Rods
Bamboo Rods
Fiberglass, Tenkara and Graphite Fly Rods
Swift River Fly Fishing makes custom fiberglass fly rods from basic to high-end models. Entry level rods are built on smooth s-glass blanks with good quality components at lengths of 7, 7.5 and 8 feet. Mid-range rods are built on smooth s-glass blanks with higher quality components. Wild Trout Series rods are built on custom made s-glass blanks with the best components and refined actions. Rods are priced priced from $325 to $495. I am happy to make custom rods to order in addition to those in stock.
Currently In-stock Custom Fiberglass Rods Include:
A 6’6”, 3 piece, 3 weight on a smooth lemon CTS blank with slide band reel seat, walnut spacer & oxidized hardware. Super fine grip and blackened nickel silver stripper with agate insert. Black snake guides with sunrise orange silk wraps. $395
A 7’ , 3 piece, 4 weight on a smooth butterscotch blank with black wraps and an up-locking aluminum reel seat. $325
A 7’, 3 piece, 4 weight on a textured custom amber blank from JR Green. Cap and Band nickel silver reel seat with walnut spacer.. Silver hardware, red agate insert stripping guide and silver snake guides with chestnut wraps. $395
A 7’2”, 3 piece, 4 weight on a JR Green textured amber blank with dual slide band reel seat, Birdseye maple spacer, oxidized hardware, pale rose agate insert stripping guided and black snake guides with olive green wraps and measure marks at 12 - 15 - 18 inches on the butt section.
A 7’6”, 3 piece, 4 weight on a textured amber blank by the McFarland Bros. Nickel silver cap and band reel seat with hardwood spacer. Cigar grip, Mildrum-style stripping guide & black snake guides with siena brown silk wraps. Measure mark wraps at 12 and 15 inches on the butt section in rose silk. .$395
An 8’, 3 piece, 3/4 weight on an olive green Trout Smith blank. Oxidized dual band reel seat on figured hardwood with reverse Well’s grip. Oxidized nickel silver stripper with red agate insert, black snake guides, brown silk wraps and rose highlights. Measure marks at 12 - 15 - 18 inches on the butt section. $450
An 8’, 3 piece, 4 weight on a textured custom amber blank by JR Green. Hardwood reel seat with dual nickel silver slide bands finished bright. Nickel silver stripping guide with rose agate insert. Bright silver snake guides with siena brown silk wraps with rose silk highlights at the hook keeper and ferrules. $395
An 8’, 4 piece, 6 weight on a smooth translucent olive blank by Blue Halo. Down-locking aluminum reel seat with cork spacer. Nickel silver stripping guide with rose colored agate insert, silver snake guides and brown silk wraps. $375
Photos of any rod on request
Factory Made Fiberglass Rods
A 7’6”, 4 piece, 3 weight Blue Halo on a smooth lemon yellow blank, up-locking reel seat, super-fine grip, black snake guides and clear yellow wraps. $295
A 7’10” 3 piece, 5 weight, as new Echo with a smooth golden blank, down-locking reel seat, and silver guides with olive green wraps. $225
An 8’6”, 3 piece, 5 weight, as new Echo with smooth golden blank, down-locking reel seat, and silver guides with olive green wraps. $225
A 9’, 3 piece, 6 weight, lightly used Echo on a smooth golden blank, with down-locking reel seat, silver guides and olive green wraps.
These Echo rods are excellent entry-level rods and very well priced for the quality.
Shipping these days will run about $30 per rod.
Tenkara Fly Rods
Zen Tenkara Rods
Tenkara’s origin lies in Japanese antiquity, fixed-line fly fishing perfected in mountain streams and adapted to many fishing situations. Tenkara requires no reel, using the flexibility of the rod to fight fish. It represents simplicity in fly fishing; a long, supple, sensitive rod, a line of similar length, and a fly. They are simple and elegant tools, easy to learn yet offering a new choice for veteran anglers.
The Suzume Tri-Zoom Tenkara Fly Rod is a favorite for those who enjoy small streams. A sparrow, suzume in Japanese, is a highly adaptable bird like the Suzume Tenkara; ultra-light, telescoping, triple zoom rod at 3 lengths: 7’7”, 9’3” and 10’8”. It has a medium-fast action, 6:4 flex and a slender 11” cork handle for comfort. Fly Rod Approximate Equivalency (FRAE): 3wt $240
The Zako Tenkara Fly Rod is a perfect all-around fly rod for small Brookies to large Browns. The Zako is 12 feet, with a 6:4, medium-fast action flex, comparable to a regular 5wt fly rod, and includes spare tip, sock and travel case. Pair Performance Tip for faster action. This rod will cover most scenarios in everyday fishing, even when hooking something bigger than you were expecting. FRAE: 5wt - $225
The Suimenka Tenkara Fly Rod is a Nymphing Rod and Dry Fly Rod with 2 tips to alter rod length and action. The nymphing tip is thicker and stiffer at 9’/11”. The dry fly tip is light and delicate at 10’/12”. It is two fly rods in one, with a medium fast-action rod and a 6:4 flex. Two tips, four lengths. Add Performance Tip for action between the nymphing tip and the dry fly tip. FRAE: 6wt. $260
Sagi means heron, a long, lean, stealthy hunter like the Sagi Tenkara Fly Rod. It’s flex and strength are unmatched at 3.5oz. At 13’6” the Sagi is designed for bigger water. It casts a range of lines from ultra-light to 40′, 3wt-7wt. Cast delicate dries or big streamers. Includes spare tip, rod sock and travel case. Pair with Performance Tip for a faster action.. $255
Starter Kit – Add a tenkara line and six tenkara flies to any rod for $30 and head to the stream.
Swift River Premier Zen Tenkara Bundle – A complete small stream, light line package with a Suzume Tenkara Rod, bag and tube, two tenkara lines at 7 and 11 feet, a Zen Tenkara wooden line spool and a ZT Wooden fly box with six tenkara flies selected specifically for the upper and lower Swift River. $378
Tenkara USA Rods
The Rhodo is super light-weight, durable, versatile and precise. It is a big favorite for small streams. Use the rod at three lengths of 8'10" / 9'9" / 10'6”. The short rod is perfect in tight spots but many anglers also want the advantages a long tenkara rod.
The Hane™ is a super compact all-around adventure rod. Measuring just under 15 inches when collapsed, it extends to 10ft 10in, and fits nicely inside a small day pack, making this a superb tenkara rod for backpacking, bike fishing and other adventures.
The Sato™ is a compact and lightweight (2.9oz) adjustable tenkara rod that can be fished at 3 lengths: 10'8", 11'10", and 12'9" (3.25m - 3.9m). The Sato is named for Mr. Ernest Satow, avid mountaineer and first person to make a written record of Tenkara.
Graphite Fly Rods
Hardy Jet Sintrix, 9’6”, 6 wt. New with tube, bag and papers. $375
Sage DS2 590-4, Graphite II, 5 wt. 9’ $275
Orvis Trident TLS, Mid Flex 7.0, 8’4”, 2 wt. $225
Orvis Trident TLS, Tip Flex 9.5, 8’4”, 3 wt. $225
Swift River Heritage Bamboo Fly Rods and Blanks
Swift River offers bamboo fly rods made with vintage (1949 to 1979) blanks from the Amherst Fishing Rod Company, Sewell Dunton, and rod maker Andy Rewa of Turners Falls, MA. Configurations for 3/2 rods are from 7’6” to 9’ for 4 to 8 weight lines, and 2/2 blanks from 6’4” to 8’. Salmon, spinning and casting blanks as well. Any configuration can be purchased as a blank.
Blanks are darker, flamed cane with spiral nodes, culled, trimmed, sanded and polished to produce classic tapers. Rods can have vintage NS ferrules or new ferrules, hard wood reel seats from slide band to down-locking, vintage cork or hand turned grips. Streamer blanks for Salmon, Lake Trout and Steelhead are available as well.
Prices range from $750 to $995. Wait times are about 3 months. Blanks are priced at $175 to $250 and available vintage components include ferrules, guides and grips.
Heritage Blanks Ready for Shipping:
2/2 7’ 12/64 ferrule size 4 weight medium action
2/2 6’8” 12/64 ferrule size 4 weight medium action
3/2 7’6” 10/64 & 16/64 ferrule sizes 4/5 weight medium action
3/2 8’ 11/64 & 16/64 ferrule sizes 5 weight medium/fast
3/2 8’6” 11/64 & 16/64 ferrule sizes 5/6 weight medium/fast
3/2 9’ 12/16 & 16/64 ferrule sizes 5/6 weight medium/slow