Regarding bamboo fly rod repairs; As the fishing season winds down, now is a good time to contact me about repairing your bamboo rods before next year’s fishing season opens. I would recommend contacting me now to get your project into my line-up sooner rather than later. Often, people wait until the Springtime to ask me to repair their bamboo rods, and I’m normally booked with a 4-5 month backlog of repair orders, so let me know now what rods you need worked on.
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Autumn is a wonderful time of year. Not only do we get to enjoy the gorgeous foliage, but we also can enjoy memorable times fly fishing before the Winter snow sets in. This month, I had the pleasure of spending 2 days fishing in New Hampshire for landlocked salmon with friends of mine. The temps were chilly, water levels were perfect, and the male salmon had already started to enter the river. These were perfect conditions for fishing bamboo. I chose my new model #P-206, which is a 9’ hollow built 3-piece rod that is patterned after a wonderful Payne model 206 from the 1930’s. The rod is so easy to cast and is perfectly suited for #5 lines. This particular river has been a favorite of mine for over 30 years, and it was nice to share it with my friends. Both days, I managed to land 3 fish: two were in the 20” range which is normal for this river. However, the other 4 fish were in the 5-6 lb. + range. The largest was over 6 lbs. and was so long that I couldn’t fit it in my net, so I tailed it. All fish were carefully released which is easy with barbless hooks. The second day was windy- bringing down more pine needles and leaves on the water- just a reminder of the Wintery weather to come. What a treat to celebrate the end of the fishing season with a super-casting bamboo fly rod.
One of the Boston Red Sox’ most important players in the past was Ted Williams. I now have his personal Fly Rod, a Paul Young Para-18, for sale. The owner was a close friend of Williams, and he bought this rod directly from Williams in 1994. This rod was on display in Florida at the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame in Hernando. It is also described in The American Fly Fisher (publication of the American Museum of Fly Fishing) in the Fall 2005 edition. There is plenty of provenance to accompany this rod. In fact, Williams even had it refinished so he could use it in salt water. He won the Islamorada Tarpon Tournament one year using this rod. Out of all the rods Ted Williams owned, this was by far his favorite one. Check out my Vintage Tackle page for more details.
www.Starting Saturday, August 4th at 10:00, it's the 85th Annual League of New Hampshire Craftsmen's Fair at Mount Sunapee, NH. We'll be there for the first 4 days of this 9-day Fair. Look for Bonnie and I in booth #111 in tent #1. In addition to showing my new custom Bamboo Fly Rods, I'll also be demonstrating how to cast a fly rod at the Pond, each day at 12:00 and 3:00. This Fair draws tens of thousands of attendees each year and features only the finest craftsmen (and women) in the state. It is nationally recognized for it's high standards and all members are juried in order to select only the best of the best in each field. More information can be found at: www.nhcrafts.org.
Friday, August 10th, starting at 10:00, we'll be at Rockland, Maine for the annual Maine Boats & Harbors Show. This will be our first year there and we'll be located in the largest tent on the grounds (tent F). This unique 3-day show is located in the Town Park on the waterfront and always brings a crowd who enjoy water and the seacoast. We will feature 2 of our saltwater bamboo rods in our lineup. You don't have to be a boat owner to enjoy this Show and seacoast town. Spend a day or the weekend along the beautiful mid- Maine seacoast and take in all the exhibits at this show, which is the largest boat-related show in Maine. Delicious seafood is offered at this fair, so bring your appetites too. More information can be found at: showinfo@maineboats.com Saturday, August 25th: The Portland Fine Craft Show. This will be our 5th year at this juried show. It is held on Congress Street in downtown Portland, Maine. Thousands of people attend this free show each year. Congress street is closed to car traffic during this show and it makes for a relaxed atmosphere where you can visit with us and others showcasing some of the finest craftspeople in Maine. This city has become a major tourist destination and we always enjoy visiting with friends and new folks at this show. Combine a visit to this show along with dinning at any of the many high quality eateries located in this coastal city. The show 'officially' starts at 9:00, but you can shop earlier if you want. More information can be had at: www.mainecrafts.org We will be attending a number of shows this year, so here is a list:
March 17th.- Western Maine Fly Fishing Expo in Bethel, Maine March 18th- Wayside Inn in Weyland, Mass. March 31st- Eldredge Brothers Fly Fishing Expo in Cape Neddick, Maine April 20th- Discover Wild N.H. Day in Concord, NH. June 16th- Kittery Block Party, downtown Kittery, Maine August 4-7th- League of N.H. Craftsmen Annual Fair at Mt. Sunapee, N.H. August 10-12- Maine Boats, Homes, and Harbors Show on the waterfront in Rockland, Maine August 25th- Portland Fine Craft Show on Congress Street in downtown Portland, Maine This Saturday, February 24th, we will be at this excellent show in central New Hampshire. it has over 800 attendees each year and is a pleasant place to visit with folks. I'll bring my new Striper Model rod, and another new model- my 9' 5-wt. rod. Hope to see you there!
It's at the Executive Court Banquet, 1199 South Mammoth Rd, Manchester, NH. Show hours are 9 AM to 4 PM. Admission is only $7. Well, where did this Summer go? We hope you all have enjoyed some Fall fishing and are starting to think about tackle needs for next year. Something new for us this Fall is the development of a new model, called the P-206, which is a wonderful 9' Hollow Built 3-piece rod that is amazing to cast with a #5 line. It was patterned after two original Paynes which I owned and fished. Built in the 1930's, both rods were so smooth and easy to cast. Since there are many of us who like to fish 5 weight lines and sometimes need the extra length to reach farther out, we decided to build out our version of this rare Payne model. Early 1931 Payne catalogs listed this as a model 206 (not to be confused with later 8 1/2' Paynes labeled as model 206). It was also decided to hollow build this model to reduce weight and make this rod more comfortable in the hand. If you are considering a long, lightweight rod for #5 lines, contact us to discuss this new model.
Also, if you're looking for gift ideas for that special fly fisher in your life, we have many vintage rods available, included a large assortment which are not yet listed on this site. Contact us if you have any questions. Thanks and Happy Holidays! Just published by this German company, Gestalten, I received my copy as a contributor and I am very impressed. Loaded with fantastic photos, this is one book I cannot put down! Photos of my rods are on pages 19 & 20. The authors have done a nice job of covering the many aspects of our sport, and here are some of the chapters: Equipment, Fly Tying, How to Cast, Fish Species, Portraits of famous companies, and On Location ( USA, Africa, Asia, Argentina, Chile, Russia). You can order a copy from their web site: Gestalten.com. I believe the price is $60. For the money, it will give you many hours of reading pleasure. Now that most of the fly fishing Shows are over, let me say thank you to all the many 'old' friends who attended and stopped by our display look at our rods and chat a bit. Several new orders resulted, which is always gratifying. One rod that really peaked an interest is my striper model. This 3-piece, 11 1/2' hollow-built rod was cast by many folks at the Eldredge Brothers Fly Expo, and when loaded with my Rio Shortbound shooting head, it was a rocket launcher. One local striper guide was able to cast over 70' using only one hand! Imagine what he could do if he used the lower handle with his second hand... We were limited by the barn at the end of the parking lot, about 75+feet away, so this rod is a great first-attempt at making a saltwater model for stripers. It is based on a Payne salmon rod taper.
This is the second year the Merrimack TU Chapter will host this show at the Manchester location. Last year, over 850 folks attended this one-day show, and we expect over 1000 attendees this year. This Annual Fly Fish New Hampshire Show will take place again at the Executive Court Banquet Facility located at 1199 South Mammoth Rd. in Manchester, NH on Saturday, February 25, 2017. The show opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 4:00. I'll display my new bamboorods as well as some vintage rods for sale. In additon, you may bring your vintage rods and tackle for a quick appraisal. See you there!
This annual event is hosted in the Middle School Gym and runs from 9 to 4 PM. Come out and cast some bamboo or check out the vintage rods brought to educate us. I'll bring some unique rods to show and also a few for sale. You are welcome to cast any rods I bring so come on over this Saturday.
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Fred Kretchman
An avid fly fisherman for over 50 years, and a craftsman of some of the finest split bamboo rods in the world for over 25 years. Working daily on the coast of Maine. Archives
January 2022
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F. D. Kretchman Rod Co.
46 Crockett Neck Rd. Kittery Point, ME 03905 Open: Monday - Thursday, 9 AM- 5 PM |
fred@kretchmanflyrods.com
603-801-5745 |
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