J.D. Wagner Cane Rods Shop News

First, we'd like to thank everyone for making our 2008 such a success! We appreciate your support and look forward to your continued business. We are truly fortunate to have such loyal, repeat customers.

Casimira and I live a charmed life. We get to work together out of our home and meet some wonderful people from all walks of life. The 'commute' consists of walking down a couple steps and into the shop or office. Unlike a lot of less fortunate people, at the end of the day we have something tangible built as a reward for a day's work....and we are involved in every step along the way from raw cane to finished rod. It's a great(if not financially lucrative) life, and when we get letters like these we know we made the right decision 14 years ago to chuck the rat race and enter the profession full-time. A big thanks for all the kind words! 

1/08/10 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! We are working hard getting ready for the Somerset show, and Casimira just reminded me that this Sunday marks our 16th year in business. Thanks to everyone for your support over the years, and best wishes for you in 2010!

Several things: Posting some pics of a HUGE project we just finished that I'm calling Magnum (D)Opus! Check it out.

We've added hollow building to our offerings. We've always been very proud of offering so much variety for our customers. We have three distinct rod lines, with about 20 catalogued tapers, plus we'll build custom tapers, plus we build in hex, quad and pent, plus we build in two and three piece designs! Now we've added hollow building, and for 2011 we've got some very exciting changes also coming!

We'll shortly have a 7'3" two-tip Quad Patriot available.

For rodbuilders, we've received notice that author Jack Howell has released his second printing of The Lovely Reed. This is a wonderful book on rodbuilding, and you can get your own copy from Jack by emailing him at jwh@fastmaildotfm. (replace the 'dot' with @).

11/24/09 Posted some customer pics this morning!

11/23/09 Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Phew...much new stuff to report. First the Hardy St. George Trout reels should be arriving shortly. There's been much interest, so if you don't want to be shut out contact us now and we'll set one aside for you! Speaking of Hardy, we now carry some very nice Hardy accessories: leather fly wallets, fly patches, nippers, caps, etc! All of these items are also priced very well considering the quality level!

Our Bamboo Rodmaking Classes are filling fast and only one opening remains for our July session. If you have a desire to build a cane rod, this is the class to attend!

Last week I went to see Ed Engle at the Cleveland Natural History Museum Trout Club. I gotta say it was the best program I've ever attended there. Ed's talk was on 'Difficult Trout' and it was packed with useful information, gorgeous photography and he presented it beautifully and professionally. Ed Gives talks around the country, so if you're looking for a speaker, I'd highly recommend him.

We also just received a Godfrey reel!!! Yippee! Ted seems to have cut production back pretty severely this year, and this is a reel we've been waiting since last July to get. This is a Classic 274, and the only reel we have in stock besides a Classic 253D and a Westminster 253D.

11/06/09 Just posted the specs for the new Hardy St. George Trout Reels!  (also see 8/24 entry below.) These will be arriving very soon, so reserve one today!

Also added a couple Signature Series rods to our Available Rod page. Just in time for Christmas!!!!

Our Cane Rodbuilding Class is already half-full, so if you have a hankering to build a cane rod, please reserve soon! Always a blast.......

We also have posted our annual gift idea page in time for the Holidays. If you are looking for a gift for a friend, business associate or spouse(or yourself!), we have a ton of gift ideas in all price ranges.

A huge thanks to everyone that came out to Wagner Rods day at The Feathered Hook on Penn's. Although the fishing and weather wasn't as cooperative as it could have been, I still had a great time. This was my last fish of the year:

8/24/2009 Much new stuff to report! First, we've set our dates for our Cane Rodbuilding Class for 2010! The dates will be July 24-29, 2010. I can't stress enough what fun we have, and the rave reviews for how we put our classes together. It's a first-rate experience! So, if you want to build your own cane rod, contact us for a syllabus and registration brochure.

Second: Hardy has announced some new reel models that will be coming soon. First, they will be adding back to the Lightweight line the famous Princess model, which will have all of the usual features and priced at just $299. This is a large capacity reel for line weights 5-7. Second comes word that they will be adding a line of St. George trout reels made in Alnwick! These will be available in 2 9/16" and 3" sizes and in both black and natural aluminum 'Spitfire' finishes! At $750, these represent an incredible value! Contact us to reserve one for yourself!

In addition to the available rod listed below, we are also working on two Signature Series rods that will be available soon, a 7'3" 4-5 wt. and an 8' 4wt. with a swelled butt. See the descriptions of our Signature Series rods and these tapers here.

8/13/2009 Getting settled back at the shop after concluding our cane rodmaking classes. Thanks to all the students who attended. We had a blast. We'll be setting dates for next year's class sessions soon, so please check back with us and put some time aside for next summer if you have ever dreamed of building your own cane flyrod.

We have available for immediate delivery a 6'5" 3-4 wt. 2p. 2t. Signature Series: This rod is sweeeet. Full flexing action, light as a feather, effortless casting. Comes with all the Signature Series bells and whistles. A medium flamed beauty, oxided hardware, Super Z ferrules, d/l CSE cap and ring seat w/gorgeous amboena spacer. $2,175.

While I was out, we received a nice email concerning a recently-delivered rod:

J.D. and Casimira,

So I’ve been traveling quite a bit this summer and hadn’t taken adequate time to thank you for the Perfectly Astonishing Bamboo Rod that arrived at my desk a few weeks ago. (Just as it was promised!)

Holy Smokes! That’s the prettiest fishing rod I’ve ever seen, bar none! The finish is just absolutely perfectly flawless. Astonishing that you can get them that good. The color of the wraps and the tipping and the blackened guides are just astoundingly perfect together. I’ve been fortunate enough to play with a respectable handful of bamboo rods over the past year, and can say that none of them are as aesthetically pleasing as the one that you produced for me. - RP, MD.

It's pretty routine for us to get letters like this. We take great pride in doing our best and delivering on time. Check out some other letters and customer pics!

7/28/09 Between rodmaking classes now. Thanks go out to our students in our first session...we had a ball!

I'll have a rod available for immediate sale shortly( ~Aug. 5):

6'5" 3-4 wt. 2p. 2t. Signature Series: This rod is sweeeet. Full flexing action, light as a feather, effortless casting. Comes with all the Signature Series bells and whistles. A medium flamed beauty, oxided hardware, Super Z ferrules, d/l CSE cap and ring seat w/gorgeous amboena spacer. $2,175.

The new Hardy Perfect Salmon and St. George Salmon reels are now in stock! These are gorgeous, so if you'd like one, please email us!

Hardy will also be reissuing their classic St. George reels late this fall, which will include 2 9/16" and 3" sizes, available in L and R hand wind, and feature agate lines guards and be available in black and Spitfire finishes. Contact us to reserve one.

Got a very nice email a few days ago, and this just makes our day and why we love building rods so much:

Jeff, I have fished the 7’3” quad you built for me several months back the last four weeks in a row. In the last four weeks, I have caught and released about 200 fish on your quad. And, this is not an exaggerated number and doesn’t count any ‘quick releases’. They have run the size gamut from 4” to 22”. I would say at least 3 dozen have been in the 19” plus range. I have had a number of runners, jumpers (doing the aerial thing once hooked) and circlers (circling around me as I try to land them, usually giving them about 5 to 7 or so minutes to start to tire). I have turned over the rod on the harder/longer fights. This rod has been amazing. Not a hint of any set, no trouble with the larger fish. It’s become my favorite rod to fish on my home water. Anyway, I have had such a good month with this rod I thought I would share my story with you. - RL, NM

6/19/08 In the shop working my butt off. Seems like I haven't fished for a month...well, yeah, I guess it has been. Must.get.out.soon.

We will shortly(~July 1) have two Signature Series rods available for immediate delivery:

6'5" 3-4 wt. 2p. 2t. Signature Series Quad: This rod is sweeeet. Full flexing action, light as a feather, effortless casting. Comes with all the Signature Series bells and whistles. A medium darkly flamed beauty, oxided hardware, squared ferrules, d/l CSE cap and ring seat w/gorgeous amboena spacer. $2,325. SOLD!

7'3" 4-5 wt. 2p. 2t. Signature Series. Our best selling rod, smooth and delicate. Very versatile for fishing Eastern and Midwestern streams with DT4 or DT 5 line. Not too long for small stream fishing,  but not too short for fishing bigger water. Darkly flamed, oxodized hardware, D/L cap and ring with a gorgeous amboena spacer. $2,175 SOLD!

We recently got a nice email: Jeff,

I just want to let you know how much I enjoy fishing the Trico, The Very First Fish on the rod was a beautiful 9” native brookie. Four hours of hard stream fishing and eight naïve trout later I hooked and landed a nice 14” blue spotted brown. I was totally amazed at the amount of back-bone the little Trico demonstrated and how well it handled a fish of this size in fast water

Have a great day

EW, Erie

The rod EW is referring to is our 7' 3 wt, which we dubbed the Trico Special. Great rod for fishing those little buggers.

5/28/09 Back from a 13 day fishing trip. I'll write about it below, but first I must mention that the sulfurs are ON at Oil Creek and the Green Drakes are hatching at Penn's. Check conditions, THEN GO FISH. You are dead for a long, long time.

My trip was, in a word, epic. First stop was to spend a few days hitting Oil Creek in Western PA. Hit the bright green caddis and the very first of the sulfurs, but my main reason for being there that weekend was to see my friend Mike Laskowski (below) of Oil Creek Outfitters, who was celebrating his 20th year in business at Oil Creek. We had two days of cane rod casting, recalling old stories and friends and times past. The fishing was excellent and the fish were beautiful, fat and healthy.

Also spending the day signing his book Mayflies was noted author Ted Fauceglia, shown casting a Wagner rod below.

On Sunday evening I drove off to Penn's where I met my friend Bill Lotz later in the week. The fishing was mixed at first...bug soup but you had to hunt to find risers, excepting at dusk when fishing was very strong just before it got dark. Other anglers did well chucking nymphs during the day, but as much as I've tried I can't get into that stuff. Back at Jonas Prices' The Feathered Hook , there was a new and better way to spend the slow time: sitting on the front porch betting which color of car would be the next to pass.

Some people will do anything to win: change the rules, bicker over colors, sit in the street to block traffic. It's that kind of place.

Also new this year: A new shop cat, Dingo, who was lured away from being feral into a life of domesticated bliss by noted Feathered Hook rodmaker Jim Downes(The Cat Whisperer). She's pregnant, and there will soon be kittens in need of adoption. Contact the shop and take one!

Just as I was ready to leave all hell broke loose: the Green Drakes were ON, and I had a great time catching fish after fish during prime hatch hours. One evening they poured off the water in huge numbers, and when I got back to the access point they covered a telephone pole so heavily it looked like fuzz.

I spent my last evening trying to catch two huge fish, one that was at least 20"+ and another, which I eventually did catch, that went about 17". Sure, I had foul hooked it right in the asshole, but when you think about it, that is much, much harder than hooking one in the mouth. So in my book it still counts. Fought like hell, too.

Thanks to Jonas and everyone at The Feathered Hook for everything. This included Greta. (mmmrrrrrrr)

5/10/09 Just in from my first trip of the year! For the last few years, our friends Bob and Diane at The Classic Fly Fisherman have hosted a get together for rodmakers and friends up in Hancock. As usual, it was a great time and it was a pleasure seeing so many people come together. I had a blast, and it was an honor to be included in this cast of rodmaking luminaries.

On the first day a bunch of us ran up to Livingston Manor to see the unique rodmaking-related exhibits at the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum. Then we stopped at Catskill legend Frank Kuttner's shop (914-439-5590) where I got some his beautiful flies. The rest of the week was a blur of fishing, eating, and just hanging out with friends and soaking in the ambience. I got two of the best fish I've ever taken on the Beaverkill, both on Frank's flies. The first, pictured below, took his Hendrickson dun. The second, which was almost the twin of this fish(a little shorter but fatter), took his blue quill.

This fish proves the old adage that it's better to be lucky than good. I had been fishing at Cook's Falls in the morning and had taken a few small fish, but the bigger ones weren't showing, so I drove downstream and stopped at a pulloff. I walked down the bank to check things out and heard a slurping sound. This fish was in 6" of water, tight to the bank, taking one Hendrickson dun after another not 15' away. I got rigged up and took him on the 4th cast. Not one to make it easy on myself, I had stupidly not cut back the 5x I was fishing earlier and so landing it took a long, delicate fight that took us way upstream and across the river and back several times. Still, for once, I didn't screw up and got it to net. The next day I took the second fish but was smarter and had cut back to 4x, but it was still quite a fight. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me after getting it soaked night fishing. You'll just have to take my word for it.

On the last day I fished a bit with noted fly tier Harrsion Steeves, who set me up with some of his beautiful creations...I can't wait until Japanese beetle and firefly seasons.

I'm next off to see my friend Mike Laskowski at Oil Creek Outfitters. This weekend he's celebrating 20 Years at his shop at Oil Creek! Man, how time flies. I'll be there with some rods for those that want to cast them, and Ted Fauceglia will be on hand to autograph copies of his incredible book, Mayflies. Mike is a good friend and one of the great people in the business, and I shudder to think what the area would be without the service his shop has provided over the years for anglers. Hope to see you there, and support your local flyshops!

After fishing at Oil for a bit, I'll be off to see my friend Jonas at The Feathered Hook on Penn's.

We still have openings for our Summer Bamboo Rodmaking Classes. If you ever had the desire to learn the craft, c'mon out! You get to make your own cane rod, fish a wonderful spring creek and enjoy some fantastic meals and fellowship. We have a ball! Just email us for a syllabus and registration form.

We've also just received information about some new Hardy Reels. Later this summer and fall, Hardy will be introducing a new St .George Hotspur Salmon reel in two sizes and two Salmon-sized Perfects. Here's the particulars:

St George Hotspur Salmon 9/10 reel:

DT9 + 150M 30LB Backing

DT10 + 80M 30LB Backing

WF9 + 250M 30LB Backing

WF10 + 220M 30LB Backing

St George Hotspur Salmon 11/12 reel:

DT11 + 150M 30LB Backing

DT12 + 75M 30LB Backing

WF11 + 350M 30LB Backing

WF12 + 320M 30LB Backing

Weights are:

St George Hotspur Salmon 9/10 reel:

293.5 g (10.35 oz)

St George Hotspur Salmon 11/12 reel:

285.1 g (10.05 oz)

The Salmon Perfect are to be introduced initially in 2 sizes, 4" & 4 1/4".Spool width is 1 11/32".

Capacitys are:

Salmon Perfect 9/10 reel:

DT9 + 180M 30LB Backing

WF10 + 275M 30LB Backing

Salmon Perfect 11/12 reel:

DT11 + 110M 30LB Backing

WF12 + 290M 30LB Backing

4/20/09 Wow.....April is flying by and pretty soon I'll be able to hit the water to give Casimira some quiet time in the garden. I've been getting good reports from my friends Mike Laskowski at Oil Creek Outfitters and Jonas Price of The Feathered Hook on Penn's Creek.

We still have openings for our Summer Bamboo Rodmaking Classes. If you ever had the desire to learn the craft, c'mon out! You get to make your own cane rod, fish a wonderful spring creek and enjoy some fantastic meals and fellowship. We have a ball! Just email us for a syllabus and registration form.

For the past couple years we've been concentrating more on making rods in batches. With all of the tapers we offer, you can imagine that there's not a lot of room for standardization and mass production. But we've taken to crafting at least two blanks of a given order, and if time permits finishing them out to be available. So, in very short order we'll have two rods available for immediate delivery: a 6'5" 3-4 wt. Signature Series Quad(SOLD!) and our best-selling rod, a 7'3" 4-5 wt. Signature Series rod(SOLD!). These two rods will be available ~May 1, just in time for the fishing season. Shoot us off an email! We've also finished out another 7'3" 4-5wt. Patriot Series quad, with extra tip. See our available page for details on these rods.

3/07/09 Hey everyone! Hope all is well with you. We've had our first taste of Spring this week- a few days warm enough to open the shop doors and blow some dust out. A few crocus have also made their appearance....soon enough I'll be sorting flyboxes and pulling out the waders and getting ready to hit the water.

We pay ourselves monthly and this week received our first payroll packet that included Obama's tax break. We have an extra $80 between us to stimulate the economy, which for us is nothing to sneeze at, so Casimira got a couple cd's...Bo Diddly and Howlin' Wolf.  Saw in the paper that Jeff Beck is coming to town and we've always wanted to see him so checked out the ticket prices online. For $42.50 each we can get a spot to stand on the floor for 4 hours or so.(This doesn't include all the ticket fees that get added on, or a drink and parking, etc). For only $89.50 each we can get a cheap seat in the balcony. I guess I'm getting to be like those old men that stand in the front yard in their bathrobe and scream GET OFF MY LAWN, but it seems unbelievable to me that it's possible to spend over $200 for two people to see a concert, which might explain why we haven't gone to one in years. Somewhere in the attic I've got my ticket stubs from the old World Series of Rock concerts that were held at the Cleveland Stadium in the 70's. You could see 6-8 excellent bands over the course of a day, and I think tickets were $5. I am getting old.

Ok, rant over...back to the rods. Let's get this economy rolling! Stimulate us!

1/31/09 A coda to my post below about the Somerset show. Once in a great while I'll be at a show and see an artist or craftsman who just stops me dead in my tracks. Such was the case at this show when I saw the booth of Shawn and Brenda Davis of Davis Fly Designs. Shawn was gone from the booth, having unfortunately come down with some gunk that seemed to be going around the show, so I didn't get to talk with him. But his fly tying artwork, and the photographic artwork of his wife, spoke for itself. Check them out!

1/27/09 Getting settled back in from the Somerset show. Thanks to everyone that came by to say hi and/or purchase from us. It was good seeing everyone.

Just wanted to note that we now have extra spools available for the Hardy Perfect reels!

Also added two available Patriot rods to our Available Rods page!

Finally, we are selling some very nice stuff at very good prices!

1/2/09 Happy New Year! Thanks to all of our friends that sent notes of greeting, and hope you all have a great 2009! I received a couple very nice emails from the class members of our third 2008 Bamboo Rodmaking Class session, Chris and James Nothstine, Larry and Evan Andrews...two father/son teams. As often happens, they developed a friendship as they made their rods and recently all met to christen their rods on the Norfolk River. Below are some pics:

Nice! Discerning eyes will note that not everyone in this group has finished their rod yet, but I've been assured that with some spare time available this winter and a little peer pressure it will rectify that situation! Thanks guys! We still have some spots available for the 2009 sessions, so if you have an interest please let us know as classes tend to fill quickly as Spring approaches. We are also in the preliminary stages of planning a class reunion for all of the students that have taken the class over the last 10 years or so...hopefully we can do that this coming fall.

12/20/08 Happy Holidays, everyone! At our company party this week, Casimira noted that this year will mark our 15th year since incorporation. Where has the time gone!

12/02/08 We are pleased to announce that we have received a shipment of the wonderful movie, The Lost World of Mr. Hardy. This is a fantastic flim, and a must for any Hardy collector, cane rod fanatic or just anyone that has an appreciation for history and our angling heritage. Would make a great holiday gift....

We also have a nice supply of LDH nets, reels, etc on hand for the hoildays.

11/16/08 Our first snow of the year today...whoopee!...and the first time I've had a chance to update our webpages in a few months. So, hope you all got through the fall and election season ok and are getting snugged in for winter! So, what's new? Lots of new stuff here...

First, I'll shortly be updating and posting our Holiday Gift Page. If you are looking for a gift for a loved one or business associate, we have a plethora of goodies in all price ranges, and we'd be very appreciative of your orders for same. Thanks!

Second, registrations are still coming in for our 2009 Bamboo Rodmaking Classes, so if you are interested you might want to make a commitment soon. (Would make a great Christmas gift...hint hint!) We also just completed another batch of our world-famous planing forms...come to think of it, a set of those would also be a killer Christmas gift.

Third, we've received a small batch of the first shipment of the Hardy Perfect reissues(see entry below), and they are sweet! So, if you are thinking of getting one we think it's well worth it. They will continue to trickle in over the next several months, with any luck. Although these aren't officially 'limited edition' reels, the production sure is limited and who knows if Hardy will even continue making them beyond this first run, so if you want one our advice is to grab one now.

This week I finally sat down to read and review Kathy Scott's latest book, Changing Planes, for the Planing Form newsletter. Capsule review: me like! You can order a copy from Alder Creek!

We will make our customary price increases on our rods begining Jan. 1, 2009. This increase may be larger then normal given the outrageous increases in food and everything else under the sun, but we will continue to honor our current prices until then. We've made great progress(by working our butts off) to get delivery times down to a managable timeframe and are currently quoting 6-8 months. So, if you are thinking of a rod for next year, get your orders in and save some money. We are very proud to offer our customers a very high level of quality without having to wait forever to get a rod, even though it seems like this is sometimes a detriment to our own interests.

We also have in stock for immediate delivery a  beautiful Godfrey Bimetal reel(GBI 50) with an extra spool. We ordered this for a gentleman who's been caught a little short, and we can sweeten the deal a little: We will spool this reel and extra spool with 2 Cortland Sylk lines of your choosing, or 1 Terenzio silk line....your choice! So whoever is smart enough to grab this reel will save between $108 and $168 in free fly line(s). Email us!

9/06/08 More info on the new Hardy Reels: COMING SOON! HARDY RE-ISSUES THE CLASSIC PERFECT REEL!

This is incredible news for anyone looking for the 'Perfect' classic reel! These reels will be made in England, be available in either left or right hand wind, and with the original details like an agate line guard! The value of vintage Hardy Perfects has soared over the years, and they were virtually unavailable in LHW! This is your chance to own the quintessential classic reel. We are now accepting orders for this reel, which is scheduled for release in October. Email us and we'll add you to our list!

More details: These reels will be available in three sizes, 2 5/8", 2 7/8" and 3 1/8" and will be furnished in zip leather cases. Only 200 are expected to be available when they arrive in October. Prices will be $850, $900 and $950, respectively.

*

This week I received a copy of Kathy Scott's latest book, Changing Planes. We are big fans of Kathy's writing and immensely enjoyed her previous books, so we expect this to be just as great a read. You can order a copy from Alder Creek!

8/31/08 Getting settled in and back to producing rods after finishing up our Bamboo Rodmaking Class sessions. We have set our dates for our 2009 Class Sessions, so if you are interested please contact us asap for a syllabus and registration form as we filled all 12 of our spots very quickly last year!

I'd like to take a moment to thank each and every student that attended this year's classes. I can honestly say I've never had so much fun! What a blast!

We're updating our Hardy Reel page to reflect the recent price decreases! There has been quite a bit of commotion about Hardy moving most of their reel production out of the UK, and I'd like to give you my thoughts. First, the quality of the machining on the new reels is better then it ever was, which is a very high bar. Second, certain reels like the soon-to-be-issued Hardy Perfect line will still be made in the UK.

My third point is a little more touchy: For the past several months we've received tons of frantic calls from people hoping that we had new Hardy reels still in stock that were made in England. Good luck finding those! The funny thing was that these same people were not willing to pay for Hardy reels prior to the move, but they are now upset at the outsourcing! It boggles the mind. We do have one England-made reel in stock, a 3 1/4" Bougle' Mark VI with an extra spool. Since it is now a collectors item, I'm asking $900 for it...just contact me.

Yes, I am sad that Hardy moved production of most reels out of country. But I was also sad that when the Hardy prices were set so that the craftsmen at Hardy could make a liveable wage, few people would buy them. Some of these folks remember a Hardy reel like a Lightweight selling for about $50 back in the 1970's and couldn't get over the recent prices, but in the 1970's you could buy a nice car for $2,000 and the nice little house I grew up in was about $30,000. For those that insist that they own a domestically made reel, we carry both the Peerless and Ted Godfrey reels and they are fantastic, so if you want to support domestic craftsmen, do so!

One more note on Hardy: Hardy will soon be reissuing the Perfect reel. These will be MADE IN ENGLAND, available in both left and right hand wind, and have features like the agate line guard just as the original. We will have pics and prices soon, so just email us and we'll let you know as soon as they arrive.

8/02/08 Taking a breather this week after our first two cane rodmaking class sessions of the summer. To all the guys that attended so far, our sincere thanks! It was a blast for me to teach you and a good time was had by all.

Today I listed two W&M Granger rods on our Vintage page. Take a look.

Casimira and I will be taking a well-deserved break this week. We will still be checking email and the message machine daily, but we may not be able to answer the phone...so just leave a message and we'll get right back to you..

On a sad note, my grandfather Frank Lumanick died this week at age 96. Although he was lucky to have lived so long in great health(he was driving at 95!) and enjoyed over 30 years retired in Florida, I'm still pretty sad over his passing. Gramps taught me how to fish and in many ways he's responsible for me making fishing rods for a living. In some respects we were quite alike: enjoying solitude, reading and just in general being introverts by nature. Here's a pic of him with a mess of pike developed in Jan. 1961, one month before I was born. Some time ago I wrote a tribute to him and his brother Stacey for taking me fishing as a kid. You can read it here, if you wish.

7/17/08 Just cleaning up some loose ends before heading off to teach our bamboo rodmaking classes. Although I'll be gone, Casimira will be in-shop to assist you!

6/14/08 Under the how the heck could I have forgotten file: On my last trip to Oil Creek, my friend Mike Laskowski showed me the entymology slide presentation he's put together for trout clubs, TU meetings, shows, etc. Mike is a top-notch bug guy with an encylopedic knowledge of all the little bugs that our trout find so tasty, and he's got some very unique insights about them that will make anyone a much better fisherman. His photographs, taken both streamside and in his aquarium, represent years of hard work and photographic expertise. If you are looking for a speaker at your club, give him a shout.

More stuff: I will shortly have available a 7'3" 4-5 wt. Signature Series quad. It's a gorgeous rod that's a smooth and sweet caster, and available soon without the 9 month wait. $2,195. People that have bought this model have raved about it.. SALE PENDING

Finally, we've changed our website to reflect that we no longer will do any repair/restoration work on classic or contemporary rods. Over the years that we've done this work I've learned a lot and come to one major conclusion: If you want a nice, fishable rod that will give you years of service without headaches, refinishing and all sorts of unforseen trouble, buy a new one from an established builder with a good record of quality and service. You'll pay more upfront, but get more in return. I have two classic rods left in the shop to repair, and I already feel better knowing I will never again see another. Yippee!

6/08/08 Just back in from a wonderful trip. Spent a couple days at Oil Creek to hit the sulfurs and one morning had the best time with my friend Mike Laskowski's 22 olive emerger. Stop by his website and shop when you're in town to get the skinny and the best flies.

Next stop was over to The Feathered Hook on Penn's Creek to see my friend Jonas Price. I met my buddy Bill Lotz there and we had a ball, timing it just right as the Green Drakes were just getting started. Each year that I stay with Jonas it just gets better and better. You see a lot of the same people and get to catch up with them and share a great time...it's like a reunion amongst friends. Besides the drake we had good fishing for sulfurs and grey fox. We had many memorable fish including two that I never did see because they took me into fast water and just kept going against a 3x tippet and tight drag. Yowza!

Sometimes, all you need is to move a foot to get a truer picture:

So, now it's back in the shop to get ready for our upcoming cane rodmaking classes, until the Hexes start coming off in Michigan, that is....

4/27/08 We've at long last acquired some very nice cork to sell. The weakness of the dollar vs. the euro has caused prices to skyrocket, but we believe even at today's prices this is very nice stuff for the money!

If the weather holds, I'm going fishing soon but Casimira will be here to help ya'll out.

4/12/2008 Finally got a page up for our new Chozas reels!

Won't someone please, please buy this reel(pictured below)? My friend Bill may starve if we don't find a good home for it, and the mental trauma alone may put him over the edge!!! Reduced!!! A steal for a steelheader!!!!! A bargain for bigmouths!

Spring has finally sprung!!!

3/28/2008 I don't know about you but I'm SICK of winter. We got through winter pretty much unscathed until March, and it's been snowsnowsnow. We haven't really had a warm spell yet, although most of the snow has melted and a few snowdrops are peeking through the soil. I can't wait to get out and wet a line.

So, what's new? Not a lot here, just making rods and getting them out in time for Spring fishing. I've just finished a batch of 7'9" 5-6 wt Patriot rods and made up an extra blank, so if you are hankering for a Patriot we'll have an extra rod available for immediate delivery in about a week.

We're expecting a shipment of cork in soon, and sorry to say that with the weakness of the dollar against the euro it's gonna be frightfully expensive. But we'll finally have some available to sell again after a long drought.

We've gotten great feedback on our economical Chozas reels...see our 1/29/2008 entry below. Thanks all!!!

2/16/2008 We have a rare offering: an unspoken for rod available for immediate delivery! This is a 2p. 2t. Signaure Series model, 8' 4wt! Darkly flamed beauty, oxided hardware, d/l Venerri cap and ring seat w/gorgeous amboena spacer, swelled butt. A fantastic spring creek rod for DT4 line, throws a delicate line and yet can also lay out an incredible length of line. All the usual Signature Series bells and whistles. $2,145. Email us and have a new rod to take out this Spring! SOLD!

Also, see our new Chozas reels in the entry below!

1/29/2008 Phew! Taking a breath here with a cup of coffee and catching up with some website work. This new year has been busy, busy, busy! We're unpacking from the Somerset show, and we'd like to thank everyone that came by to say hello....especially those that dropped by during the Saturday rush because it's so crazy we don't get much time to talk! Thanks also to everyone that purchased from us at the show and over the holiday season.

Somerset was a lot of fun, albeit tiring. We exhibited a new Presentation Series rod we made for a special friend, and I've put some pics up on our Presentation Rod  page. We also introduced our new Chozas reels, seen below. The story behind these is as follows: a good friend and customer of ours owns a hunting and fishing guiding/outfitting service in Argentina. He met up with a machinist and convinced him to make some reels, which have been used by his guides for the last season of field testing. He sent us a couple, we looked them over and felt they represent a very good value for the money. Customers at the show seem to agree! $320, and available in left or right hand wind.  The reels are made of anodized aluminum, 2 7/8" in diameter, large cork variable disc drag, and weigh 5.6 oz...perfect for cane rods rated for DT4 or DT5 line. Email us to order.

11/10/07 So much new stuff to report on. I'm currently enjoying two new books on bamboo rods, Rolf Baginski's "Split-Cane Rods-Bamboo Treasures" and "Split and Glued by Vincent C. Marinaro" by Bill Harms and Tom Whittle. Order by clicking on the links! Thanks to the authors of both for kindly mentioning us.

We have two rods available for immediate delivery: a 6'5" 3-4 wt. Signature Series quad and a 7'3" 4-5 wt. Patriot Series. (sorry, both have sold!)

The holiday season will soon be upon us, so please think of us if you are looking to buy a holiday gift for a loved one, fishing partner or business associate! We've got plenty of high-quality goodies in all price ranges for anglers and rodmakers. Our gift page lists just a few of the possibilities!

Our rodbuilding classes are already filled for next year. Thanks to everyone for signing up, and we're already looking forward....

Got a nice letter this week:

Dear Jeff and Casimira,

I see from your web site that you're back from your trip. It looks like the San gave up some of it's bounty, and the scenery looks just lovely. That's a very pretty Grayling too Casimira!

Well, I finally got my hands on my rod. I'm speechless.....it looks good in the pictures but they can't begin to compare to how it looks and feels in real life. Congratulations to you both on an absolutely wonderful piece of work. I couldn't be happier.

Sadly, all my reels and lines are in my travel bag up in Canada and I only had 2 days in the DC area before having to return to Abu Dhabi. So not only did I not get the chance to fish it, but I couldn't even lawn cast it :-( I did put her together and "pretend/dry" cast without a line though, and I can already tell that it has the kind of action I was looking for. I'm completly confident that it will cast and fish as beautifully as it looks--the perfect combination of utility and aesthetics that I was looking for. Thanks so much. -PB, MD.

10/31/07 Back in the shop after our wonderful vacation/adventure to Poland and Germany! The whole thing began when noted author and rodbuilder Rolf Baginski asked us to speak at the First German Rodmaker's Gathering. Of course, we couldn't say no and since we were right next door to the birthplace of Casimira's ancestors-Poland- Casimira thought we should also include seeing some of that beautiful country, also.

While I was away teaching this summer, Casimira got on the net to check out the fishing possibilities in Poland. That way, we could see a bit of the city of Krakow and get the rural experience with some fly fishing as a bonus! She found an incredible place to flyfish on the San River. We sent some emails off to learn about the river and we booked a 3 nights stay! It was all a piece of cake...

So, the first few days were spent enjoying the many treasures of Krakow. It is a beautiful place, full of charm and history!

On the third day, our driver from the lodge picked us up and off we went to fish the San. They put us up in a wonderful lodge and immediately set us up in comfort and hospitality. We met the partners of the business, Wojtek Gibinski and Jeremy Lucas, who made us feel right at home and explained the river system and surroundings.

This was the view from our second floor porch, where we had our first coffee of the morning!

The terrain reminded us of Pennsylvania. The San is located in a rural area, quiet and wild with rolling hills and forest. The San is a tailwater, bottom-release, with plenty of wild greyling, brown and the occassional rainbow trout and taimen thrown in. It is big water, clear and strong.

This is a pic of Casimira and our intrepid guide Jeremy Lucas, fishing in the catch and release water just below the dam on our first day. Things started great on the first day and we picked up a few greyling and browns as blue-wing olives started to hatch in early afternoon. It was looking to be epic, but for some inexplicable reason, they opened both gates of the dam, which put off the hatch. Even with high water, though, it stayed clear and fish could be caught with streamers along the edges. Over a huge shore lunch with Jeremy, we learned that besides being an author and a member of the UK World Championship flyfishing team, and a guide, and busines owner of Wilderness Fly Fishing Adventures , which books trips all over...well, you get the picture...he's got more fishing knowledge then you can shake a bamboo stick at. Check out his bio at the site..wow!

On our second day we awoke and crossed our fingers and prayed and chanted to the fishing gods that the dam gates would be closed. On this day, we would fish downstream where the water was even bigger but the stream wider. The wading was easier and the flows at normal rates!! Again the olives started to hatch as the day warmed, along with a cinnamon sedge and a little bug Jeremy called a 'pale wattery'.We had a great day, picking up browns and greyling. Every brown I hooked jumped in spectacular fashion, and the greyling were heavy and picky and a blast to catch. This is Casimira with our driver, Przemek:

As our second day drew to a close, our hosts Jeremy and Wojtek Gibinski suggested just a few more casts not yards from where our cars were parked. Jeremy tied on a CDC emerger for Casimira and she caught the greyling of the day! My %$&*@ camera battery was dead, but Przemek ran and got Wojtek's camera and got a great pic. It was a fitting end to our fabulous trip to the San. I should also mention here that everything about our trip was first rate. The fishing, the huge and spectacular meals, the guiding, the lodge, the ambience. Before we even left we started to dream of a way to return, so what say you, our Polish-American customers? Fancy a trip back to the homeland?

At the end of our stay the lodge provided us with a ride back to Krakow where we stayed for two more days of fun, good eats and relaxation. We would be next off to the rodbuilder's gathering, which I'll post about soon!

9/14/07 Wow!! Next year's cane rodbuilding classes are almost full! We have only one remaining spot open in the July 19-24, 2008 session! If you'd like to reserve a spot, contact us ASAP.

We've been in the shop working on Fall deliveries....making some quads now. Shortly, we'll have a rod available for immediate sale: A 6'5" 4 wt. Signature Series quad. This is a sweetheart, so if you're looking for a great small stream rod in quad configuration, let us know.

Just sent this rod out, a mortised rod in Mahogany. I'll have more pics of it on our Limited Edition page when I get some time to post them. Have a great Fall!

8/31/07 We've added an additional session for our 2008 Cane Rodmaking Class Sessions, August 9-14, 2008! Two of the 4 open spots are already filled, so if you are thinking about attending a class in 2008, contact us immediately and get your deposit in! Can't believe how fast these are filling....

We're just plugging away, making rods....man, this year is flying by.....

8/01/07 Getting back and settled from two FANTASTIC summer cane rodbuilding class sessions!! We had a great mix of people from as far away as Washington and Texas, pretty much great weather, good fishing and oustanding craftsmanship and companionship. Many thanks to everyone that attended and also thanks to Greg and Peggy at Sunnybrook Trout Club for making us comfortable!

We've set our dates for next year's Bamboo Rodmaking Class sessions, which will be: July 19-24, 2008 and July 26-31, 2008. We already have 3 of the 8 spots filled, so don't delay in reserving a spot for next year. I may not teach in 2009 and we may hold a 10 year reunion for previous class attendies instead, so if you are thinking about attending the class and don't get in for 2008, we may not have classes in 2009. Just sayin'.

So, it's back to rodbuilding and taking some time to finally get the webpages up-to-date. There's so much to get done by fall, because in October we've been invited to speak at the German Rodbuilding Gathering in Bavaria!! Rodmaker Rolf Baginski was kind enough to extend the offer, and in thanks, fellow attendies from the USA Bill Harms and Tom Smithwick along with myself and Casimira are making a special rod for the gathering. This is a one-shot collaborative effort with a special 'twist', thanks to Tom.

Back to work, with a few days off in the next week or so to hit the tricos at Penn's Creek.

Finally making time to post some pictures of some Presentation Series rods that were made between fall of 2006 and this spring. Take a look!

At long last we've posted some pics of the new Hardy MKVI  and the super, new and economical Marksman reels.

Also, after a long period of just not being able to find time, I've finally posted a page for some new offerings: Marryat Reels. Some local folks turned us onto these and asked why we didn't carry them, and after looking at some we thought: why aren't we carrying these? Great reels for the money!

We were saddened to learn of the passing of Harold Demarest, longtime supplier of Tonkin cane for rodbuilders. It is rare in the fly fishing world for someone to possess the level of integrity and passion that Harold did. Our best wishes go out to Eileen and the entire Demarest family.

6/16/07 Just got back from a short trip to Oil Creek. Had a great time, as usual. Fishing was very good at times, slow in the afternoon when it was cloudless and hot (but who wants to fish then anyway??)...until the day I had to leave, of course, when it was overcast and cool...perfect blue wing weather. Anyway, fish could be caught on Caenis, small Olives, sulfer spinners, Cahills and Cahill spinners, and a few Paraleps. I probably had the most fun with the Caenis, but had to go to 8x tippet to be able to thread the eye of the hooks, even with 3x reading glasses and a pair of FlipFocals. Getting old really, really sucks. Really.

Getting ready for cane rodbuilding classes. In August we'll set our dates for next year, and already have two spaces filled, so if you have a desire to attend next year, don't delay in registering. Every year people wait until March or so to plan, and invariably get shut out.

Have a couple nice reels newly listed on our Vintage Tackle  page.

Just before leaving on my trip, we sent off a completed rod and got this nice email. I know this can come off as waving our flag a bit, but letters like this really make our day, and it is a joy to build for such kind people: "Hello Jeff and Casimira:

The rod arrived yesterday afternoon in perfect condition, with perfect being the best word to describe it. The quality of your work is truly inspiring. The varnish is like glass, the hardware is subtly detailed, the spacer (? burled walnut?) has a deep rich color, and the cane itslef is that dark, almost burnt carmel that I had hoped for. My wife and I spent 20 minutes just looking at it. I can only hope that I fish the rod as well as it deserves to be fished. That won't happen until next week probably, but even if I don't catch anything for pictures I'll let you know how it casts. With any luck though, I should be able to send you something nice with a fish in it by fall at the latest. I'll keep in touch, and thank you both again so much for all your time and hard work, and for signing my book.

Best Legards,

R. K."

6/07/07 Settling back in the shop after a nice Spring trip. The first leg of my trek was up to Hancock, NY for a little rodmaker's gathering hosted by Bob Selb of the Classic Fly Fisherman. The fishing on the D and other Catskill streams was tough, but it's pretty hard to care when yer in the company of people like Mark Aroner, Walt Carpenter, Bill Harms, Ron Kusse, Bob Taylor, Billy Taylor and Rick Robbins! Thanks to Bob and Diane for putting together this incredible event.

From there I traveled to try my luck at the Fishing Creek in Benton, PA and stayed at the beautiful Fishing Creek Angler. Thanks to the owners  Mary Ann and Lee Gaul for such gracious accomodations and advice fishing the stream. For the money, I've never stayed at such a beautiful place.

My next stop has become an annual ritual: I meet my good friend Bill Lotz at The Feathered Hook on Penn's Creek. We timed it just right this year...we hit it just before the green drake madness! Got fish on sulfers, March browns, and of course, the drake. Thanks to Jonas Price for being his usual great host. Jonas has become one of our best rod dealers and we thank him for his efforts! We hope to return in July to do some trico fishing.

We had a cancellation this week, so we have an opening for our July 28- August 2, 2007 rodmaking class. C'mon out and have a great time. Just call or email us for information and to register. Sorry, this is now filled!

My head is still at Penn's Creek as I get back to work, but I may have to blow out for a few days next week to fish Oil Creek with my friend Mike Laskowsi, who owns the fly shop there.

5/20/07 Wow...over 3 months since our last update! It's been very busy here and our apologies for not keeping the site up-to-date. If I had a week to spare, I'd do all the changes and add a lot of new pics and such, but it's the height of the fishing season, and I'm not about to do it now!

But first things first: all of our bamboo rodmaking class sessions for 2007 were filled by March. At the end of this year's classes, we'll set our class dates for 2008, so if you're thinking about taking a class next year, register early to avoid being shut out.

For the first time in many moons, we have a rod available for immediate sale. This is an 8' 4wt. Signature Series rod, 3p, with all the Signature Bells and Whistles, swelled butt. $2,175. Shoot us off an email if you'd like a rod without the 16 month wait. Sold!

I finally was able to get away and do a little fishing at Oil Creek the week of Mother's Day. My friend Mike at Oil Creek Outfitters set me up with flies and I had a great time catching a few on bright green and grannom caddis. The river was in great shape, and damn, was it good to be on the water...

Our thanks to all of our patrons!!!!

2/10/07 Phew! Man, have the last few months been busy! We are getting settled back in the shop after the Somerset show. Many thanks to everyone that came by our booth to say hello and/or make a purchase. On the drive out there, a realization hit us: this was our 11th. year exhibiting at this fine show! God how time flies! We had a great time and much good came of this show.

Among other things, we were invited by noted rodbuilder Rolf Baginski to speak at the German Bamboo Rodmaker's Gathering in Waischenfeld, Germany this coming October. While there we'll get to fish the famed River Wiesent and eat lots of Wurst! I'm so excited you wouldn't believe it- it's really a great honor and it promises to be a memorable event for all concerned. Rolf shared his booth with artist Thomas Kubitz, and I got a wonderful brown trout drawing and a beautiful print of a Kingfisher for Casimira.

Also at the show we got to see longtime customer Mark Koscinski. Mark was a cop in NJ, and when he retired he moved to Livingston, MT and now arranges guided trips for the Greater Yellowstone Flyfishers, Fly Shop and Guide Service. Hopefully I can make it out to fish with him this year or next; it looks like a first-class operation!

We came home to find an absolutely beautiful package in the mail. Our friend Nick Taransky was featured in a lovely story in an Australian flyfishing magazine, Flyfisher, that covers Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Basin. Several years ago, Nick and his wife Miri took our bamboo rodmaking class. In the article, Nick says it changed his life! And it did, actually! Nick and Miri returned to Australia and Nick chucked the full time job to build cane rods as a profession. It looks like he's doing well and making some very fine rods. We wish him and Miri continued success!

Speaking of classes, we have just one spot remaining for our first cane rodmaking class session, July 21-26, 2007. We've got openings also for the following week, so get those class deposits in!

Finally, we are very honored to have been among some incredible artists asked to participate in a fund raiser for the Mason Griffith Chapter of Trout Unlimited. For those that don't know, the MG chapter was the very first TU Chapter ever established. One cofounder, George Mason, left a large tract of land along with S. Branch of the AuSable River that is justifiably famous. If you've ever fished the AuSable, you know what a special resource it is and you'll know that your support is going to an incredible cause. The artists involved have made some very special projects to help out, and we made a pretty special rod. Raflle tickets are available from us for $20 each or three for $50 or 7 for $100, or through the Mason Griffith TU website. Check out the fantastic raffle prizes!

Another interesting person we got to meet at the show is Windsor chair maker Rolf Hofer, who's been making fine Windsors in his upstate PA shop for over 30 years! We've got a few Windsors in our collection and hope to augment it with some of Rolf's work. Check out his website!

1/02/07 Happy New Year, everyone. Thank you for your patronage and hope you had a great holiday season and best wishes for 2007. Much new stuff here! Tomorrow we'll be gluing up our first Penta rods. We made up a batch of 7'3" 4-5 wts for our first run, and included one in Patriot Series which is something we do from time to time. Always like to keep it fresh with new stuff. We'll be showing them off at the Somerset show in NJ at the end of January.

Speaking of shows, we've cut back to doing only the Somerset show. We'll miss seeing people at the other shows we've attended over the years but with the expense and time away from the shop of attending them it just gets more and more difficult making attendance at them possible.

Just before the Holidays our friend John Betts sent us a copy of his new book, "Making Strip-Built Flyrods from Various Woods on a Lathe". John is an extraordinarilly talented guy and his book does not disappoint. It begins with the premise: What would have happened if split cane had not succeeded as a rodmaking material? The answer is that rodbuilders probably would have gone back to building rods out of wood! Contrary to what one might think, they are fine casting tools!

John takes you through all the steps to building a wood fly rod, including making your own ferrules. You don't need a lot of fancy equipment and a rod can be constructed very quickly. (When I get a bit of free time I hope to make my first one.) John wrote out this book in longhand, and it's profusely illustrated in his hand. If you'd like a copy, give him a call at 1-303-722-7052 . Highly recommended!

12/25/06 MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone. Best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous new year! Thank you!

11/23/06 Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We have much to be grateful for. Thank you to everyone that does business with us.

We'd like to give everyone a head's up: the first of the New Year will see a substantial price increase for our Signature Series rods. So, if you've been contemplating a rod now's the time to pull the trigger and get your order and desposit in the mail.

We are very excited and honored to be asked to participate in a fundraiser for the Mason-Griffith Chapter of TU. We are making a very special rod package, and our friends Arne Mason and Ted Godfrey have also agreed to help out. This package will consist of a Wagner rod, an Arne Mason case for it, a Godrey reel with a matching Mason reel case, and a Terenzio silk line. The value of this package will be apx. $3,000. I'll have a page up shortly with some pics and information on how to purchase a raffle ticket for this event. A number of very talented craftspeople are involved in this project and the items to be raffled off are amazing, so check back soon.

If you are looking for a gift for the rodbuilder/angler/business associate, etc. let us know how we can help you. We have some stunning LDH nets in stock and some fantastic wooden flyboxes. We've got items in all price ranges. We also offer gift certificates for the conflicted! See our previous post below for some special deals, also.

It's been a busy few months for building some special Limited Edition rods. It seems like last fall we had a number of orders pour in for them and I've got 4 of them in the works, plus another just-delivered. Two of them are our first quads with ebony spliced butts and I'm very pleased with how they came out. We'll have some pictures up soon and the customers have agreed to allow us to exhibit these quads at the Somerset show in January.

In related news, we'll shortly be adding both pent rods and hollow-built rods to our lineup. I love staying challenged with new things!

Finally, it's taken a lot longer then expected, but we finally got our new dust collection system installed in the shop this last July. My brother Mark is a whiz with sheet metal and he did the ductwork and hookups. We bought a ClearVue cyclone and the people there were fantastic and make a great product. For years we got by with just a shopvac and there is no comparison. If you are a rodmaking hobbyist I would highly recommend upgrading to at least their unit for shopvacs(see the cool video on their webpage), and better yet, the 5 HP model.

Hmmm...the turkey is almost ready, so I'm off. Be well, everyone!

11/14/06 Wow! The holidays are almost upon us, and another year gone fast! If you are looking for a Holiday gift for a spouse, loved one or business associate, please let us know how can assist you. We have a great stock of things in all price ranges for the angler, cane lover, and rodbuilder.

Congratulations to my parents who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct 20th. We had a big family celebration, and a good time was had by all. If it wasn't for them, I certainly wouldn't be here today...

We recently made up a batch of 7'9" 5-6 wt Patriot rods and have a couple blanks available to be finished out on short notice. Let us know if we can build one for you.

Sherline has just recently announced a sale on their 4400A lathe package. If you order this package, you can get a free accessory package worth $100 for FREE!

We have reduced prices on our entire remaining stock of Bradley reels. Sale prices are $100 OFF PRICES MARKED!

We have also reduced our prices on our remaining stock of Bamboo Nets. Take 20% prices marked!

9/01/06 Been working long hours lately, keeping up with rod orders and making some production changes. This has allowed us to make a couple extra blanks and so within 3 weeks we'll have a couple rods available for immediate delivery for the first time in many, many moons.

These three rods are: (2) 7'3" 4-5 Signature Series rods, one in hex and one in quad. These rods have all of the standard bells and whistles of our Signature line. The third is a 7'#" 4-5 Patriot Quad. If you want a rod without the wait, contact us now.(Update: the quad Patriot and the hex Signature are sale pending. The quad 7'3" is still available. Update 9/08- Sold!)

8/11/2006 Just got our dates set for next year's bamboo rodmaking classes! Sign up soon, as classes fill quickly. This year's classes were the most fun I've ever had, and a big thank you to all that attended.

7/28/06 Getting unpacked and settled in after our cane rod building classes. A big thanks to all attendees- this year's students were among the best ever and I had a great time. We'll be setting the dates for next year's classes soon.

It's back to rodmaking now, with a trip planned in August to hit the tricos on Penn's.

We are now carrying the new Veritas Mark II honing guide. It's a huge improvement over their previous model and after  persoanlly using it a bit, feel it's worth the extra $ over less expensive types.

Our cork is selling quite well, with good reports from the recipients. I think it's a good value for the $.

7/21/06 My day off between our Bamboo Rodmaking Class sessions. A major thanks to the students in our first class...it was a blast.

6/18/06 Getting back in the shop and back in the swing of things after our big vacation. Where were we, you ask? Well, Casimira and I were invited to speak at the Italian Bamboo Rodbuilder's Association(IBRA) annual gathering in Sansapolcro, Tuscany, Italy! A HUGE thanks you to everyone in the group for their kind invitation, their warmth and hospitality during our stay. We all got to fish the nearby Tevere - a cold, clear tailwater, and I got my first greyling! I'll have more to say about this trip later, and will dedicate a full page to it, and hope to be able to return to Italy again! Here's a pic of my first greyling!

One of the distinct pleasures of the trip was meeting silk fly line maker, Zandrei Terenzio and doing some fishing with him. We were fortunate to have present Alberto Barbaglia(in the middle), who kindly did the translation duties. On our first evening there, Terenzio(on the left) treated us to dinner at a real tratoria in the town of  Caprese, birthplace of Michelangelo! We all sampled a slew of courses, including duck and wild boar...the food was incredible, the company remarkable!

I'll have much more to say about this trip, with a bunch of pics, as time permits...so stop back and check it out!

We now have a very nice supply of cork available! The quality is high and the prices more then fair...just .90/ring for the highest quality and .45/ring for the next quality level.

We are getting ready for our rodbuilding classes, building rods and just dreaming about our trip...

5/10/05 Much happening here! We've filled our second bamboo rodmaking class of the summer. If you'd like to learn how to build cane rods and have a heck of a good time while doing it, don't delay when we set next year's dates. The new dates for next year will be picked when our summer classes end in July.

We've just received an extraordinary shipment of nets from LDH, including a good stock of our favorite wood, amboena.

We've got a new batch of nodeless splicing blocks available. This is a great tool that will save a ton of time making nodeless rods and does a much better job then hand methods. Get off yer duff and get one!

Last week I reported on my fishing trip to Oil Creek. I was feeling pretty good about my successes, and then my brother Jim emailed me some pics of my nephew Jimmy. He's been trained well, as I never did find out where he caught these fish...look at the size of that bluegill!!!! Man, I'd love to fish that pond with my 2 wt., but it looks like I'm gonna have to apply some pressure to find out where he got these fish!

5/02/06 Just got back from a 4 day trip to fish Oil Creek. My good friend Mike Laskowski at Oil Creek Outfitters set me up with the right flies and advice and I had a ball. Caught the tail end of the grannoms and the first few days of the bright green caddis. Locally, the bright greens are called the "Mother's Day caddis" but this year everything seems to be running about 2 weeks early. Does this mean the infamous Oil Creek sulfur hatch will occur on Mother's Day? Stay tuned, but that's where I'll be in two weeks! The water is clear and conditions are perfect and you can check daily conditions at Mike's website.

I got to see some old friends on the water and made some new ones. It was a blast but had to get back to work on some rods. Hope you've got a trip lined up to your favorite waters, and remember to support your destination shops!

4/24/06 Wow, it's been a month since my last post. Working 12-14/7 making rods and time is flying. Since our introduction of Terenzio Silk Lines, they've been well-received! We've just filled our second cane rodbuilding class session! If you have an interest in learning how to build a cane rod, next year don't delay in making arrangements!

Here's the big notice: We are actually going on a vacation -our first 'real' one in ten years- during which we will not be available for anything business related! We will be closed to human contact from Saturday, May 27th 2006 through Wednesday, June 14th. 2006. Orders will be taken through Friday, May 26th at 5 p.m.EDT, and we will not reopen until Thursday, June 15th. If you want something, get it now!!!!

3/20/2006 Getting unpacked and settled in after returning back from the MI flyfishing show. A big thanks to the organizers of this show, who always do a superlative job. It was great seeing our many friends and a big thanks to everyone that came by to say hello.

At the show we introduced our newest product, which garnered a lot of interest: We are proud to be the sole U.S. distributer of Terenzio Silk and Artificial Silk Fly Lines. We believe they represent a great value and are impeccably crafted. Check them out!

3/12/2006 Working very hard and long hours...corporate taxes are due, we've got the MI show this week, and lots of rods to get built on time for Spring fishing!

Our thanks to everyone for your rod orders! We are currently quoting 16 months delivery on Signature and Limited Edition Series rods.

We've just completed another batch of our Nodeless Splicing Blocks. Once you try this tool for making nodeless rods, you'll never go back to cutting splices by hand. $145 plus shipping.

We have filled our first cane rodbuilding class of the summer, and we scheduled a second session: July 15-20, 2006. If you have a hankering to build your own cane rod, check out our Bamboo Rod Making Classes page and email us for a syllabus and course registration package.

Physical exhaustion has led us to make some business changes. First, regarding ordering a rod: We exhibit our work at numerous trade shows and events. It's very difficult to schedule personal visits to our shop and we require an appointment. We appreciate your serious inquiries, but please do not show up unannounced.

Another change involves rod repair and restoration. We will no longer provide repair services on any living rodbuilder's work(besides our own, of course.) The reason for this is, if you buy a rod from another maker and you have a problem, contact them! If they've suddenly become unavailable because you have a problem, please don't make it my problem. Sorry. I hate to be a prick, but what led me to this decision was that I was recently contacted about doing a repair. The owner of the rod explained that he just purchased a new rod from a dealer and after lawn casting it for a few minutes he went to disassemble the rod and a ferrule came off. He tried for 6 weeks to contact the builder, who continually skirted his calls. He enlisted the help of the dealer who also had no luck, and so the dealer recommended us and we fixed the rod. This type of unprofessional conduct is a blight on the rodbuilding profession, but it is all too common. I'm not fixing other people's work anymore. Sorry. This should also be a message to dealers: if you have a manufacturer that can't stand by their work with decent service, why are you carrying them? Is the lure of making a buck more attractive then your reputation?

Calls are accepted between 8 a.m. and 8 pm., EST only! This is a 12 hour workday, 7 days a week. If we are unable to get to the phone, our answering machine kicks in. Please leave a message. If you want to order something, like...I don't know, a spool of thread, for example...please let us know what color # you want. If we call you back long distance for that info we've just sold an item at a loss. We check our Email constantly thoughout the day...this is the easiest and most foolproof way to contact us.

People that owe us money: you know who you are, and very shortly the world is gonna know who you are. If we are courteous and trusting enough to send you a product with an invoice, the least we expect is some decency on your end.

2/26/05 A big thanks to everyone at BUFF for putting on another fine show in Cinci! Our next(and final!) show for the year will be the MI show in March

Just plugging away in the shop and office, getting the corporate taxes ready for the accountant. We have only one remaining opening for our Summer rodmaking class, so if you've been thinking about attending, get your deposit in soon.

2/1/06 Back in the shop after the Somerset show. Many thanks to everyone that came by the booth...every year we see our old friends and make new ones! We did very well with the recent addition to our lineup, bamboo nets by the Bamboo Net Company.

We also now have in stock a number of very desirable Godfrey reels. These always go very quickly, so if you are looking for the perfect reel for a cane rod, contact us before they are gone.

We are filling spaces quickly for our 2006 Bamboo Rodmaking Class. Only two spots remain, so reserve a space! These classes are always a blast, so come join us for a very good time!

Copies of the Trout Grass are still selling well. Everyone we spoke to about this movie has enjoyed it and found it very interesting and educational.

1/3/06. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Our best wishes to everyone for a safe, healthy and prosperous 2006!

Much news here to report. First, we have a couple vintage Wagner rods in on consignment and some fantastic reels just listed on our Vintage page. Second, I have available for immediate delivery a Godfrey Classic 274 with ventilated spool. Ted's reels are in such high demand that it's very rare to have on in stock and available, so if you ever wanted to own a Godfrey, jump on this reel! $730.

We'll be beginning our show season and promoting our rodmaking classes pretty heavily, so if you have the desire to learn the craft, reserve a space now!

We also have received the new nickle silver reel seats from CSE. These feature an all nickle silver barrel, like the old Granger seats, but with a wood insert. They are gorgeous and available at a great price! We've also begun to carry U40 urethane finish. I've had great success with this product for sealing wraps.

12/21/05 Thanks to everyone for ordering from us during the holiday season. We wish you all the best! It's been crazy here, but I took the time today to take some pics of a rod we're shipping tonight...a custom salmon rod. Take a look!

12/03/05 If you are thinking about ordering a new Signature or Presentation Series rod, do it before January 1, when we'll be increasing prices apx $100.

11/24/05 Much to be grateful for. A big thank you to everyone!

11/18/05 Busy busy busy here! Many thanks to everyone that has been ordering Holiday Gifts from us as suggested on our Gift Page.!! The new Trout Grass movie has been selling briskly, and we've received a lot of good reviews from people that have received their copy...it's a great addition to your rodmaking/fishing library!

10/23/05 Wow! Where has the year gone? I keep hoping to get out for a few more fishing days before putting the tackle away for the year. Hopefully, we can get a couple nice days in the 60's and get away for just a little more fishing...

Lots of new things happening here. We've been busy cranking out rods, and as a result we are actually a couple months ahead of scheduled delivery times. Currently, we are quoting about 1 year on new Signature or Presentation Series rods.

We were fortunate enough to get an advance review copy of Trout Grass. It's a wonderful movie for cane rodbuilders and collectors alike, so get your order in and we'll ship one to you.

We also are the first to receive the new 3" FirBrook reels by Richard Bradley. This reel is for 5-6 wt. lines, and is available in the new bronze finish. Very sharp on a cane rod!

We are also pleased to now carry the fine nets by the Bamboo Net Company. We were lucky enough to get some samples in, and the workmanship is very good...these nets are also very light, and what could be a nicer match for a cane rod then a bamboo net?

8/11/05 Our first bamboo rod making class session in 2006 will be July 22-27, 2006. See additional information on our Cane Rodbuilding Class page!

8/06/05 We'll be posting dates for our 2006 Bamboo Rod Making Class soon, so if you're interested in a class check back within the next week or so. We'd be happy to send you out a registration form, syllabus and other information!

As I listed on the entry below, we got in a couple lightly used Wagners we've listed on our vintage page. One is already sold, but we still have the very sweet 2 weight. We've been very fortunate...the last few years we've had very few available for immediate delivery, new or used. Right now, we're quoting about 12 months on our Signature and Limited Edition Series rods. Thanks so much to all of our customers for keeping us employed doing what we love!

Thanks to columnist Christopher Conkey for the interview and very nice mention of our company in an article in the Wall Street Journal.

7/29/05 We get these very rarely: two lightly used, early with low serial numbers, Wagner Signature Series rods on our vintage rod page. Also a newly listed Peerless reel.

7/25/05 Just listed two fine salmon reels on our vintage tackle page...a Peerless and a Saracione.

7/23/05 At long last, I finally got our Godfrey Reels page posted. If you are looking for an awesome, authentic-looking reel in the tradition of the classic vom Hofe and Leonard reels, look no further!

We have only 1 LHW Hardy St. George limited edition reel remaining in stock. Grab it now for $545.

We will be setting our schedule for next year's Bamboo Rod Building Class sessions soon. Check back the first week of August for details!

We only have 1 Quad Planing Form remaining in stock. Grab it before the price increase.

7/19/05 Finally added some very high quality sable brushes for applying finish to rod wraps. Listed on our tool page.

7/16/05 Just posted a pic of the new FirBrook Raised Pillar reel by Richard Bradley! Nice reels, great price and value.

7/01/05 Thanks to everyone that organized the Greyling rodbuilder's gathering. It was the best one ever, imo. I'm back in the shop and gearing up for rod classes.

We just ran a batch of Quad Planing Forms and 2 sets of the batch of 4 are committed, making only two sets available at the moment. This will be the last batch we offer at $1,550 due to increases in materials and labor...the next batch will be at least $100 higher in price, so if you are thinking about a set, now's the time.

6/21/05 Finally!!! I finally got two new reel pages posted, the economical and well-made FirBrook Reels and the classic Peerless Reels. We've been carrying these for some time, so it was a relief to finally get them posted on our site. And I finally got a pic and a description up of the fast-selling Cortland 444 Sylk Flylines. Gonna be heading up to Greyling this weekend to do a presentation at the rodbuilder's gathering and also to hit the Hex hatch. Wish me luck.....

6/08/05 Once upon a time...long...long...ago.

"To waste, to destroy our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed. "-- Theodore Roosevelt, seventh annual message, 3 December 1907

6/04/05 Just back in from a 12 day road trip! I started off by visiting Oil Creek for a few days. Fishing was great, and it remains great at this time of writing. As I mentioned previously, there are a lot of beautiful holdover trout and the hatches have been heavy as they normally are. My last full day there before heading off to Canada was a bit rainy...grey with rain more like mist. I was anticpating a heavy BWO hatch, but instead the sulfurs came on hard and for several hours just hammered fish after fish. The most amazing thing to me was, I was all alone!! If you've got a few days to take a trip, visit Mike for the latest conditions and he'll give you the scoop. I'm hoping to go back for a day or two next week to hit the Caenis and Dorothea hatches. Spectacular!

From there I headed up to Canada. I want to thank everyone for their hard work and hospitality at the Canadian Cane gathering in Fergus, Ontario. I gave a presentation there on rod finishing and also got to do a little fishing. The folks at Grand River Troutfitters were their usual, helpful selves, also. The thing I like most about this gathering is the extraordinary attention to detail and organization that the volunteers bring to this event. They do everything possible to make the trains run on time, make sure you are comfortable and catch fish...in short, they are extremely gracious. So thanks to Carl O'Conner, James Bond and everyone for hosting this premier event.

Oh, yeah...the people are so wonderful I almost forgot about the fishing! The Hendricksons were on and I got a beauty on Friday night after breaking off an even better fish Thursday night. Take a looksie!

I took this fish using my Wagner based on the Para 15 with a dry tip and a DT5 line. As mentioned below in the 5/12 entry, I use the wet fly tip for casting a WF7 line when using streamers, etc, making this one of the most versatile rods in our catalog.

After the Fergus event, I ran back to Oil for a day or so, then ran over to stay with my good friend Jonas at the Feathered Hook and to meet up with our old friend Bill Lotz.  Bill is one of oldest customers and we fish well together because we are about equally slow, and every trip has a lot of laughs. We enjoy our coffee on Jonas' front porch, smoke like fiends and watch the local color go by...on the other hand, we probably are the local color. We usually don't step foot in water until the crack on 1 p.m., but we do then tough it out until dark every night.

Bill's taste in music has improved much over the years, with the exception of the Anita Baker CD. WTF is that! We really hit the drakes and sulfurs on our first day at Penn's. On Penn's, Bill fished a 7'6" 5 wt. I built for him I dubbed "Dog Breath Variations", borrowing a title of a Zappa tune. That he didn't take this personally probably reflects well on his attitude. Here he is casting on a pool we shared...he had risers, while I had none...the least he coulda done was catch them, don't you think? At least we know the rod wasn't the problem...

Also, a special thanks to Jonas for his warm and gracious hospitality! On this trip I remembered the first time I walked into Jonas' shop and heard him playing John Prine. When stuff like that happens, you know you're in the right place...

From there I headed back to Oil for one last afternoon of bliss before having to return to the shop. I hope to live long enough to be able to spend every day from May15th to June 15th on the water...

5/18/05 Abel reel listed below REDUCED TO $150!!!! SOLD!!!!

5/12/05 Just got back from a few days fishing at Oil Creek. The grannoms were on and just as I had to leave, the bright green caddis were getting started...never fails! Wanna see a grannom pic? Sure you do...

While at Oil Creek Outfitters, I bought up the best book I've ever seen on mayflies: Mayflies by Ted Fauceglia. This book fills what I feel has been long needed: a book with outstanding, large-format high resolution color photos on all stages and both sexes of each of the major mayflies, information on the biology of each, and suggested fly patterns...all presented in the logical order of how the hatches progress through the year. I highly recommend getting a copy from Mike.

I also caught the largest bow I've ever caught at oil Creek...a 22" er. I took a ride downstream towards the Allegheny and also picked up a few nice smallies chucking a Clouser and using my 8' 5-6 wt. with the wet tip. In all modesty, this is a great rod for trips like this: fish the light 5 wt tip with dry flies, or switch to the heavy tip and a WF7 or DT6 line for streamers, etc.

As I mentioned in my 2/20/05 post(below) this may shape up to be the best year ever for fishing Oil: lots of holdover fish in the 18-22" range.

We have two openings remaining for our last July bamboo rodmaking class session. C'mon out and build your own cane flyrod and enjoy the vacation of a lifetime!

4/21/05 Phew! It's been over a month since I last had time to post. Working 12-14/7 here getting everyone's rods ready for Spring season. On top of that there's the usual Spring cleanup stuff, and just got in a bundle of cane that had to be graded, flamed, split, etc.

We still have openings for two of our Summer Rodmaking Classes. If you've ever dreamed of making your own bamboo rod, now is the time to reserve a spot. A great time is had by all, so come on out and join us!

Hope to see everyone at the Grand Rodmaker's gathering in Fergus. I'll be doing a presentation on rod finishing. Hopefully, the Hendricksons will be on! We were saddened to learn of the death of Tedd Knott. Tedd was a class act, and always enjoyed talking rods and rodmaking with him. Peace.

Got a very nice Abel reel for sale on consignment:

New Listing: Abel Pt.5 reel: Black anodized Abel in great shape, only the smallest amount of wear on reel foot. Adjustable cork disc drag with very fine adjustment range from ultra light to enough drag to stop a tarpon. With black soft carry case, made in the USA. $200. Reduced to $150!!!!

3/14/05 We get letters:

Dear Casimira and Jeff,

Just letting you know the moment I was waiting for just happened! The UPS delivery person arrived at the office a few minutes ago and the rod arrived safely.

In a word—gorgeous. The rod is a wonderful rich, deep color. Stunning work: the translucent wraps, the luscious varnish, the spectacular reel seat, the original hook keeper, the quality stripping guide, the carefully polished line guides… I would be pleased with any rod if any single aspect of the rod had work of this quality; but your rod is a complete package in that all the components are of exemplary quality.

Now I can’t wait to cast it. I’m heading out of town this evening. I won’t get to cast the rod until Sunday sometime. I’ll let you know what I think. Even worse, I won’t be able to fish it until late April/early May once general trout season opens here. Drat!Thank you for the obvious care that went into my rod. It is most definitely among my prize possessions. D.T.-Ca.

And a follow up: Dear Casimira and Jeff,

I went out on Sunday and cast the rod. I really like it. It is really nice in close. I was then surprised at how much line it could carry when I was going for some distance. It would sort of punch out more than I was expecting it would. The action is very smooth and buttery.

It was the first time I had the rod out in the sunlight. Wow. What a beaut!

I will send fish pics once I get a chance to fish the rod later this spring.

I enjoyed the process of working with you. Can’t wait until the next one!

Best regards, D.T.-Ca.

....................................................................................................................................................................................

I just posted a rod on our Available Page: ................  Newly Listed: J.D. Wagner Signature Series 6' 3 wt., 2p. 2t. In the last couple years we've had only two rods available for immediate delivery. In both cases, I screwed up! This year we sent a 7'3" 2 piece to Marty Keane after I discovered I had cut a two piece blank for a customer that wanted a 3-piece rod! Duh! This rod is a similar mistake. A customer wanted a 6'3" version of our 6' 3 wt. but I forgot and made it 6' as usual!

This rod features our normal Signature Series bells and whistles: mirror matched tips, a stunning piece of amboena burl in the d/l can and ring seat, dark reddish brown transluscent wraps with delicate black tipping, agate stripper, 6" cigar grip, etc. The cane is flamed lighter then we normally do, as this is what the customer wanted...it's a nice caramel color. Medium fast action. Own it in time for opening day, otherwise a 14-15 month wait. Brand new, $1,695. SOLD!

3/10/05 Wow, is it crazy here! Finishing rods, doing a lot of photography work, getting ready for the MI show, finishing corporate taxes. Rod orders have been coming in strong and we are currently quoting about 15 months delivery on our Signature Series rods. Yowza, there ain't enough hours in the day!

Just posted some pics of our latest Presentation Series rods. Take a look!

And speaking of taxes....last year saw us have a record for sales. It's hard to believe how much we've grown over the years. Thanks to everyone that purchases from us! Casimira and I have a blast working together, and our customers make that possible. Thanks.

2/27/05 A while back I wrote an essay about the Taxonomy of Rodbuilders. This created quite a stir, and some folks took offense. At that time I promised to write about some of my own stupidities that relate to cane rodmaking. This is a long essay, so pull up a chair and pour yourself a cup of cofee, and laugh at me!

2/20/05 Was just talking with perhaps my oldest friend in 'the business', Mike Laskowski. Mike is the proprietor of Oil Creek Outfitters near Oil Creek in western PA. I've fished the stream since I was a kid, back in the 'bad old days' when it was put and take...and by the end of June there wasn't nothin' left to take...as this was long before catch and release.

Oil Creek has some phenominal insect hatches and a sort of 'versatility' that is perfect for the fly fisher. If you are new to the sport, there are plenty of catchable fish. The insect life will provide you with an education in matching the hatch second to none. If you are more experienced, there are some very wary fish to pit your skills against. I've been going there so long that meetings in the parking lot are like family reunions...but...if you don't like crowds there is a bike path that runs from Titusville to Petrolium Center that allows remote access by  hike or bike, or you can see Mike about a kayak...a great way to fish the stream.

This year is shaping up to be Epic at Oil Creek. The last few summers have been cool and, well, 'wet' would be an understatement....so the stream will has plenty of very nice holdover fish in very good condition. I took a trip up there last October and had some phenominal midge fishing...large, healthy, beautiful fish .....and there were times when there wasn't a single angler in sight...

Mike is just now constructing his website, so bookmark it and check on the conditions as trout season approaches. See ya there!

2/2/05 Just catching our breath a little here at home. We've got two more shows to do and are busy making rods we've promised for spring. A HUGE thank you to everyone that ordered from us at the shows, or just stopped by to say hi or cast a rod. Our new 6'6" 2 wt. is hot, hot, hot!

While we were away, someone was gracious enough to forward the URL for a newspaper article by John Gierach that mentions us. We never knew John even wrote this, and we thank him for some very kind words. I was hoping to be able to spend some time this year talking with John at a show, but the booth was crazy when he came by...so thanks, John, wherever you may be.

We also had numerous former rodbuilding class attendees stop by to chat and catch up a bit. While posting this link I realized I still haven't posted the 2004 class pics, and I gotta get on that soon. Sorry it's taken so long. We still have openings for this summer's sessions. If you have a hankering to build your own cane rod, fish at a private spring creek in the evening and then relaxing with a good cigar and a drink and fellowship.....then email us and we'll send you out a reservation form.

Besides all of the show craziness and working long hours in the shop, I'll soon find time to post pics and pages for some new products including Godfrey, Peerless and FirBrook reels. We've been carrying all of these for some time, but a shortage of time has delayed us from designing and posting pages and my apologies to these fine reelmakers for the delay.

We added a new family member just before Xmas. His name is Frank, and he joins Bamboozle and Punky as our 'family'. Frank is a big sucker, as you can see.

Ok, what else is new? Well, J.D. Wagner has finally hit the bigtime! We are now proud corporate sponsors of a race car! My nephew Jimmy was over a few weeks ago, using our 'high-tech' equipment to do some work on his car, and while we were at the Jersey show he won First Place in his very first racing meet. When I was in racing I never had anywhere near this level of success, so a BIG CONGRATULATIONS go out to Jimmy, and best wishes for his next round of racing.

Oh! Here's a pic of his car:

1/18/05 Sittin' here signing a boatload of tax forms. Presidentin' is hard work.

12/17/04 For the upcoming holiday season, please visit our gift page. Consider that we now carry the very hot Cortland 444 Sylk flylines. This is a synthetic line designed to look and perform like silk, but without the maintenance! It features a very soft feel and a smaller diameter, just like silk. Available in DT2-6 and WF2-6. $49 plus shipping.

This year my brother, the NASA rocket scientist engineer, helped me do some studies on increasing the already wonderful attributes of Tonkin Cane. We tried everything under the sun, some more effective then others, but we eventually worked out a process(patent soon to be applied for, don't even think of copying this) of bombarding raw culms with low frequency sound waves. One of the best things about this process is that although it requires some specialized equipment, the equipment itself can be placed right in your livingroom because low frequency sound travels very long distances!(That's why those kids with the big subwoofers in their cars that go crusing by your house boomachickaboombachicka can be heard both approaching and receeding for blocks, even though you can't hear the higher frequencies of their 'music'.) So my special unit sits right in the living room but treats my cane waaay out in the shop at all hours. It can even treat our neighbor's cane, if they had any to treat. They love me. Really.

The cool folks at SVS set me up with the equipment, and what blew my mind even beyond the incredible performance of this sub was that I came to find they build these culm enhancing units right here in Ohio...which freaked me out as we don't make much here anymore except ignorant legislatures too busy arguing about concealed carry permits, teaching creationism in science classes, and banning gay marriage to actually do something to improve the economic and educational opportunities of our citizens.

Anyway, here's a pic of me next to my special culm treating unit.The process requires very large amounts of low frequency source material played at window rattling levels, and here's a few that I've found that work very well: Finding Nemo, Lord of the Rings, Godzilla, U-571. In the music genera, Roger Waters In the Flesh, Yo-Yo Ma, et al Appalachian Journey, Diana Krall Live in Paris, Steely Dan Two Against Nature, and the first few bars of Zep's Dazed and Confused on the DVD.  Oh yea, the 1812 Overture sounds very very cool, too. When the canons kick in and the SPL is spiking 130 dB, the cats head for the hills. Oh, and any organ music....Bach's Toccata works well.

This is just one more reason why J.D. Wagner Rods are sooo superior...technological innovation and sparing no expense on shop upgrades to make a better product for you, our customers.

11/16/04 Don't ya hate this time of year? It's getting colder, leaves are gone, days are so short and gray. Yuk! We're cranking out fishing rods, though, and our shop is bright and toasty. Just added our annual Gift Page. If you are looking for a gift for friend, spouse, business partner, etc we have some great suggestions.

We've added some very cool new rods to our Signature Series lineup: a 6'6" Dt2, a 6'5" 3-4 wt. and an 8' 4 wt. All are very sweet, if we do say so...

Have a great Thanksgiving and know we are grateful for your friendship and business! Peace!

11/03/04 Ugh.

10/24/04 Just a note to say we'll be closed on Election Day, November 2. Get out and VOTE!

10/14/04: One of my major screwups this year: neglecting to add TroutTrips to our links page after meeting them last January. If you are planning a trip to Denver, make some time to do some fishing with them. They have access to some incredible private water, the guides are awesome...just an all-around very personable, knowledgeable and and just plain cool group of people that are great at what they do. They guide year-round, so even if you fly into Denver for a ski trip, business meeting, etc. during the winter months, you can still take advantage of their services and get in on some great fishing. Check out their site.

9/23/04 Wow! A month has passed since my last post...where does the time go? A few weeks ago we took a couple days off and went to the Shaker Museum in Kentucky. Anyone interested in fine craftsmanship just has to be inspired by the Shakers. Today Casimira and I glued up two spliced butt Presentation Series rods..one in ebony and another in amboena. I think we have about 10 rods going now in various stages of completion, so if you have an order in with us we are moving along right on schedule.

We also 'officially' announce that we've posted our webpage as agents for the extraordinary basketry work of Karen and Darryl Arawjo. If you want to be blown away by fine craftsmanship from two people that are at the pinnacle of their craft, just click on the link or the picture below and see some of their work. Wow!

8/13/04 Just finished up our last bamboo rodmaking class! We'd like to thank everyone that attended and did such fine work. We were blessed with some very mild weather this year and here's to hoping it's the same way in years to come. We already have set up our dates for next July. Last year, the first three July class sessions filled by March, so if you are interested in coming next year, don't delay in making a reservation.

While I was away at the last class, we received an email from Nick and Miri Taransky, our friends from 'Down Under' that took our bamboo rodbuilding class a couple years ago. It turns out Nick has chucked the day job to build rods full time. We wish them the best, and hope that the old credo that 'nice things happen to nice people' rings true for them. Nick has just put up his first webpages here, and we wish them happiness, success and growth in their business.

8/1/2004 Just finished up our 3 July Bamboo Rodbuilding Classes. Everyone did great work, and by and large we were blessed with mild weather. What a blast! We have already set the dates for next year's sessions. They will be:

July 9-14, 2005

July 23-28, 2005

July30- August 4, 2005  Sign up now! Just email us for a syllabus and registration form. Want more info? Check out our Rodmaking Classes page! Special thanks to the guys from last year's July session for visiting and prsenting me with the kind gift...thank you!

We have finally added color charts for our YLI and Tire silk threads. Page down and see the links off of our Tool Page.

I have some special stuff for sale...check it out!

7/06/04 Working hard getting ready for our class sessions that begin July 10. All of the July classes are full, but we have two openings for August so if you have a hankering for a great time, come make a rod with us.

Just got back from a great trip. My friend Terry and I went up to fish with Todd Fuller at Fuller's North Branch Outfitters. We floated two evenings during the hex hatch, and on the first night Terry took two fish, one 19" and a second 22". Wow! In addition, we took plenty of brookies...below is a pic by Todd of a nice brookie Terry caught.

If you have never fished from an AuSable drift boat, you are missing the fishing experience of a lifetime...there simple isn't a more relaxing and traditional way to experience the Au Sable and Manistee Rivers. Compared to a McKenzie-style boat, well, there is no comparison. Couple that with beautiful brookies and browns, the knee weakening sound of huge browns smashing hexes after dark...it doesn't get any better!

Todd is a fantastic guide, the lodge is world-class(imagine hanging a few days at the same club people like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, etc hung out) and Todd's family are very gracious hosts...and great artists to boot...I got a very nice brookie carving while there. I'll be back next year, I've got the Hex fever!

6/20/04 The next generation: my nephew Jimmy with a whopper. Already he's outfishing me.

6/08/04 Just got back from a wonderful fishing trip. Hooked up with my friend Bill and we hit the State College, PA area for some fishing and fun. We got to fish Fishing Creek, Penns, Little Juniata, etc. While in the area, we stayed at my friend Jonas' place. Jonas is the host-est with the most-est and his B&B/Flyshop is top-rate. The folks at the Spruce Creek outfitters were also helpful with tips on the Little Juniata.

On my way home I stopped and fished Oil Creek and it was phenomenal action on sulfurs and s. 26/28 Caenis...there were also some tan caddis, slate drakes, grey foxes, and march browns hatching. My buddy Mike at Oil Creek Outfitters(814-827-3095)was his usual very helpful self.

Now, I'm gonna get on my soapbox for a minute. This year has seen some pretty tough conditions here in the East with the constant rain and all. Flyshop owners can absorb a bad year but for some the last several have been particularly brutal. In addition, the proliferation of discount big box retailers has also taken a toll on the fly fishing specialty stores. I don't know about the destination shops you visit, but I consider people like Mike and Jonas to be more then shop owners...they are trusted friends and extraordinarilly helpful and just all-around good people. They are right on top of the local hatches and weather conditions, and they always have the right flies and knowledge that can help you be successful for your trip. I'd hate to think about taking a trip and not having them around....they don't just sell the flies and the bottle of floatant you may have forgotten, but instead sell their local expertise and service...things that no big box can offer.

So, even if you cancelled your trips due to rain consider purchasing that special reel or rod for later in the season..or restocking your fly boxes..whatever. Doing so will help insure your destination shop will be there for you later in the year and beyond. I've never known a shop owner that's 'in the business' to get rich...they are in it for the love of the sport, so help them out with your business. End of lecture.

5/27/04 Working hard for the next couple days then blowing out to do some fishing. Casimira will be here taking care of business, so if you need anything just give us a call or email.

We have two openings remaining for our August rodbuilding class session. Just email us for more information, and see our class page to check out the fun we have.

Got a very nice letter of feedback concerning our nodeless splicing block. We have a few of these left, so we'd recommend getting one soon if you want to build nodeless rods the easy way.

J.D., I wanted to take a minute to congratulate you on the splicing block that I recently purchased from you. To say that it is a fantastic tool is anunderstatement.......................

Anyway, your product is beyond well worth the cost and using your technique is incredibly easy, I have splices that I could only imagine with a hand plane!

4/02/04 A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of talking with longtime local steelhead guide Monte Casey. It is not widely known(yet), but the northern Ohio tributaries- from the western Cleveland suburbs to the Pennsylvania line- have some of the best steelhead fishing you could imagine. I spoke with people that really know the water that have told me that when conditions are perfect, two good anglers might hook up on 100 fish in a day. Amazing. Take a minute to visit and bookmark Monte's site, www.steelheadguide.com so if you happen to be passing through the area during a run, or are looking to sample the fishery you'll know the person to contact.

3/31/04 Workworkwork.

3/30/04 We have added a 4th bamboo rodbuilding class session as the first 3 quickly filled up. As of today, we have two committed students, and need two more to fill this session. Won't you join us?

3/19/03 Just delivered. What are you waiting for?

3/15/04 Just returned from the show in Michigan. A HUGE thanks to everyone...all of our friends and customers that stopped by our booth, the volunteers and organizers that put on the show, and especially all of the guys that did the cane rodbuilding demo. Our tools were well-represented by some very talented craftsmen...3 out of 4 planing forms used to build the rod were Wagner's.

We are very proud to have been invited to submit a Presentation Series rod for the The Art of Angling: A Visual Celebration of Fly Fishing exhibit at the Milne Special Collection and Archives at the University of New Hampshire.  UNH has one of the finest collections in the world of angling information. We are very proud to be amongst some very special artisans invited to participate, and a special thanks William Ross, Professor and Head of Milne Special Collections and Archives, UNH Library for asking us to participate. What an honor!

Numerous people have commented seeing Casimira and I in the recent AP story on our company. Thanks to everyone...now we've got to buy ten copies for our parent's!

We have filled all of our July rodbuilding classes! As a result, we have added a 4th session, August 7-12, 2004. At this point we have three student openings. The three July classs filled in record time this year, so if you'd like to attend the August session don't delay.

The long-awaited splicing blocks will be shipped soon. They came out better then I planned, and come complete with CD and hard copy instruction sheets. This project came out way over what I originally budgeted when I set the price at $110(duh!), therefor if you want one at this price order quickly as the next batch will be more expensive.

A week ago, we provided another rod for annual Cleveland Natural History Musuem Trout Club banquet. This club is the second-longest running club in the USA, only the Angler's Club of New York has a longer history. Anyway, the winners of the rod were Kim and Mark Sudduth. Mark is a very, very talented glass artist and he also donated a piece for the banquet I would have loved to own if I wasn't on a 'rodbuilder's salary'! Check out his website. Nice stuff!

3/2/04 Much new news from the shop! First, we are working feverishly on rods promised for March and April..there are currently 13 rods in various stages in the works! So, if you ordered a rod at this time last year, we are right on schedule for you. Right now we are quoting 18 months delivery, and don't like to be this far back...but we've had a great year and extend our thanks to all!

Last week we gave a lecture on bamboo rodbuilding at the Cleveland Natural History Museum Trout Club, and a warm thanks to everyone for having us and attending. Casimira and I had a great time!

The much-delayed nodeless splicing blocks are nearing completion. Thanks for everyone for their patience on this project...it's been too long in the making, but the rods have to take priority for Casimira and I. We also have just completed a batch of our planing forms...the last batch sold very quickly and the swelled butt forms in particular have been a great hit.

Our bamboo rodmaking classes have filled remarkably fast! At this time we only have one opening each for the last two July sessions. Once these are filled, if we have additional interest we may schedule another session for the first week of August. If you have an interest, don't delay....it's a blast for all concerned!

We have a great stock of the new Hardy reels (including extra spools for the St. George), and we also have some other fantastic(and I mean, fantastic!) new reels and other goodies coming soon, so check back often! 

A few weeks back we got a companion for Bamboozle...his name is Punky. They are great friends, and they play together constantly. Punky had some pretty huge vet bills after we adopted him, and he commands you to buy something from us to keep him in Kitty Treats. Don't mess with Punky....

I received an email from Bill Franke telling me about his replacement reel foot for old Medalist reels. As you may know, the width and length of the foot of Medlists isn't a great fit for modern reel seats, but with this replacement foot you can hold a reel securely yet not have to destroy the reel's value by grinding down the original foot.

We had a wonderful time at the BUFF show, and it was nice seeing my friend Todd Fuller there promoting his lodge, Fuller's North Branch Oufitters. Todd is also establishing a winter guide service in Florida...so he can get away from those nasty Northern Michigan winters and frolic in the sun. All kidding aside, Todd is one of the hardest working and most professional people in the business, and his lodge on the North Branch of the AuSable is incredible. If you are looking to fish the area this year, give him a call and reserve a room and float!

That's it for now, back to the wrapping room....thanks!

1/30/04  Busybusybusy- show season! Just a quick note to let you know we now have the spare spools for the Hardy 3" St. George Limited Edition reels. $160 plus shipping.  These reels are going very quickly, with only a few available in LHW...once these are gone, that's it, so don't delay if you've been considering one.

12/31/03 Happy New Year's to everyone! As I write this, I'm dipping several rods and racing back and forth from the computer to the dipping booth....what an exciting New Year's Eve! We are getting geared up for the shows, today Casimira was hard at work on our new rod and class brochures while I'm finishing rods promised in January.

We are proud to announce that Hardy is now making two new reels, with another model due soon. Check them out on our Hardy page.

We had some rather tough days in December as our longtime pal and shopcat Geezerman took ill and had to be put down. His last day in this world was December 15th. The "Geeze" had a thyroid condition and had taken meds for about the last 3 years. While he was a bit slow due to arthritis, he still was ok, although he continued to loose weight...by the end he was a shadow of his former self...in good health he was an 18 lb. bruiser, and with such a unique character that he will never be replaced. We will miss him always.

On a much brighter note(literally), we had some major shop improvements made this month. Because we are a home-based business, our rodbuilding shop began as little more then a 2 1/2 car garage. All the tooling was mobile, so I could push everything aside and pull the cars in at night. Well, several years ago- with the continued addition of more and more tooling- it became apparent that the garage wasn't going to be used for cars anymore. At first we continued to pull in one car, then we built a storage shed for all of Casimira's gardening supplies and lawn care equipment, then just gave up trying to fit even one car inside.

The problem with the shop was that it was never designed for that purpose and we just made do with temporary lighting and extension cords. We were finally able to afford to have someone come in to properly light and wire the shop! We now have 4 banks of 8', 2-bulb, 125 watt flourescent fixtures and tons of outlets, as well as some very nice drop down, retractable power cords. We will no longer be tripping over a tangle of extension cords...YES!!!!!...and it's so bright that sometimes I just go out in the shop and turn the lights on..it's as bright as the brightest July day....a great tonic for the dark winter months of Cleveland. We added a breaker box just for the shop, and another 220 line for our next upgrade: a centralized dust collection system....with the hopes of keeping a cleaner shop, house and lungs in the future. My next step will be to wire in a better sound system, but that will have to wait until I upgrade my speakers in the house, and then recycle the old ones into the shop.

A big thank you to everyone that supported us in years past. We hope to see you out at the shows. We just delivered a set of 3 rods, and hopefully I'll have some pics up soon on our Limited Edition page. Between the shows and working long hours getting rods done promised for March and April, before we know it Spring will have arrived.

11/08/03 Today I finally posted our 2003 Gift Pages. If you are looking for the perfect gift for a friend, spouse, child or business associate we have a full range of very high quality items that would be perfect for the angler or rodbuilder.

Just a few weeks ago, we received our quarterly report from Amazon regarding our Books page. Amazon sends us a modest sum when you buy items through these links or the portal. We appreciate everyone that has made the effort to enter through this page, even if they aren't buying any of the particular items listed. Thank you for your kindness!

Last week it was an unbelievable 75 degrees here in Cleveland, but today it's snowing. We've been working 10-12 hours a day- and some days longer- building rods promised for Dec/Jan/Feb. Although the days are short and dark, it's great to be this busy and we thank everyone for their orders. If we don't get a chance to post again before the Holidays, our best wishes to you and yours and again our thanks!

10/13/03 Egads! Can you believe it's already Fall? The trees here in Ohio are beautiful, and some leaves are already falling...next thing you know it'll be Thanksgiving, then Xmas, and then the show season. It seems like we just got back from the Sommerset, NJ show.

I was up at Penny's getting my hair trimmed on the first of October, and they already had the Xmas stuff up. Every year they start earlier and earlier...what's up with that? I promise I won't put up our gift page until Nov. 1.

We finished up the year's last rodbuilding class session in September, and like the summer classes it was a blast. Thanks guys!

We are now working on what I'm calling the "blackout rods". Yer probably thinking, "J.D. musta been hitting the bottle"...and worrying about the quality of those rods....

No, we haven't been drinking....I'm referring to the big blackout we had here this summer. Since I couldn't operate any power tools I pulled out 10 culms or so from the rack and started flaming and splitting for all of the rods due in December, January and February. Since that time I haven't gotten very far with these rods, as I had to get back to finishing rods promised in September, October and November.....there are now 10 rods in the works in the wrapping room in various stages of completness. Hopefully this week, after a day or two off for 'vacation' I can get to work on the next batch.

(Speaking of the blackout, we haven't heard much about the big 'investigation' as to why and how it occurred. Would it be cynical of me to think that the huge amount of 'campaign donations' given by the power companies to the State and Federal politicians have anything to do with the footdragging? Perish the thought.....)

While I'm getting overwhelmed in the wrapping room, I do wish to look on the bright side with a huge amount of gratitude for everyone that has ordered with us- it wasn't all that long ago that the fall was a relatively slow period and we could make a few rods  for inventory to take to the shows. We are fortunate to be busy, so a big thanks to everyone!

Bamboozle has adjusted well to her new home and is growing like a weed. Geezerman and her have reached a truce of sorts, but being a kitten she is very playful and still torments old "Geeze" when she gets bored. We picked up a little brochure from the vet about dealing with a 'terrorist cat'...so we've nicknamed her al-Catta.

8/05/03 We are proud to be featured in the Summer issue of the Art of Angling Journal. Many thanks to Paul and Ingrid!!!!

7/25/03 We've finished our summer rodmaking classes! Wow, what talented people we had attend this year and they all did a GREAT job!  A huge thanks to everyone. If you are considering a class, we still have an opening in our September session. Check out the photos from our summer sessions on this page.

As stated below, the new Hardy St. George reels are still selling fast.

7/11/2004 We begin our summer rodbuilding class sessions tomorrow, so things are pretty hectic here packing all of the tools and benches and such. We filled all of our summer class spots, but we still have two openings for the September session. Come join us and build a rod, fish, and just have a great time.

We've finally posted some pics of our 2003 Presentation Rod, the Sans-a-Bitch, a nodeless quad. To build this rod we had to design some new tools which we are making available to other rodbuilders.

7/5/2004 The new 3" Hardy St George reels are moving fast...check them out.

We've been blessed with a new addition to our family. No, we didn't have a kid....we've adopted a stray kitten which we've dubbed Bamboozle. Casimira was taking our cat Geezerman out to the backyard for his morning rounds, and they heard a meowing from a bush. Turns out there was this little grey kitten sitting in the bush who apparently lost its way. We tried to grab it and it took off like a shot but stayed around the edges of the yard all day constantly meowing...a real talker. I told Casimira that based on this observation it had to be a female.

I was working in the shop that day and the cat kept meowing, and I'd meow back. By evening she came inside the shop and burrowed into the racks of bamboo, venturing out timidly for some milk and cat food we had placed on the floor. She'd then run back into the bamboo and cower. Based on this behavior, Casimira named her Bamboozle...part due to her behavior and part based on the Frank Zappa song, Bamboozled by Love. (My brother and his wife have four cats, and most are named after Zappa songs.)  She's slowly getting acclimated to us and last night was her first stay in the house.

Geezer is a little miffed but I think he's a bit fascinated, too. Geezer is getting way up there in age, and this little bundle of energy sometimes taxes his patience but we think he'll be ok with Bamboozle. We'll see. In the meantime, it just feels good to rescue this little bugger and take care of it.

7/1/2004 Just got back from the rodbuilder's gathering in Greyling. A big thanks to all of the folks that hosted this event, and to everyone that supported us. It was great seeing old friends and meeting some new ones. I'm always reminded on these trips just how small the fly fishing world is: you start talking with people on the stream or guides and such, and invariably you find some common person or place that you both know. It's amazing that in a sport that has millions of enthusiasts, just how small the community is.

The fishing wasn't the best I've hit in Greyling, but I wanted to stay even longer then I did....the hexes were just starting to come off in force but alas, I had to get back to the shop to start prepping for our 2003 rodbuilding classes.

I want to extend our thanks to Todd Fuller at Fuller's North Branch Outing Club. I stopped in to say hi to Todd and found out that his dad and mom are awesome bird carvers. I got a female mallard for my wife and earned many, many bonus points upon my return home.

Todd and I did a float on the AuSable and had a great time. We stayed out until late into the night...the beauty of the river, the stars and wildlife...unforgetable. The big bugs hadn't started hatching on the stretch we were on, but we did get to cast to a couple big risers late at night...we just didn't hook up. That's fishing, though, and look forward to staying and fishing with Todd my next trip up there.

It was also cool to find that there's a new fly fishing museum just down the road from FNBO in Lovells. When you are in the area, stop by and check it out...be sure to watch the movie of Robert Traver....it's a hoot and a great piece of fly fishing history. Thanks to Jerry at the museum for the guided tour and all the stories about the area.

We are in the process of putting the finishing touches on a 2003 Presentation Rod that we've dubbed the Sans-a-Bitch. Both rod collectors and rodbuilders will want to take a look at this one as it features some novel construction techniques. We'll have some pics up soon on our Presentation and Limited Edition rods page.

We have a wealth of new tools for the rodbuilder including swelled butt planing forms, quad forms, a splicing jig for nodeless construction and a 4-jaw self-centering chuck. All of these tools will make your building a joy and were used to make a the Sans-A-Bitch rod featured in the next issue of Powerfibers magazine. You can always rest easy purchasing tools from us....as they are developed and used by us to build the rods you see on our pages.

I just got back a week or so ago from the rodbuilder's gathering in Fergus, Ontario. A HUGE thanks to Ted Knott and all others that put on a first-rate event. Fishing on the Grand was pretty good...guess who was the top rod Saturday night? Note to Ron Barch: when in doubt, try a size 20 BWO! We'll be up at the Greyling gathering next.

We now have in stock the new 3" Hardy St. George...a fantastic reel for a cane rod. Check it out on our Hardy page.

Well, we've made it through the show season. It was great seeing all of our old friends and making some new ones. In the past, we were able to put away a few rods to make available for immediate delivery at the shows. But not this year! Sales have been stronger then ever and we are currently quoting a 12-13 month delivery time for our Signature Series rods. If you would like one of these for next season, please don't delay in making a selection and getting your order in. We appreciate your patience. We don't like being this far back, so please bear with us and plan well ahead for next year's season.

We've been quite busy getting all the rods finished for Spring delivery, but we are right on schedule. As of mid-April, we're beginning rods promised for late Spring/Summer of 2003.

Our summer bamboo rodbuilding classes are now filled, with only two openings remaining for the fall Sept 13-18 session. If you have a hankering to build your own, that would be the time to do it......

The first week of April I heard from Dennis Higham, and he sent me a strip to plane up for the Maker's Rod that is raffled off for charity the weekend of the Trout Bum BBQ and Rodbuilder's Gathering in Greyling. Looking forward to the trip to Greyling this year, and a thank you to Dennis for asking us to participate.

We've got a wonderful piece of art available for both builders and cane rod lovers:

Image Copyright Kim Robertson

Titled Bamboo Garden by artist Kim Robertson this image is produced through a novel combination of photography, watercolors and photographic manipulation. We fell in love with this piece and now have it in our living room! Available in 11x14(matted size, perfect for standard frame sizes) for $35 or 16x20 for $55 plus shipping....just email us, and we'll send one out to you.

I've just posted a new essay: The Iconoclasty of The Split Cane Rodbuilder. Enjoy!

We've just obtained a supply of Wayne Cattanach's book, Handcrafting Bamboo Fly Rods. You can get one from us in hardcover for only $15 plus shipping! Just email, and we'll send one out to you.

We are very pleased to announce that we are featured in Ed Engle's new book, Splitting Cane, Conversations with Bamboo Rodmakers. Read about it and obtain your copy here.

We are also very pleased to be featured, alongside such luminaries as Stan Bogdan and John Betts, in the July/August issue of Worth Magazine.

We were also deeply grateful for being honored by the Ohio Arts Council with an Individual Craftsmanship Award. Each year the State of Ohio presents a very limited number of these awards and competition for them is quite demanding. We are humbled yet very proud of this achievement, and we thank not only the judges on the Council Board but also the many patrons that allow us to continue the work we love by commissioning our work.

This year's Cane Rodbuilding classes are filling fast! If you have an interest in building your own rod in a beautiful and fun-filled atmosphere, check out our classes page. But don't wait too long!

After a long wait, we now make the Wagner Binder avialable for other builders. This is the first binder designed to operate in three binding modes. It is a versatile, high-quality and affordable tool for your binding needs.

We added Quadrate rods to our lineup in 2001. The Quadrate afficianado notes that four strip design offers a greater amount of stiffness on a weight basis, fewer glue seams with none in the casting plane, a greater concentration of power fibers, a 'truer' casting plane and a greater recovery rate from flexation and vibration. Below is a picture of one of the Quadrate Signature Series rods.

We recently finished a batch of these rods  and have now returned to building hex rods. Later in the year we will retool to build another batch of quads.

In addition, we have finished out a few Patriot Series rods in Quadrate configuration. Check the Available Rods page to see what's in stock

We have a couple 3 wt. Signature Series rods in stock. Check our Available Rods page.

We finally(!) finished the long-awaited 2001-2002 Limited Edition Quadraphenia rod! This one was a real bear, and was by far the most challenging rod we've ever made from a technical standpoint. We had numerous rodbuilders take a look at it in amazement and Tom Dorsey of Thomas and Thomas was particularly complimentary. Check out some pics on our Presentation and Limited Edition page.

I've finally added a new essay on our Rodbuilding Pages. This one is about all the hype and BS in bamboo rodbuilding, and it's title is The Grand Poobah. Check it out.

We've got some new rodbuilding tool offerings, check them out on our Tool Pages, including a new tool set to broach round ferrules to square to quad builders.

We've got a limited stock of the most beautiful nets anywhere, those of LDH. We've got Brookie and Wading models in a variety of woods, but we are getting low so if we don't have what you need, just contact us and we'll have Lloyd make one for you. Just inquire about availability.

Also in the works are some bamboo wading staffs. In my advancing age I've found that a staff is a necessity for places like Penn's Creek if I wish to avoid taking a bath. I'm building a few in Quad configuration, and will build a few 6-strippers later this year. If you'd like one, just inquire.

We continue to add new tools to our rodbuilding line. Our newest tools include both digital and analog mic, a dial gage, and a digital depth gage. We have always carried and used the best cane rodbuilding ferrules on the market: Classic Sporting Enterprises by Bailey Woods. We've also added their ferrule plugs and  new reel seats to our inventory.

Copyright 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 J.D. Wagner, Inc.