Many of my favorite steelhead rivers in Alaska are no place for a full-sized spey rod or even an eleven-foot switch. I needed something that I could spey cast with either one or two hands. I needed a quick, short rod for these overgrown streams capable of casting large flies with no backcast whatsoever and […]
Icons: Kerry Burkheimer
In this installment, we visit with Kerry Burkheimer in his shop on main Street in Washougal, WA, where he shares the meaning of “hand rolled soul,” explains how he became one of the most innovative spey rod designers in the world and why his mom slept in the trunk on fishing trips.
Gettin’ Wiggly
Bamboo will absolutely make you a better spey caster.
Guilty Pleasure: Robert Meiser builds ’em stiff in the tip with junk in the trunk.
I call his rods the John Wesley Hardins of the West… the true grit cowboy that prevailed
Custom Cane Rods by David L. Reid
I’ve know Dave Reid for about 15 years, since way back in our days in West Michigan. Dave’s now in Idaho, and I’m in Montana, but a few years ago we shared a day on the Clearwater, where he showed me a bamboo single hander he’d made. The taper was his proprietary design, and man […]
Ode to the 6-piece
I’ve fallen hard over the past few years for the 6-piece Spey rod. It’s really nothing complicated. They break down to almost the size of a 9-foot single hander, so they fit inside your luggage; you don’t need to check an extra “bag” (rod tube) on a flight or find an special spot inside an […]
Sponsor Product Highlight: Thomas & Thomas Trout Spey
If you haven’t been hiding under a rock for the past few years you probably have seen that Trout Spey has been all the rage lately. And why not? For the swung fly enthusiast its a great way to expand our season and broaden our horizons. With all that rage has come a host of […]
Quick Review: RB Meiser Trout Spey
A while back I purchased a Meiser 12′ 6″ 3-5 wt Trout Spey. Most are well aware of the gorgeous craftsmanship typical of RB Meiser Rods and this one is no exception. I love a beautiful fly rod, but must admit that performance is more important in my book. Well, this rod far exceeded my […]