Innovative Custom Fly Fishing Instruments - Fox Statler's custum fly rods

Innovative Custom Fly Fishing Instrument

Willow Ford is about making fishing better for everyone. This includes every aspect of all types of fishing. From our Signature Series boat designs, Anatomically Correct Minnows to our Innovative Custom Fly Fishing Instruments, this is what Willow Ford is about. Our flyfishing instruments are extremely different from any mainstream production rod. This is because Willow Ford is not bound by the ties of tradition but is obsessed with performance. We have found that to make a fly rod into the ultimate flyfishing instrument we had to venture far from today's traditional design in many aspects. Here are some examples.

Handles - Hardwoods like oak, walnut, and maple were the first materials used in making handles. When hardwoods were replaced with cork, something was lost - sensitivity. Sensitivity has been exploited by the rod builders of rubber-worm and spinner fishing. In these two types of fishing, the more sensitive handle gives more feedback to the fisherman which translates into more control of the lure and more strikes realized. This ultimately means more fish caught. This is also true in flyfishing. From the beginning portion of the back cast to the fish in the net, the more sensitivity handle tells the fly fisherman more about what is happening on the other end of the line. In our search for the ultimate handle, we settled on a graphite handle designed by Bob McCamey. This handle is lighter than cork, unbreakable, and acts as a resonator that amplifies the vibrations transmitted up the rod. Now, with Willow Ford's influence, this handle is being renovated by a rod manufacture into what I consider the most sensitive, lightest, most durable handle ever offered in the fishing industry. Though mass production of this ultimate handle is a year or two away, we use the best that is available today.

Reel Seats - How important are reel seats? Because of the popularity and features of D. B. Dunn Style rod cases that stores the rod with the reel on it, I think that reel seat are not needed on rods less than seven weights. Mid weight and smaller rods rarely use tippets over six to eight pound strength. Small tippets do not put much force on the reel, so a reel that is attached to the handle by fiberglass shipping tape with shrink tube over that, is held in position sufficiently enough to withstand the line pressure. In fact, this combination will withstand much higher pressures of twenty pounds and more. What is lost when a rod does not have a reel seat? Weight. Reel seats are the heaviest component of a rod other than the blank. Seats with brass hardware are the heaviest. Without the reel seat the rod is lighter. The reel can be positioned closer to the end of the rod or further up the handle. The problems that come with reel seats like, stripped threads, swelling of the wooden insert, slide rings that won't slide, and such, can't happen when the reel is attached to a graphite handle. We do make rods with reel seats, if you really want them, but they cost more.

Guides - Sorry we do not offer snake guides on our rods. Why? Lot of reasons. They are cheap. They are not durable. They hamper the bend of the rod. They decrease casting distance. They carry the line too close to the rod. They destroy your line finish. They are the only guide that the line can be touching the same guide at two points at the same time, thus doubling the friction. They create more friction than any other guide. They have openings that are too small. And that is just the beginning. So what do you get when you purchase an expensive mass production rod? Well let's really look at it critically. You get a blank that has less than thirty dollars worth of graphite or fiberglass in it. You get a cork handle that cost the manufacture less than ten dollars, a reel seat that is less than twenty dollars and a set of guides (including the hook keeper) that cost less than five dollars. It probably cost the manufacture less than ten dollars to get the rod put together. So, if you paid six hundred dollars for the rod, what was the other five hundred twenty-five dollars for? Well over half of it was advertisement for sure. But notice that the cheapest component of the rod was the cost of the guides. The major rod manufactures have been convincing the less experienced flyfishers for years that the blank is the most important component of the rod. That's BULL-HOCKEY. Blanks are a matter of personal choice and purpose. You don't use a ten foot two weight to catch shark and a nine foot twelve weight to catch sunfish. Some fly fishermen like noodles for one fish, sticks for other fish, and hammers for others. Regardless of the length, line weight, or action of a rod, the most important component of that rod is the guides. Let's face it, blanks just bend one way then the other, some faster and some slower than others. So what makes a great rod? Great guides, good guide placement, bigger guide openings, guides that carry the line well above the blank, and guide linings made of extremely hard material that reduces friction. How do you know if you are casting a great rod ? When you shoot the line, you don't feel the line leave the rod, even if it is an old cracked line. We offer three grades of guides on our rods. T1 Fuji guides are the best in the business. Their titanium frames are 60% lighter than stainless steel and twice as strong. Their new concept gold cermet rings are made thinner, lighter, harder, and stronger than anything other guide ring. Our second choice for guides are Fuji titanium frames with SIC guide rings. The third choice of guides are made by American Tackle.

Blanks - We have several blanks sources to choose from. If you want a specific blank we can probably provide it. As we said before, "Blanks are a matter of personal choice and purpose." If you don't know what you want in a blank, we will offer some suggestions. I have my own personal preference of blank manufactures - I like Dorber blanks. Why? Because they can do what the other blank manufactures can't. Blank manufactures buy their materials from just about the same suppliers. They all use about the same type of machinery to produce basically the same blank. However I think that Dorber is a step ahead of other blank builders and here are some examples of why. How about a ten foot one weight? Or how about their new ultra-weave graphite blanks that are the lightest, best casting, unbreakable, double backbone blanks ever made. They fish like a dream? What other blank builder offers those examples?

Right, Left, and Neither-Handed Rods - Production rods are made Neither-Handed, they are neither right-handed nor left-handed. At Willow Ford we make all three styles. What makes a rod right-handed or left-handed? The position of the last two or three butt guides on the rod. We came upon the realization of right-handed and left-handed rod quite by accident. One day when testing the guide placements on an unfinished rod, I went outside to test its casting abilities. I had cast the rod several times, when I noticed that the last two butt guides had moved toward my line hand. I took the rod in my shop and cut off all of the guides and wrapped them back on the rod using a different guide placement setup. Again I cast the rod several times and noticed again that the last two butt guides had repositioned themselves. Upon realizing that the guides were trying to tell me something, I continued to experiment with exactly how far the guides could or should be moved toward the line hand. I found that right and left handed rods cast further and the fly line last longer because of the reduction in friction due to the offset butt guides.

Custom Rod and Blank Prices - To get a price one of our Innovative Custom Fly Fishing Instruments you need to call us at 870 405-3912 or email us at FoxStatler@willowford.net . We will need to get some information on exactly what you want. As for the blank prices, it is a work in progress. We will add a page to our website especially for them.