On the short list of folks in the fiberglass fly rods realm that I would like to meet and spend time with, Kazutomo Ijuin of
Ijuin-Rod is high on the list, not only since I am fully impressed with his work in fly rod design but even more so that the guy seems like he just wants to have fun. Big smile, maybe a frothy pop or three, and have you ever seen him cast a 3-weight?
This idea of "FUN" rolls over into his work in both taper design and the aesthetics of his builds, which can be seen with his reintroduction of "The Glass" series. You might have first seen "The Glass" in a
2014 T.F.M. post, which is now taking on new life with Tomo offering this series in new colors and even a combination of colors. Let your imagination go wild...
And, just so I'm not speaking out of both sides of my mouth from those who might remember a long ago
T.F.M. post on picking out a fly rod for the blank color, I still stand by those words. I will say that
"In Tomo, I Trust" with all things fly rod taper design. In the case of "The Glass", you could find your new favorite fly rod in a color choice of your own with a build made almost completely of fiberglass. How cool is that?
Tomo wrote... "This model was released in sometime in 2014. At that time, I wanted to use all of parts glass. The stripping guide was made by hard glass. And grip, reel seat, and tube were glass also. This was all because my opinion is “If it’s fun, that’s fine!” The look and action of the fly rod is a factor of the fun.
Some people might feel this is a kind of art, but no matter how you feel, I think it’s good as long as the person is happy. Now I renew this model as a colored model. I think it’s good if the color spreads more fun. Fishing fashion is also an element of fun. Have fun fishing. Thanks!"
Interested in a "The Glass" fly rod of your own? Reach out to Kazutomo Ijuin of
Ijuin-Rod through the
contact page and be sure to follow along on
Facebook and
Instagram for the latest shop news.
