Mar. 13—Kyle Watson of Smyrna and KDUB Rod Co was selected as a Top 10 finalist during a custom fishing rod building competition, the 2023 International Rod Building Challenge by American Tackle.

The man on the other end of the phone was noticeably hesitant, perhaps even a little embarrassed. He had spent 34 years in the quiet, comfortable background of the sport-fishing industry, most ...

SCHLESWIG, Iowa - When Jack Johnson builds a fishing rod, he can make it uniquely your own. Want your name of the rod? No problem. Want to show support of your favorite sports team? Piece of cake.

It was familiar fishing advice in an unusual setting. Because I wasn’t standing on a boat, but in the shop of Snake River Custom Rods owners Ricky and Goldie Prieto. And the line I was keeping tight ...

It was familiar fishing advice in an unusual setting. Because I wasn’t standing on a boat, but in the shop of Snake River Custom Rods owners Ricky and Goldie Prieto. And the line I was keeping tight ...

BACK IN MAY, I drove to Yarmouth, Maine, to visit the Maine Fly Co. I was there to pick up a custom fly rod they’d made for me and to go fishing with owner and founder Jeff Davis. I expected to find a ...

CLYDE PARK - At the age of 17, Sam Cornthwaite says he's dedicated his life to building fly rods. "I enjoy it so much that it's not work," he says. The young entrepreneur has taken over most of the ...

When it comes to making custom fishing rods, Barry Weaver employs many skills. Weaver alternates among being a woodworker, an engineer, a lathe operator, a technician and an assembler. And when it ...