so they get a traditional piece of art, laboriously made that, to them, has a feel & a human quality along with a vastly superior feel that is worth waiting & paying for.

Now, those are some of the reasons I’ve observed about why anglers might choose to have their fly rod made from one material over another. It’s always an interesting question when folks ask me which type of rod I fish with & why. I won’t be politically correct here. Instead, I’ll be as honest as I can. The answer I always give people is, honestly: it depends on what type of fishing I’m doing. Let me explain:

For typical trout fishing in small to medium sized streams, my personal choice is to fish with a bamboo fly rod - normally a 7’-6” to 8’ rod in different line weights. This type of fishing is what I do the most of, so if you were to add up all the hours I fished in a given year, you’d probably see that I fish bamboo most of the time - at least half the time, I’d guess. I fish with bamboo in those streams because I really enjoy how it feels. I also fish a bamboo rod if I’m going to a very small stream, especially if there’s a lot of cover, brush, or other obstacles in tight quarters. I like the way a bamboo rod will load the line when I cast in those conditions. Plus, bamboo - more than any of the other materials - lets me experiment more. I can make a rod with a specific idea in mind & then test it out on the water. I admit that I like the tradition, too. Knowing that I’m fishing the same stream, in the same spot where my Great-Grandpa fly fished with a bamboo fly rod is pretty neat.

In the summer & part of the fall, I will fly fish for bass & other pan fish. For this I love to use a fiberglass fly rod. To me glass rods cannot be beat for tossing big hair flies or poppers or big bushy streamers. I like the way they feel when you hook up with a heavy bass, too. Especially in summer, when the fishing is slower, I just enjoy the feel of a slower fiberglass fly rod. Sometimes in the very early trout season on a cold year when ice can form on the guides in the first days of the season, I will fish those above mentioned trout streams with a fiberglass rod. I do this because I have a personal rule about not fishing with a bamboo fly rod when temperatures are below freezing. I have a personal affection for fiberglass fly rods because I grew up fishing nothing but glass rods. They have a special meaning to me.

You can bet your bottom dollar that my graphite rods come out in the winter time. When ice can form on the guides, or anywhere else, my go to rod will be a graphite rod. I do this because they can hold up to the colder conditions with less worry for me that they’ll become too brittle. Also, because in winter the fishing is slower & I’m probably going to be slowly drifting (creeping) a nymph along the bottom (or similar fishing situations) I want the extra sensitivity that graphite can give. I want to feel that nymph on the bottom. Plus, chances are my hands are already pretty cold & maybe kind of numb, & the fish taking the fly will be very subtle, so i need all the help I can get.

I also like to use graphite when I know that I’m going to be fishing mostly fast water in any season. Tossing a dry fly through the fast riffles is fun & graphite is perfect for that. It’s a quicker, more sensitive type of graphite rod that I want in those conditions. When the water is high & fast after a flood, I prefer a graphite fly rod for those conditions as well.

Graphite, for me, also wins the day if I’m going to be fishing from a boat out on a large lake. When I need to get longer casts from a longer rod that can handle a heavier line weight for the larger fish I might get on a big lake, I prefer a graphite rod. In fact, when you get to rods 9 ft & over, I like to go with graphite rods. I think they’re just easier to handle & control the line with when you start to get to extreme rod lengths.

Of course these are just how I typically use these types of fly rods. There are no rules for me (other than the cold weather rule) as to when to use one type of rod over another. Will I fish a big lake with bamboo? Of course. Will I toss bass bugs with bamboo or graphite? Yup. I find it’s good to try different types of rods in different situations. After all, that’s how I found out what works best for me.

So all that said, I’m convinced that what makes a good fly rod isn’t so much the material that it is made from, but how it performs - FOR YOU. To that end, a good fly rod is just that - a good fly rod. It’s a personal choice; one you’ve hopefully made based on experience & careful thought. Fly fishing is supposed to be fun & enjoyable. Your fly rod is a big part of that pleasure. Think about the different rods, try out as many as you can, & then fish the type of rod you like the most.

9/11

9/11/2015

"Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children."
– President George W. Bush

One More Limited Edition Mini Fly Wallet

9/5/2015

I've just made available another mini fly wallet that will be made in a limited amount. There will only be so many of these wallets made from this material & then once they're gone, they're gone.

These limited edition mini fly wallets are made from a material called "Nomex", which is used in a variety of applications from firefighter's pants & jackets, to race car driver's suits, to industrial heat shields, etc. It is also used to make many fire-resistant clothes.

Why would you want a mini fly wallet made from Nomax? Well, it's a superior material. It has a very tight weave to the fabric. It is stronger than canvas. It's very light in weight - literally feather weight, yet it will not tear or rip. While not water proof, it is water-resistant. The water will bead up on this fabric. These wallets are well made & follow the same great design as all my other mini fly wallets.

These wallets are made from retired firefighter jackets. The material has all been washed & sanitized. Since they did see action in service, there will be some minor 'imperfections' to be found - occasional small spots of faded color, etc where the material was exposed to heat & flame as they were used in the line of duty. This in no way effects the materials integrity or functionality.

For more info, please visit the Accessories page.

Special Deal:
Buy one of each of the limited edition mini fly wallets & get the pair for only $24.00.
Remember, once they're gone there will be no more made!!

Fly Fishing & Water Temperatures

9/1/2015

Have you ever been trout fishing in the heart of the season (late April, May, & early June) & heard another angler complain about a lack of fish? Sometimes they claim that they've all been fished out, etc. Sometimes you hear these complaints just a day after trout have been stocked. How can that be, that all those fish were caught in such a short time?

The key to finding trout in any season is finding water of the appropriate temperatures. There are no hard & fast rules about the temperature of water a trout will feed in, but there are some loose guidelines to use. Every trout has it's optimum water temp where it's metabolism is highest & the fish are the most comfortable. These water temps tend to be:

-For browns & rainbows = 45 - 75 degrees Fahrenheit
-For brook trout = 45 - 65 degrees Fahrenheit

That doesn't mean that any of these trout won't feed outside of those ranges. These are just the basic temperature ranges where they are the most likely to feed. Water temps right in the middle of those ranges you can figure as ideal conditions.

As I said, no hard & fast rules here. You can catch a trout in 40 degree water or in 80 degree water - both are possible. This is because the trout will become conditioned to, or acclimated to, their environment. Trout in a cold mountain stream will feed at lower water temps than those in a slower, wider stream that flows through the base of a valley. Just use common sense & those temp ranges as a loose guide, adapted for the particular water you're fishing.

Sometimes you'll hear anglers say that the water is too warm to fish for trout - that you'll kill any trout you might catch. This is true, but only partially so. The biggest thing that kills trout is a lack of oxygen in the water (or pollution). Under most normal circumstances, as the water in a regular stream warms up it disperses its oxygen. The hotter the water gets, the faster it loses the oxygen. Trout need well oxygenated water to live, & without it they will suffocate. Catching a trout that happens to be living in water without a high amount of oxygen will kill it. It just so happens that this usually coincides with higher water temps. So water temp alone isn't the only element to the story. You might find trout in the hottest part of the summer, with water temps in the low 80's, living below a water fall, for example. Those fish have plenty of oxygen, but they will move slower because of the hotter water.

So back to our first question: where did all those trout go? Chances are, unless there's some kind of predator lurking around, they went to where the water temps (& oxygen) were most optimal for them, in addition to food & cover. Water temps are the key to finding trout.

You should note that the temperature of a stream is different up & down the water column, i.e. the water will be different temps at the bottom, the middle, & on top. Knowing the water temps throughout the entire depth of where you're fishing can help determine if the fish will be feeding on the bottom or not, for example. So if the water is cold, say 48 degrees, I'm betting it might be time to slowly drift a nymph on the bottom.

In the summer, you can almost bet that some trout have moved up into the tributaries. Take water temps readings everywhere you go - & go up the tribs until you find water that is in the temp ranges for trout to feed. Sometimes this is the only way to find trout. Using your stream thermometer will also tell you where hidden underwater springs, or other cool spots are. This is very important info. Remember where those places are as they will help you find trout all year long.

So many of us overlook water temps, myself included, but they are the key to successful angling. A stream thermometer is one of the most important pieces of fishing gear you can own. It can not only tell you where to fish, it can also tell you what approach you should use or how you should be fishing. Knowing the water temps can also tell you when & at what time of day you should be on the water, too.

If you're fishing & you don't know what the temperature of the water is around you, you're only gambling. Get yourself a good stream thermometer & use it every time. That alone will increase your odds of catching more trout than your selection of flies, the line you use, or almost anything else you can think of. You can't catch trout if they aren't where you're fishing.

the pliant rod:

Remembering Andy Royer....

Documentary: Joe Brooks, The Story of How Loved Changed Fishing Forever

Fly Fishing & The Brain

Fly Rods: Graphite vs Bamboo vs Fiberglass

9/11

One More Limited Edition Mini Fly Wallet

Fly Fishing & Water Temperatures

The Pliant Rod

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