Platte River Rods

I just completed the restoration on this 94 year old rod. This was a really fun project and I hate that I have to send it back to it's lucky owner.

I'm almost done with most of my christmas rush orders. I can't wait until January when I can take some time off to punch some holes in the ice!

I need help identifying this wood. It's heavy, dense, and very tight grained. making it rather dificult to cut, drill, or turn, but finishes out very nice with just 600 grit paper.

8' 0" 4 wt. Fultz taper, Dark Flamed. 2004 Colorado Rodmakers Reunion demo rod.

6' 9" 5 wt. Fultz Taper.

7' 6" 4 wt. "Special". Fultz taper.

7' 0" 4 wt. Light Tip (Dry Fly) Fultz taper. 2004 Colorado Rodmakers Reunion demo rod.

One of a very few ever made true one weight bamboo rods. 7' 0" 1 wt. Fultz taper. This rod cast 40' of line and roll cast the same amount effortlessly!

7' 0" 3 wt. Fultz taper.

I was casting an elk hair caddis to a rising brown in the headwaters of the South Platte when to my surprise, a 25" brown nails my fly. This behemoth then proceeded to head up into the mosquito mountains with my fly, leader, line and pretty soon, my rod & reel. Since I had him on a 7' 3 wt. bamboo rod (I wasn't expecting one this big) I was a little hesitant about putting the brakes to the floor so quickly. Luckily, when I was able to subdue this colossal aquatic monster, I looked up and saw this sad but very cool scene. This cow elk must have tried to cross the fence this past winter but fell through the ice. If you look close, you can see here right leg bones (to the right) and her head (to the left) still attached. Her left leg was on the opposite bank thanks to some brave or maybe soggy coyote.

Simple spin handle with burl cork and stained pine. At least I think it was pine, I found it on the floor under one of my workbenches. Looks OK with a little stain though.

Simple inlay with burl cork and black foam accents.

Jade stripping guide from Golden Witch on a Winston LT.

I use small jungle cock nails as alignment markers for multi-piece rods.

Inlay on Winston LT