About My Rods
What makes my split bamboo fly rods unique? I craft each rod individually, using a combination of tapers, carefully selected bamboo, heat-tempering, flaming, and glue, to create a fly rod that will cast like a dream in the fisherman’s hand.
Each rod section is crafted from six strips of cane from the same culm of bamboo. This assures uniformity of action from all sides and virtually eliminates weaker strips. No obvious “spine” exists such as on lower quality cane rods, which indicate a weakness on one longitudinal plane of the rod.
At the very start of my rod-making career, I personally selected each bamboo culm from the importer’s stock to assure the highest quality cane. In those early days, I bought my cane from the Charles H. Demarest Company. The Demarests were importing bamboo from China for over 100 years and provided the finest quality cane available. Each culm is seasoned for at least several years before being considered for a rod. After Harold and Eileen Demarest past away, I started to use bamboo imported by Andy Royer in Seattle. Andy traveled to China every year to hand select his bamboo. The quality is just as good at the Demarests', if not better. With the passing away of Andy in 2015, his widow has promised to continue importing bamboo for the rodmaking community. I have enough bamboo now to last for many years.
In addition, I use the highest quality 18% nickel silver ferrules from Bailey Woods in Vermont and customize them on my own lathe to assure that perfect, velvety fit. I use only the ‘step down’ style ferrules. These are more difficult to fit than other styles, but they give my rods that classic look: just like the style found on Paynes, Dickersons, H.L. Leonards, F.E. Thomas’s, and others.
My reel seats are turned from a selection of domestic hardwoods and select exotic woods (ex: gunstock-figured Black Walnut, Snakewood, Raspberry Jam Wood, Mesquite, Spanish Cedar, Mahagany...) then given a hand-rubbed oil finish to highlight the wood’s grain.
I use ‘Snakebrand’ guides with the bronze finish because they offer the perfect match between wire gauge and guide size. The result is an aesthetically balanced look to the rod. You won’t find oversized, heavy snake guides with bright chrome finishes on my rods.
The stripping guides have true agate inserts set in nickel silver frames. This style was found on classic rods made years ago, and they complement my rods today as well. In fact, my stripping guides are custom made for me with a “low profile”. This makes for a better looking rod and holds the line closer to the bamboo for better accuracy. For those who don’t know, agate is a type of quartz and it won’t wear due to line abrasion. It was true in the old days and holds true today: agate guides are the highest quality and most expensive guides available, period. I won’t use anything less on my Signature and Presentation fly rods.
I install only the best-of-the-best cork rings for my handles: out of each lot of 1000 pieces, only 20-25% are good enough for my rods.
When it comes to wrapping guides, I wind them with the finest quality, thin diameter, 100% pure, long-filament silk thread. You won’t find any nylon thread on my rods. The thin diameter eliminates that bulky look.
The cloth bags are hand-sewn (by my mother) with a lot of TLC and are embroidered with my company name. About 6 years ago, after trying several materials, I decided to use soft 100% wool for my Signature & Presentation Grade rod bags. It provides the needed protection for the fly rod, but without any abrasive qualities. The ClassicGrade rods come with a cotton khaki bag- custom sewn by my mother.
Each rod is protected inside an aluminum tube. Presentation and Signature Grade rod tubes are bronze anodized with solid brass caps & collars. They are the most expensive tubes available, but why place a high quality cane rod in a cheap looking tube? Classic Grade tubes are bright aluminum with aluminum caps. Presentation rods are also supplied with an ultra-suede tube “sock” to protect it.
Each rod section is crafted from six strips of cane from the same culm of bamboo. This assures uniformity of action from all sides and virtually eliminates weaker strips. No obvious “spine” exists such as on lower quality cane rods, which indicate a weakness on one longitudinal plane of the rod.
At the very start of my rod-making career, I personally selected each bamboo culm from the importer’s stock to assure the highest quality cane. In those early days, I bought my cane from the Charles H. Demarest Company. The Demarests were importing bamboo from China for over 100 years and provided the finest quality cane available. Each culm is seasoned for at least several years before being considered for a rod. After Harold and Eileen Demarest past away, I started to use bamboo imported by Andy Royer in Seattle. Andy traveled to China every year to hand select his bamboo. The quality is just as good at the Demarests', if not better. With the passing away of Andy in 2015, his widow has promised to continue importing bamboo for the rodmaking community. I have enough bamboo now to last for many years.
In addition, I use the highest quality 18% nickel silver ferrules from Bailey Woods in Vermont and customize them on my own lathe to assure that perfect, velvety fit. I use only the ‘step down’ style ferrules. These are more difficult to fit than other styles, but they give my rods that classic look: just like the style found on Paynes, Dickersons, H.L. Leonards, F.E. Thomas’s, and others.
My reel seats are turned from a selection of domestic hardwoods and select exotic woods (ex: gunstock-figured Black Walnut, Snakewood, Raspberry Jam Wood, Mesquite, Spanish Cedar, Mahagany...) then given a hand-rubbed oil finish to highlight the wood’s grain.
I use ‘Snakebrand’ guides with the bronze finish because they offer the perfect match between wire gauge and guide size. The result is an aesthetically balanced look to the rod. You won’t find oversized, heavy snake guides with bright chrome finishes on my rods.
The stripping guides have true agate inserts set in nickel silver frames. This style was found on classic rods made years ago, and they complement my rods today as well. In fact, my stripping guides are custom made for me with a “low profile”. This makes for a better looking rod and holds the line closer to the bamboo for better accuracy. For those who don’t know, agate is a type of quartz and it won’t wear due to line abrasion. It was true in the old days and holds true today: agate guides are the highest quality and most expensive guides available, period. I won’t use anything less on my Signature and Presentation fly rods.
I install only the best-of-the-best cork rings for my handles: out of each lot of 1000 pieces, only 20-25% are good enough for my rods.
When it comes to wrapping guides, I wind them with the finest quality, thin diameter, 100% pure, long-filament silk thread. You won’t find any nylon thread on my rods. The thin diameter eliminates that bulky look.
The cloth bags are hand-sewn (by my mother) with a lot of TLC and are embroidered with my company name. About 6 years ago, after trying several materials, I decided to use soft 100% wool for my Signature & Presentation Grade rod bags. It provides the needed protection for the fly rod, but without any abrasive qualities. The ClassicGrade rods come with a cotton khaki bag- custom sewn by my mother.
Each rod is protected inside an aluminum tube. Presentation and Signature Grade rod tubes are bronze anodized with solid brass caps & collars. They are the most expensive tubes available, but why place a high quality cane rod in a cheap looking tube? Classic Grade tubes are bright aluminum with aluminum caps. Presentation rods are also supplied with an ultra-suede tube “sock” to protect it.
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Kretchman Fly Rods
46 Crockett Neck Rd. Kittery Point, ME 03905 |
fred@kretchmanflyrods.com
603-801-5745 |
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