Check out this NEW EPIC OLIVE 686 Too . . .
This is a New EPIC Salsa 686 "Fastglass II" - 8'6" 6wt fiberglass fly rod that exceeds all of my expectations for the new fiberglass fly rod designs. A grand experience when casting this rod by watching how fluid the rod flexes and the line flows....
Built with a piece of solid, stabilized Black Ash Burl for the reel seat insert and married to a Lemke LC-5 Bright Nickel plated aluminum reel seat with a FLOR grade cork handle. Those high quality Snake Brand snake guides are all the way to the tip wrapped with Japanese Silk thread..... Sweet!!!
Click Images above to view additional images and pricing details.
Welcome to. . . Sweetwater Fly Rods
WOW, what a fast Summer...and FALL...time is fun when you are fishing Flies!! . . . I wish I had been that instead of working so much. Unfortunately, fishing doesn't pay very well!
Getting closer to finalizing a line of High-End blanks and it looks like CTS has an excellent selection of rod actions and line weights that should fit nicely in the void left by St. Croix. EPIC still gets the nod for the Fiberglass - I just wish they still had the "NUDE" color as they did in the beginning!
St. Croix burgundy blanks may no longer be a viable choice now but I still have a few of the Burgundy SCIV/II fly rods in stock as blanks ready to build on.
These items can be found on the same page the Completed Rods are listed on. The design options listed with the price sheets are still valid for any other blanks currently manufactured but not with St Croix blanks.
Please call Charlie at 540.691.6290 or e-mail me at if you need additional information or a price quote for your custom fly rod.
THE Custom Built Fly Rod you have always wanted.
Built the way YOU want it.!!
Since St. Croix is no longer in the picture of custom rod building, I am looking more at the SAGE lines of graphite blanks as well as CTS in New Zealand which appear to be more affordable. Maybe more fiberglass EPICS from New Zealand along with more McFarland fiberglass blanks as well as some builds on the 4-piece Blue Halo blanks.
The "BLUEWATER" Edition saltwater models will migrate towards the CTS and SAGE graphite line. I have built several on the CTS graphites from 6wt Affinity all the way through 13wt on the CTS REVO SALT - a work horse when you are after the Saltwater Big Boys...!!!
Chances are you can get exactly what YOU want!!
Now, with the resurgence of fiberglass, there are F/G blanks everywhere but only a few are truely in the collector class. Ones that I favor are the new models of the
EPIC "FastGlass II" with the Snakebelly finish.
They are a 4pc blank in the most beautiful translucent
colors that are partially sanded and finished glossy
to give the surface the look of a snake's belly.
A very nice and unique look for fiberglass.
The ones I currently have are listed on the Rod Blanks Available tab. SALSA & OLIVE - in 8'6" 6wts.
These fiberglass fly rod models are unlike those of by-gone years as they exhibit a lighter overall weight with
more mid-flex to tip actions. A nice compromise
between the actions of Bamboo and Graphite fly rods.
CTS in New Zealand is another manufacturer of high quality graphite and fiberglass blanks. The Affinity Series have superb actions and seem to be effortless to cast accurately while maintaining a tight loop for ultimate line speed. Many lengths, lineweights and colors can be had in this series but it takes a fair amount of time to get
ones hands on them but they are well worth the wait.
If you already have your own blank, I will be more
than happy to construct the fly rod of your choosing
with my components or yours.
Please browse through these pages and afterwards, send me a note describing what YOU would like to
have built as your next fishing companion - - -
Then we will get started....!!!
Thanks for looking . . . Charlie
ULTRA-Light Graphite
Heavy Fresh and Saltwater Graphite
The two price sheets listed above are no longer valid for St Croix since they no longer supply the rod blanks. The options listed are still valid choices for any other rod of your choosing or those that I list on this site.
Here are links to previous custom builds that you may find interesting and possibly wish to get one for yourself...!!
