My Story
"Attention to Detail, Quality Materials, Sequential Order of Assembly, and Consistent Handcrafted Process are the primary standards and characteristics that I implement for every BEAVERBUILT Custom Fly Rod"
BEAVERBUILT Custom Fly Rods was conceived over 45 years ago during many adventure backpacking and bush plane trips to dozens of remote locations fly fishing the high alpine lakes, outlet streams, and Beaver Ponds. Immediately I began to observe the structures created by the classic American Beaver and began to admire the critters for their incredible feats of architectural and engineering handiwork... and their fastidious 'attention to detail and consistent process'.
During the dozens of adventure backpacking and bush plane trips I've been physically Blessed to do in such places as New Zealand, Mexico, Alaska, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Pennsylvania I quickly began to 're-design & physically modify' the factory mass produced fly rods I was using. As I cast to, hooked up to, fought and landed many species of fish I found the need for different and yes, 'Custom' features that no factory rod had. ie: a different shape cork grip... a threaded removable fighting butt to ergonomically fight the 'big ones' more comfortably... an oversized tip-top so the line knots would slide through more smoothly... a correctly located spline so the rod would cast true and accurate... modified guide size & spacing to shoot line farther & faster... an up or down locking reel seat depending on line weight... an all metal reel seat for saltwater and/or tropical environments that swell and crack many freshwater wood inserts... etc etc! You get the picture, I wanted to change literally everything about the standard factory mass produced fly rods I was using 30+ years ago.
Hence, the formation of BEAVERBUILT Custom Fly Rods to share all these 'custom fly rod features' with as many other fly fisher men/women that I can!
My Rod Building Process
Among other things, the primary elements of building your BEAVERBUILT Custom Fly Rod are attention to detail, quality materials, sequential order of assembly, and consistent handcrafted process for each fly rod. Every custom fly rod I've built over the last 45+ years has utilized these same principles.
The basic assembly process is: correctly mark the spline/spine on the blank, mark the modified guide size & spacing, ream the cork grip, shim the blank to receive the reel seat & cork grip, glue on the reel seat & cork grip aligned with the spline/spine, add optional pheasant feather inlay & write the personal inscription, wrap the guides, install the tip-top, apply & turn two thin coats of finish epoxy, cure for 48 hours...then deliver or mail to the Customer.
Quality Materials
At BEAVERBUILT Custom Fly Rods I simply use the best fly rod blanks, reel seats, wood inserts, cork grips, guides, rod socks/tubes/cases that I can find from manufacturers all over the world. Each year at the industry trade shows I am constantly on the hunt seeking the best custom fly rod materials I can find...and the good news for YOU the customer is the technology keeps getting better and better!
