Category Archives: Rods

There was a time when I was into making custom rods…way back before the major manufacturers began mass-producing technique-specific sticks. In those days, there weren’t a ton of rod companies out there, and if you needed something that wasn’t offered in their lineup, you just built it yourself (my specialty was making plug rods out of fly rod blanks). Now, however, there’s a rod for every type of fishing you can imagine…no matter how esoteric.

While I’m a big fan of all the cool new technology, modern rods just don’t have the same aesthetics as those ol’ classic rods (like the ones I used to borrow from my uncle’s closet without permission!). There was just something so cool about the vintage sticks — the fancy thread work, the old school ferrules and guides and sweet-looking corks.

While those old style rods are pretty much a thing of the past, there’s at least one guy out there keeping the tradition alive: Master Rodsmith Cal Piccolo (www.piccolopole.com) makes custom 50′s style spin and fly rods that are functional works of art. … Continue Reading