Hello readers of Bow River Blog and thank you Mike for this guest post opportunity. I am very grateful to be able to share my passion for building fishing rods with you. I am always asked why and how did you get into building fishing rods.
I have always been a fisherperson. From a very young age I remember sitting on the dock watching my bobber, waiting for it to dip, bounce and disappear. I love fishing, and always have. I love the excitement of the catch and in most cases seeing that same fish released back to fight another day.
A few years ago, I got into collecting antique fishing gear, with an emphasis on old, bamboo rods. With each flea market find I would rush home and spend hours inspecting the way it was built and wondering if I could restore the rod back to its original glory. I dabbled with restoring some rods and had both successes and failures, all the while, there was a little flame burning inside me to try and build my own rod.
As life slowed down and I found my passion again, I started to find serenity in fishing again. At this time, I started to experiment with fly fishing. I have always been creative and one day I started tying flies. Still, the desire to build my own rod continued to grow. I was reading about techniques online and was talking to my wife about it more and more. One Tuesday afternoon I walked into a local fishing store “just to look around” (anyone else ever say those famous words?) Indeed, I walked out of the store with a rod blank and all the tools to build my first rod.
There were many mistakes and retries and the odd curse, but after some time I had completed my first build. I could not wait to try it out. That first cast with a rod I built was like the best cast I had ever made. I was so full of joy and pride. I caught a few fish that day and while sitting on the bank of the river looking at my creation, I knew I was hooked. Have you ever been out fishing and had an idea to try something new only to have great success? That feeling you felt is much the same I felt that day.
After that I started to build more rods and expand my techniques and knowledge. I built a rod for the person who introduced me to fishing. When I gave it to him I saw something in his eye, and it was excitement. That same excitement I had when I took that first rod out to the river. I was even more hooked on this building “thing”. I knew in that moment I wanted to share it with everyone I could, and as such, Therapy Fishing Rods was born.
We like to work with a customer one-on-one to design their own, personalized rod. We could build a standard line of rods, but we want every customer to be part of the design process, so when that rod is complete and the customer takes it to the river or lake, there is a part of them in that rod. There is something so special about catching a fish on a rod you had a hand in building.
So why do I build rods? I love it! I love the whole process, but more than anything, I love to see that sparkle of excitement in a customer’s eye as they hold it for the first time. I hope we are helping to grow peoples passion for fishing.
Kevin Webb
Thanks so much for a great post Kevin. I encourage all my angling friends to head to Kevin’s website and take home your very own personalized spin or fly fishing rod. Please click the words “Therapy Fishing Rods” above to create your own rod today.
~Mike
