Limited production rods, exclusively offered here. Custom Fly Rods
Creating premium fly rods of exceptional quality and craftsmanship while making them accessible to everyone
Creating premium fly rods of exceptional quality and craftsmanship while making them accessible to everyone
Hey FFD, Congratulations on all the support you and Neil are receiving. The 3wt. arrived two days ago and I paired with the Ross Colorado. Man, it feels great. What a premium rod. Came with a hard and soft case to boot. First class my man. Thanks again! - Keith
Got my 5wt yesterday and it will be a couple weeks before I can test it out but, the build quality on this rod is everything and more that Dan describes. Just a beautiful and expertly made rod. And that green just shines in the Sun!
I had a wonderful time casting and talking to Neil. He's a really awesome dude and I learned a lot of fly rods, casting and details that only a rod builder can pass along. It was a great few hours spent. I had to cast and test the rod myself to see how it felt in hand - it impressed me! I wanted another 5wt to back up my 5wt Scott Flex (since out of production in early 2021) and this FFD5 is actually even softer and more accurate than my Flex - call me surprised!
This is my 1st ever custom rod and I am incredibly surprised and impressed by what you and Neil have done. I haven't done much research into custom rods, but from my understanding most builders build high end rods and I never thought I'd be able to afford a wonderful rod at a price I could stomach - big thank you to you and Neil for making it happen! This really does cast and look like a $1000 rod for half the price!
I've had a few more days to cast the FFD3. Gosh man, you and Neil have really got something special. I used it on a lake I'm well acquainted with, casting poppers small and medium, I used a 3wt Rio Elite Perception and the 4wt Elite Perception. I'll say I was casting 40-50'+ casts with great accuracy. To be very honest, I wasn't using the proper leader size for casting that heavy of poppers either and yet, the rod's power was sending them flying. I was more than pleased with its performance. I didn't catch bass of any size to brag about but a few in the 1-2lb range, the rod turned them with ease and the flex of the rod made them fun to fight. I was able to hit a decent size creek today for a little bit before my wife got tired of wrestling our boys(they're 1 and 3yr old). I was throwing a double dry setup with 2 foam bugs (#8 and #14), casted them with ease and great accuracy. It's a smooth rod. To be American made at that price point, the rod is an incredible quality product you and Neil have put together. I have yet to try a kreelex and squirmy off a swivel setup, that's about the heaviest type of rig I throw in swift deep runs. Neil mentioned another rod he is working on that is a 8'6" 3wt for those types of setups. I was really excited to hear about that. Would love to try out the prototype when it's ready, lol!
In closing, I'm extremely satisfied with the performance of the rod and eager to continue trying different setups and line pairings. I have some other microstreamers I want to give a go as well.
Good morning Dan,
I wanted to follow up with you again about the FFD3. I've had a couple more months to put it to the test. I have been able to test it with bigger poppers to smaller nymph setups and man, and simply put it's an excellent rod. I've been throwing hoppers of different sizes these past few weeks. I threw a #14 tan hopper at my conservative estimate about 70' with great accuracy on a lake this weekend. I was shocked, being able to cast it and put it underneath a dock with maybe 2' of clearance. Also, I was surprised at the quickness of the line pick up when setting the hook, even at that distance. I'm not sure that I've seen another 3wt be able to do that. Where the rod truly stood out was on tight water creeks. Many of the creeks I fish are 15' - 20' or less in width, with rhododendrons or laurel on either side. The accuracy in which the rod places dries is truly exceptional. The FFD3 has very quickly become my favorite rod. Just wanted to echo my earlier sentiments in that you and Neil have something special here. I look forward to buying the 5wt sometime within the next couple of months and giving it a go as well. I appreciate y'all developing a rod of this caliber at an affordable price point.
This right here is why I bought this rod over a name brand. I just started fly fishing this year and had a beginner rod and was in the market for an upgrade. I had looked at several other brands but I really believe this one will outperform those and I would rather support a small guy who takes pride in what he makes. Thanks so much for putting this all together, I absolutely love this rod!
FFD4 put in some serious work today, truly the best rod I've ever fished with.
I fished Fall River in NorCal this past week and took my 3 wt. just to see what my guide friend thought. It's more of a small water rod but he loved it and even had a big bow come up to chomp the dry! He missed because we were talking about the rod performance. I think it's great. But when a pro friend (key part there) says it's great...well...there you go.
YEP....I just did it!!! I initially ordered one of your FFD5 rods last spring (2023) and followed it up with a FFD7 later in the year.
I used both extensively on a 3-day float trip on the Western Slope of Colorado (Colorado, Eagle, Roaring Fork rivers(s) ). Even with runoff coming on strong we had 3 great days with one of the guide services (Trout Trickers) on that side of the divide. The rods performed perfectly (Nymphing/FFD5 & Streamers/FFD7) and have changed my opinion of fast action rods, of which I've primarily been a Sage kind of guy. The moderate flex and sensitivity is incredible. I love having these in my fly fishing arsenal. I hope folks are snatching them up from you now!!!
Soooo....I was tempted to try an ECHO Streamer X (6 wt) rod recently. I've been trying to hone my streamer skills this year and wanted a rod that I could have better accuracy with my streamer casting. I broke down and purchased the rod after a short use trial with a local dealer. At the end of the day, after 4 hours on one of my local rivers I was very disappointed with this rod. It ended up being too flexible in the tip for my streamer casting. I broke out my FFD7 and enjoyed the balance of the day throwing big streamers and even doubles. Luckily, the dealer accepted to take the rod back. I was concerned they wouldn't!
So now, just 15 minutes ago, I ordered your FFD6. If it "ain't" broke, don't fix it. I just can't justify a Sage R8 at $1,050 and have thoroughly enjoyed your products and the way they consistently perform.
That will now make me a proud owner of 3 FFD rods. Stop making such good gear!!! My wife may shoot me!