SANDY'S CUSTOM FLY RODS - The 150th Glass Rod Build

You might remember a few weeks ago that I posted on Sandy's Custom Fly Rods two previous posts on Sandy's Ethos and then Sandy's Five Favourite Builds.  We're going to end this three part series with a glimpse of his 150th glass fly rod build which is notable since it marked a milestone in his rod building career and there are few blanks finer than the Steffen Brothers 8' 3/4 weight.  In my mind, it's one of several mainstays that all glass fanatics should have in their stash.

Sandy wrote...  "This was a landmark build for me so I used my favourite glass blank of all.  The three piece Steffen 8' 3/4 weight.  This is the fly rod that suits the way I fish better than anything else.  I’m a larger river, dry fly addict, and I like to stalk my fish getting fairly close to them.  Then its all about the presentation.

This Steffen is the best four weight I have used in these circumstances and the extra length helps if I need to cast a bit further on occasion.  Its a very accurate casting fly rod that can be used to control the line in the air really well and present a fly as delicately as possible.   For dries from size 10-20, its about as good as it gets.  I find it highly intuitive and forget about casting when I’m using it, which means I focus on the fish and getting the fly on the right drift.

I had some highly figured maple that set aside for special builds and used some on this.  I went with orange silk that gives a little sparkle to the chestnut blank.  I even tipped the wraps which is unusual for me as its not something I like doing, but the small edging of dark brown pulled the whole thing together with the coffee agate ring in the stripping guide."

Visit the Sandy's Custom Fly Rods website to see more of his work and be sure to follow along on Instagram too for the latest shop news.