The small shop fly rod builder has a lot to keep track of and just one of those things is updating everyone on the latest shop news and projects in the works. Chris Barclay of C. Barclay Fly Rod Co. recently pushed out a newsletter which provides some insider shop talk and what he's up to this year.
I own several of Chris Barclay's fly rods, both five weights interestingly enough, and I am nothing but impressed with this work and the tapers that he's developed. The 75p is especially fine.
Enjoy the March newsletter...
"Well, it’s March, and a little more wintery than I expected! It’s been a long and productive winter so far but I definitely am starting to feel some cabin fever - aren’t we all?! I’ve been spending time re-evaluating and have a few developments I’m very happy to share with you all now."
"Along with a few subtle styling changes and in an effort to keep things simple and personal I’ve decided to take over doing the inscription on my rods. Before I explain, let me first publicly thank my wife Valerie for doing such a great job on inscribing my rods up to this point. She persevered with my persnicketiness and excelled at writing on the blanks - conveying exactly what I wanted. She’s a fantastic woman. Those of you who have seen my handwriting know that it is not my strong suit - my kids write better than I do. However, I felt strongly that since I put so much of myself into the rods I build that I should also be the one to sign them. Considering my lack of handwriting prowess I decided to keep it simple and straightforward - just a few letters and numbers. It turns out, this simplicity fits with my preference and overall vision of building functional, simple rods in a classic, timeless style that are designed to help fellow fly fishers enjoy fishing, not add to life’s complexity."
"I’ve also been ‘studying’ some of the great masters…Paul H. Young, Everett Garrison and Mario Wojnicki, to mention a few. There is an absurd amount of inspiration in what these men have done and continue to do. From aesthetics to tapers there seems to be no end to the wonders these men created. I hope I can follow along faithfully! This year I hope to create a few of my own interpretations of what they’ve done and add a little bit of variety to my own rod offerings. Be on the look out for more soon."
"One detail I’d like to mention is the ‘discovery’ of a grip shape that is new to me. I found it on a Paul Young Driggs River rod from about 1955. It’s so clean and simple that I had to try to duplicate it. It turns out to be one of the most comfortable grip shapes I’ve ever tried so this will now be available as a standard shape along with my interpretation of a mini Wells grip.
In closing, I want to continue to thank all of you who have shown interest in this little fly rod company and given encouraging words or bought a rod.
Please feel free to keep in touch with me any time to talk fishing, rods, music or dogs.
Really, thank you. It’s truly an honor to help folks get out and fish.Here’s to the coming spring and good fishing!
Chris Barclay"
Check out the C. Barclay Fly Rod Co. website for more information and don't skip over the In Stock page as he has several fly rods ready for purchase. Follow along on the Facebook page for near daily updates on what he's working on.
I own several of Chris Barclay's fly rods, both five weights interestingly enough, and I am nothing but impressed with this work and the tapers that he's developed. The 75p is especially fine.
Enjoy the March newsletter...
"Well, it’s March, and a little more wintery than I expected! It’s been a long and productive winter so far but I definitely am starting to feel some cabin fever - aren’t we all?! I’ve been spending time re-evaluating and have a few developments I’m very happy to share with you all now."
"Along with a few subtle styling changes and in an effort to keep things simple and personal I’ve decided to take over doing the inscription on my rods. Before I explain, let me first publicly thank my wife Valerie for doing such a great job on inscribing my rods up to this point. She persevered with my persnicketiness and excelled at writing on the blanks - conveying exactly what I wanted. She’s a fantastic woman. Those of you who have seen my handwriting know that it is not my strong suit - my kids write better than I do. However, I felt strongly that since I put so much of myself into the rods I build that I should also be the one to sign them. Considering my lack of handwriting prowess I decided to keep it simple and straightforward - just a few letters and numbers. It turns out, this simplicity fits with my preference and overall vision of building functional, simple rods in a classic, timeless style that are designed to help fellow fly fishers enjoy fishing, not add to life’s complexity."
"I’ve also been ‘studying’ some of the great masters…Paul H. Young, Everett Garrison and Mario Wojnicki, to mention a few. There is an absurd amount of inspiration in what these men have done and continue to do. From aesthetics to tapers there seems to be no end to the wonders these men created. I hope I can follow along faithfully! This year I hope to create a few of my own interpretations of what they’ve done and add a little bit of variety to my own rod offerings. Be on the look out for more soon."
"One detail I’d like to mention is the ‘discovery’ of a grip shape that is new to me. I found it on a Paul Young Driggs River rod from about 1955. It’s so clean and simple that I had to try to duplicate it. It turns out to be one of the most comfortable grip shapes I’ve ever tried so this will now be available as a standard shape along with my interpretation of a mini Wells grip.
In closing, I want to continue to thank all of you who have shown interest in this little fly rod company and given encouraging words or bought a rod.
Please feel free to keep in touch with me any time to talk fishing, rods, music or dogs.
Really, thank you. It’s truly an honor to help folks get out and fish.Here’s to the coming spring and good fishing!
Chris Barclay"
Check out the C. Barclay Fly Rod Co. website for more information and don't skip over the In Stock page as he has several fly rods ready for purchase. Follow along on the Facebook page for near daily updates on what he's working on.
1 comment:
Ordering my 3 weight rod from Chris was one of the most enjoyable experiences.
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