Trout Rods
four and six strip construction Four Strip Rods 663-2 df This six and one half foot rod for #3 line was developed especially for small streams. With comments from my friend Art Warner, this taper has evolved to produce a rod perfectly suited to small brushy streams such as those in southern California, the western high desert and eastern brook trout streams. The taper for this rod is quite unique, incorporating design elements of a Payne model 96 as well as a Thomas Streamer Rod. It delivers a DT3 line with real punch. A solid rod, silk wraps are brown and the rod may be had with a dual slide band skeleton seat or the standard cap and ring over wood spacer. 703-2 df This is a seven foot two piece rod for #3 line in solid construction. Action is medium-fast. A cap and ring reelseat is standard. A great rod for tight quarters and small flies. Wraps are brown. 704-3 df Seven feet in three pieces for a #4 line in solid construction. A great choice for backpacking when casts can be kept short and flies relatively small. Action is medium-fast and cap & ring seat is standard, as are brown wraps. 762-3 df HB Brandin model 762-3df HB quad, 7½ ft. 3pc/2 tips, 2⅝ oz for #2 line. This is the lightest action quad I have built to date as a standard model and it is the lightest action quad I know of from any maker outside of a couple #1 line ‘one-off’ rods built by yours truly. I feel it is one of the sweetest casting rods I have built, perhaps the sweetest and it will be a delight on smaller waters. Agate stripping guide and light wire black nickel snakes under my standard translucent olive silk wraps with standard tipping at ferrules and grip as well as my standard signature wraps. I like a ‘wedding band’ style slide band with abbreviated butt cap for the reel-seat on this model. $6,950 763-2 df HB Seven and a half foot two piece rod for #3 line in hollowbuilt construction. Action is medium-fast. Cap & ring seat is standard. The choice for spring creeks, small flies, fine tippets and complete line control. Wraps are olive. 763-3 df HB As the rod above, but in three piece design. 
762-3 df HB rod with 'wedding band' slide band, abbreviated butt cap and modified Thomas grip.
764-2 df HB
At seven and a half feet for a #4 line, action on this hollowbuilt rod is medium-fast. Olive wraps and cap & ring reelseat. 764-3 df HB As the rod above but in three piece configuration. Medium-fast action. 764-2 P Seven and a half feet, two pieces for #4 line in solid construction. This is a four strip parabolic taper inspired by the Paul Young Perfectionist. Once the caster becomes used to this unusual taper, the rod can be used in a very wide range of conditions requiring medium and small flies. A dual slide band skeleton seat is standard. Wraps are brown. 764-2 P HB Same as the rod above, except in hollowbuilt composition. Wraps are olive. 765-3 df Seven and a half foot rod in three pieces for #5 line. Solid construction, wraps are standard brown and action is on the fast side of medium-fast. 804-2 df HB Eight feet in two pieces for a #4 line in hollowbuilt construction. This rod, like the 763-2 df HB, is more positive than more traditional cane rods of this length and line weight. This is made possible by combining four strip construction with sophisticated hollowbuilding and taper design. Action is medium-fast, and a cap & ring reelseat is standard. Wraps are olive. 805-2 df HB An eight footer in two pieces for a #5 line in hollowbuilt construction. The ideal all around trout rod for me personally is eight feet long and throws a number five line. I fish my eight foot five weights more than any other rod, even using them for steelhead in rivers such as California's Trinity. Action is medium-fast, and cap & ring seat is standard. Wraps are olive. 805-3 df Again, eight feet for a #5 line, but in three pieces and in solid construction. I personally love the three piece design; the extra ferrule and ferrule placement lend the action a wonderful smoothness and feel and it is of course much easier to transport. Action on this moderately flamed rod is medium with a cap & ring reelseat. Wraps are brown. 805-3 df HB Same as the rod above, but in hollowbuilt construction. Everything else is the same, except wraps are olive. 866-3 df HB Eight and a half feet in three pieces for #6 line in hollowbuilt construction. A smooth casting trout rod for bigger water, action is medium-fast. Cane is moderately flamed and a cap and ring seat is standard. This has become my rod of choice for breezy conditions on larger western rivers such as Montana's Madison. Wraps are olive. 866-3 df HB 'Special' This is identical to the rod above, but is supplied with a third 'streamer' tip as well as a detachable fighting butt. With the third heavier 'streamer' tip the rod handles a WF7 line and is intended for use with larger flies. In this configuration, it is my current favorite grilse or light steelhead rod. Add $650 to the price of the standard trout model. |
Current Models TROUT RODS (2023) four and six strip models STEELHEAD/SALMON RODS four and six strip models TOURNAMENT ROD hollowbuilt four strip construction TWO-HANDED RODS six strip hollowbuilt construction |
FOUR STRIP TROUT ROD PRICES
-Two piece solid rods: $5,675
-Three piece solid rods: $6,125
-Two piece hollow-built rods: $6125
-Three piece hollow-built rods: $6,550 (except 762-3 df HB; $6,950
Six Strip Rods
hollowbuilt
These six strip rods incorporate the same highly evolved hollow-building techniques which I developed for my four strip rods. Because of the geometry of the section, the six strip hollowbuilt rods will be lighter than a similar hollowbuilt four strip rod. To further accentuate this lightness, I employ specially made Swiss-style micro ferrules which are extremely short and light. Use of these ferrules also gives the rod a feel very close to a one-piece rod. Transluscent cinnamon wraps are standard, as are my modified Wells grip and mahogany or spanish cedar under n/s cap and ring seat. A locking aluminum seat may be had with the 5 weight rods.
803-2 df HB
Historically, 8 ft. cane rods for very light lines have been very slow and sloppy. I wanted to build a rod which would fish 7 and 8X tippets and tiny flies and yet be a good casting, positive actioned rod and this is the result. At 8 ft. it casts a #3 DT line. Fittings are as above, though a skeleton seat may be desired.
834-2 df HB
At 8'3" and a #4 line, this rod fills the need for a longer rod for spring creeks and smaller flies, but still with a very positive action. It has become the rod of choice for me and several other very experienced anglers on rivers such as the Henry's Fork and Missouri where smaller flies are the norm. The extra length of this rod compared to more traditional bamboo rods casting a #4 line gives this rod an edge in casting and line control.
834-3 df HB
This is a new three piece version of the rod above and though it is very slightly heavier because of the extra ferrule, it has a very similar feel. I have tested this new model extensively on the Henry's Fork, Montana Spring Creeks and the Beaverkill and am very happy with it. The bottom ferrule of this rod is a more traditional truncated Swiss style ferrule, while I use the shorter 'micro' ferrule between the mid and tip.
865-2 df HB
This eight and one half foot rod for #5 line fills a need for a longer trout rod in bamboo that still casts and handles very positively, especially compared with solid rods of the same line weight and length. I feel it is an improvement over the old E.C. Powell 8 1/2' B9 taper, which exhibits similar qualities and served as inspiration for this model.
865-3 df HB
To develop this rod I looked at the tapers and actions of three of my favorite 8 1/2 foot three piece rods, the Payne 204, an F.E. Thomas from the 1950's, and of course an E.C. Powell in the unusual three piece, 'accuracy' model. All of these rods cast a #5 line very well and with a sweet touch. With these rods as a reference, I set off to try to make a rod that would be lighter and more responsive and still preserve the sweet feel of these older rods. This is the result and I am very happy with it. It incorporates a micro ferrule for the top joint, while using a more standard truncated Swiss style ferrule at the butt-mid junction. The taper on this model was updated starting in 2009 to make the tip a bit stronger and make longer casting easier, while maintaining the sweet feel of the original taper.
SIX STRIP TROUT ROD PRICES
-Two piece hollow-built rods: $5,650
-Three piece hollow-built rods: $6,195
-Two piece solid rods: $5,675
-Three piece solid rods: $6,125
-Two piece hollow-built rods: $6125
-Three piece hollow-built rods: $6,550 (except 762-3 df HB; $6,950
Six Strip Rods
hollowbuilt
These six strip rods incorporate the same highly evolved hollow-building techniques which I developed for my four strip rods. Because of the geometry of the section, the six strip hollowbuilt rods will be lighter than a similar hollowbuilt four strip rod. To further accentuate this lightness, I employ specially made Swiss-style micro ferrules which are extremely short and light. Use of these ferrules also gives the rod a feel very close to a one-piece rod. Transluscent cinnamon wraps are standard, as are my modified Wells grip and mahogany or spanish cedar under n/s cap and ring seat. A locking aluminum seat may be had with the 5 weight rods.
803-2 df HB
Historically, 8 ft. cane rods for very light lines have been very slow and sloppy. I wanted to build a rod which would fish 7 and 8X tippets and tiny flies and yet be a good casting, positive actioned rod and this is the result. At 8 ft. it casts a #3 DT line. Fittings are as above, though a skeleton seat may be desired.
834-2 df HB
At 8'3" and a #4 line, this rod fills the need for a longer rod for spring creeks and smaller flies, but still with a very positive action. It has become the rod of choice for me and several other very experienced anglers on rivers such as the Henry's Fork and Missouri where smaller flies are the norm. The extra length of this rod compared to more traditional bamboo rods casting a #4 line gives this rod an edge in casting and line control.
834-3 df HB
This is a new three piece version of the rod above and though it is very slightly heavier because of the extra ferrule, it has a very similar feel. I have tested this new model extensively on the Henry's Fork, Montana Spring Creeks and the Beaverkill and am very happy with it. The bottom ferrule of this rod is a more traditional truncated Swiss style ferrule, while I use the shorter 'micro' ferrule between the mid and tip.
865-2 df HB
This eight and one half foot rod for #5 line fills a need for a longer trout rod in bamboo that still casts and handles very positively, especially compared with solid rods of the same line weight and length. I feel it is an improvement over the old E.C. Powell 8 1/2' B9 taper, which exhibits similar qualities and served as inspiration for this model.
865-3 df HB
To develop this rod I looked at the tapers and actions of three of my favorite 8 1/2 foot three piece rods, the Payne 204, an F.E. Thomas from the 1950's, and of course an E.C. Powell in the unusual three piece, 'accuracy' model. All of these rods cast a #5 line very well and with a sweet touch. With these rods as a reference, I set off to try to make a rod that would be lighter and more responsive and still preserve the sweet feel of these older rods. This is the result and I am very happy with it. It incorporates a micro ferrule for the top joint, while using a more standard truncated Swiss style ferrule at the butt-mid junction. The taper on this model was updated starting in 2009 to make the tip a bit stronger and make longer casting easier, while maintaining the sweet feel of the original taper.
SIX STRIP TROUT ROD PRICES
-Two piece hollow-built rods: $5,650
-Three piece hollow-built rods: $6,195
