fisherman to founder

A few years ago a couple of things happened to me that shaped my thinking for Taos Rods. Chronic and irreparable problems with my right shoulder made single hand casting first painful, then eventually impossible. At the same time I began two handed casting using spey rods (13’4”) for steelhead and salmon in Canada – without any shoulder pain. Additionally, fishing line manufacturers began marketing amazing new types of spey and switch lines.

Thus, I began to wonder if it is possible to modify standard 9’0” 5wt and 7’6” 3wt rods for two handed spey casting using the appropriate new lines. So, four years ago I modified two old 3 and 5wt rods to two handed casting, and experimented with several types of lines. Eventually I found the right combination of lines (tip, head, and running line) for each rod.

Then, after considerable research, I purchased what I believe to be better, higher quality 3 and 5wt blanks – more suited for two handed casting than my old clunkers. I built the rods, and repeated the process of matching the best line weight and length to each.

Once that was done, my wife Jacqueline and I founded Taos Rods.