Custom Rods on the Fly

There is just something about fly fishing. Anglers have been known to relate it to the likes of art, religion or the pursuit of the ultimate angling test.

"To him, all good things, trout as well as eternal salvation, come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy." -Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It, 1976

Although it may seem daunting or out of reach for the average angler, it really isn't. Fly fishing is what you make it. From chasing trout in a beautiful mountain stream to battling aerobatic tarpon from a skiff and even catching bluegill on a popping bug as the summer sun sets. It is fun, beautiful and something everyone can enjoy. 

With many fly fisherman tying their own flies, some even build their own fly rods. It must be tough and expensive... incorrect on both counts. 

We will walk you through a fun build utilizing one of the best all around fly blanks on the market, the CRB Color series 5wt. 

The reasons why we choose the CRB Color Series are looks, available models, affordability and performance. 

The Color Series just look cool. These blanks come in 6 colors that allow the builder to create a fly rod that looks as good as it performs. 

CRB chose the most popular rod weights to feature in the Color Series line of fly blanks. All models are 9 footers and come in 3wt, 5wt and an 8wt, which can pull double duty in both fresh and saltwater. 

Finally, the affordability and performance go hand in hand making it an outlier in the world of fly fishing. Some anglers might see cost as a barrier to entry on fly fishing, but CRB has thrown that notion out the window with this series. They have created a durable, high performing fly blank in the sub-$100 category.  That is unchartered territory. 

Now that we are familiar with what the CRB Color Series blanks offer, let's build one!

Parts list will include the AFSR CRB aluminum fly seat with recessed hood that mates up perfectly with the super grade reverse half-wells fly grip with cutout RHW70-250. 

Don't worry, we will have a bundler at the bottom of this blog. With one click of the button you can add all items to your cart! 

The aluminum fly seat is a staple in fly fishing and offers anglers the durability and confidence to hold your fly reel secure in all situations. Pair the CRB Seat with the super grade cork in the classically comfortable reverse half wells grip. This grip is inletted to match the recess in the AFSR for a seamless fit. 

Last but not least are the guides. Some like single foot while others prefer the traditional look of double foot snake guides. It is a toss up in performance but we went with the double foot snake BWSG from CRB. They do come in a Guide Set as well. These are PVD coated stainless steel frames with a high rounded arch design to quickly shoot line and easily pass backing knots. There is not a better guide for this price in fly fishing, period. 

So there you have it. Now get to building and hit the river, pond or wherever your fly fishing adventures take you. Check out the bundler option below to build one just like we took to North Carolina and beyond. 

See them in action!