Metal-flake Fly Rods

What can the new tournament-ready bassin’ rods do for us?

The Bassmaster Classic is winding down as I finish writing this piece in late February. Alton Jones, a Texan, won and collected $500,000, with about 15,000 wildly cheering spectators watching the final weigh-in. Countless more watched on cable television. It was the tournament's 37th year.

There are about half a million members of Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS). Compare that, for instance, to roughly 150,000 members of Trout Unlimited. Fly-rod makers Sage and Scott introduced purpose-specific fly rods (models called "BASS" and "Warmwater," respectively) for the 2008 season.... Is the math that simple? Are fly-rod manufacturers about to embark on an era of metal-flake-coated, wildly colored fly rods that match the bassin' boats they're destined to be carried on?

Well, don't trade your tweeds and single malt for coveralls and Bud yet. But neither should you dismiss Read More »