looking for a Canadian made fly rod

[jcbruno]

I am looking at fishing for trout in BC, AB, SASK and freshwater lakes in New Zealand.

In todays day of offshore production i would like to support a Canadian company as long as it doesn't cost a mint.

[Norman]

I am looking at fishing for trout in BC, AB, SASK and freshwater lakes in New Zealand.

In todays day of offshore production i would like to support a Canadian company as long as it doesn't cost a mint.

Give these guys a try, nice rods. http://www.pierowayrods.com

[jcbruno]

thanks!

[Pikebreath]

Are you expecting the whole rod to be fully Canadian made?

If so, I don't know of any rod blanks that are rolled in Canada, not saying there isn't,,, just that if is, they are not well known. So if you are okay with rod blanks rolled overseas,,,,

Pieroway Rods is a local Alberta company that offers excellent affordable rods. Their production rods are assembled overseas, but Geoff and his staff also offer locally assembled "private collection" custom rods again at very reasonable prices considering the quality of the rod and workmanship.

[crf250xtom]

For the prices of those rods you mine as well go with a sage vxp. I know they are not Canadian made but also you could look at the Loomis pro 4x offshore beautiful rod and reasonably priced as well.

[Bhflyfisher]

pieroway... Claim to be a canadian made company, yet they outsource the cheapest blanks possible.

You can dress a donkey up like a horse... but its still a donkey.

[Norman]

pieroway... Claim to be a canadian made company, yet they outsource the cheapest blanks possible.

You can dress a donkey up like a horse... but its still a donkey.

I didn't realize that, I don't own any of their rods was just the only canadian company I could think of off hand

[Bhflyfisher]

I didn't realize that, I don't own any of their rods was just the only canadian company I could think of off hand

few people know. Like every company, they're outsourcing everything because its cheaper over seas. I dont have an issue with that because its unavoidable, But when you get a company that claims to be a canadian made company, buys the cheapest outsourced blanks possible, dresses them up real nice and put a price tag like they do... :scared:

Sage is about as close as you're going to come to buying a north american product. Everything they make is done in farbanks facility in washington.

[kritofr]

They are as Canadian as Temple Fork is....

Some of their rods maybe assembled here, but the blanks and most components are from South Korea

[kritofr]

They are as Canadian as Temple Fork is....

Some of their rods maybe assembled here, but the blanks and most components are from South Korea

But they are a nice casting rod, and the warranty work is done locally hence the TFO comparison

[pikergolf]

few people know. Like every company, they're outsourcing everything because its cheaper over seas. I dont have an issue with that because its unavoidable, But when you get a company that claims to be a canadian made company, buys the cheapest outsourced blanks possible, dresses them up real nice and put a price tag like they do... :scared:

Sage is about as close as you're going to come to buying a north american product. Everything they make is done in farbanks facility in washington.

St. Croix and Hardy fall into this category as well, but if you buy NA you will pay. Still these Co. have a reputation for top quality gear. Simms waders is another NA Co. with an outstanding reputation.

[Bhflyfisher]

St. Croix and Hardy fall into this category as well, but if you buy NA you will pay. Still these Co. have a reputation for top quality gear. Simms waders is another NA Co. with an outstanding reputation.

hardy reels are machined in korea. I haven't done too much digging in terms of hardys rod manufacturing process, mostly because i just dont fish them. I grew up fishing st croix sticks, and still have a couple kicking around. They really are a great stick for the money, especially the imperial line up. They originally were north american, then they went over seas, and now theyve returned back to manufacturing their gear here in north america. Kudos to them.

I fish a rod/reel company exclusively now that was originally made in sweden, but has now changed to overseas. I havent noticed any real differences in the quality of the gear, pre-outsource vs post-outsourcing. I think we make the outsourcing thing a bit bigger then it really needs to be when we look at buying gear, that being said, i dont like fishing a brand that claims to be canadian and trying to keep it quit while they really are outsourcing the cheapest blanks possible.

[Gust]

Even if you can't afford one, look over the photo gallery and dream. Ugo is a super nice fellow too.

http://www.ucflyrods.com/

[kritofr]

Even if you can't afford one, look over the photo gallery and dream. Ugo is a super nice fellow too.

http://www.ucflyrods.com/

If we are going bamboo rods
http://www.lukeweiser.com/rods

Our fellow member Don Anderson is a master of the bamboo rod

[Pikebreath]

few people know. Like every company, they're outsourcing everything because its cheaper over seas. I dont have an issue with that because its unavoidable, But when you get a company that claims to be a canadian made company, buys the cheapest outsourced blanks possible, dresses them up real nice and put a price tag like they do... :scared:

Sage is about as close as you're going to come to buying a north american product. Everything they make is done in farbanks facility in washington.

So what purpose does it serve to trash Pieroway? Rod design ain't rocket science,,,even if Sage would want us to believe that,,,, and as far as that goes, Sage has had its fair share of donkeys in their stable. And I think you might check into that statement about everything sage makes is of North American origin.

IM6, IM7 and IM 8 have all been out for 20 plus years and are still used by all the major rod builders as a blank material. So Geoff isn't re-inventing the wheel, so what?

I can tell you I have used one of his tactical series rods for several years now in the toughest flyfishing arena there is,,, saltwater,,, and have caught several permit and tarpon, dozens of bonefish, some rather large cudas and sharks on the flats,,,,albacore and dolphin offshore,,, and hundreds of pike here in Alberta,,, all the while my equivalent sage RPLXi gathered dust in my closet. And many respected fly anglers is still consider the RPLXi to be one of the top rod designs Sage has ever come out with.

The point is rod choice is a personal matter, just like girlfriends and hunting dogs,,, no sense trashing "country redheads" just you like "high society blondes".

[rycoma]

Like Mr. Wieser said to me at the fly fishing expo when I asked how much. To much for you. He was right.

[EP2]

Has peiroway ever claimed they create 100% of their rod parts in Canada? Why are you dumping on a company for consumer misinformation. I did not even see a maple leaf on their website trying to be super Canadian, unlike another discount fly and conventional maker.

I'd be interested to know where the blanks are sourced as I have problems with China on certain social issues, but Korea rolls a tight blank. Orvis rolls their Access blanks overseas for cost reduction. With few exceptions Hardy Greys is a Korean manufacturing operation.

Surrey Peiroway may not be rolled here, but they are assembled here as far as I can tell. Who honestly thought a small operation could offer locally rolled rods for sub 400$ (a number pulled out of thin air based on the cost of in-house rolled graphite and glass rods originating in the USA)

[EP2]

I fish a rod/reel company exclusively now that was originally made in sweden, but has now changed to overseas. I havent noticed any real differences in the quality of the gear, pre-outsource vs post-outsourcing. I think we make the outsourcing thing a bit bigger then it really needs to be when we look at buying gear, that being said, i dont like fishing a brand that claims to be canadian and trying to keep it quit while they really are outsourcing the cheapest blanks possible.

Loop (seriously, if you are going through our name drop, just do it) outsources their blanks as cheap as possible too. It is called profit margins.
Peiroway happens (I am assuming) to source more inexpensive ones.

[MK2750]

There is a huge difference in designing/developing world class rods and buying generic blanks and putting your name on them. Hardy, Loop and others employ expert rod designers and spend money on development. The manufacturing work done in Korea is second to none. Even Redington rods are unique in their design even though some of the technology is dated.

[EP2]

Is this what is being done? Have you asked the Pieroway guys before accusing them?

Our ever growing lineup of proprietary blank designs is ideal for your next specialized fly rod building project.
Their own website copy on their blanks.

I have zero interest in ever owning a Pieroway rod and have no relationship with the company. I think I contacted them once via email. This speculation and denouncing lacks any class.

[Pikebreath]

MK,

If you had said "marketing" instead of development, I would be in full agreement with you.

Rod manufacturers need to change up their product line in order keep sales going. That doesn't mean the new rod is any better than the old rod, it's just means that in today's marketplace, the consumer wants something shiny and new ("bling") over "old, tried, tested and true."

Even TFO has had to resort to changing models to keep sales up.

In the late 70's graphite came onto the market place and it was a vast improvement over fibreglass as a blank material and great strides were made in rod design as new lighter and stronger graphites were developed. However by the mid 90's the "rate of improvement" has slowed significantly and many fly anglers (myself included) who fished through the late fiberglass early graphite years feel that very little improvement has been made to fly rods in the last 20 years. Those early to mid 90's series of graphite rods that came out still fish as good as their modern day counterparts.

Todays generic blanks were yesterday's hot new must have rods,,,

The truth is 90% of todays flyrods are better rods than 90% of the anglers casting them!

[MK2750]

Is this what is being done? Have you asked the Pieroway guys before accusing them?


Their own website copy on their blanks.

I have zero interest in ever owning a Pieroway rod and have no relationship with the company. I think I contacted them once via email. This speculation and denouncing lacks any class.

If this is directed at me, you have misunderstood my post. What I was trying to say is that companies that employ actual fly fisherman to design their rods and oversee the manufacturing process have produced some of the best rods in the world over the last few years overseas.

I have never even handled a Pieroway rod and was not directing an accusation towards them. I have no idea what they do or don't do.

Another example is Allen Fly Fishing that gets great reviews from their products manufactured abroad.

[Flieguy]

Amundson is Canadian.

not a super big fan of their rods, same cheapest possible made blanks.
Pieroway would be better.

if you want to support a good guy, and get an awesome rod for a great price, look at Tim Rajeff's Echo rods. Not Canadian though.

[MK2750]

MK,

If you had said "marketing" instead of development, I would be in full agreement with you.

Rod manufacturers need to change up their product line in order keep sales going. That doesn't mean the new rod is any better than the old rod, it's just means that in today's marketplace, the consumer wants something shiny and new ("bling") over "old, tried, tested and true."

Even TFO has had to resort to changing models to keep sales up.

In the late 70's graphite came onto the market place and it was a vast improvement over fibreglass as a blank material and great strides were made in rod design as new lighter and stronger graphites were developed. However by the mid 90's the "rate of improvement" has slowed significantly and many fly anglers (myself included) who fished through the late fiberglass early graphite years feel that very little improvement has been made to fly rods in the last 20 years. Those early to mid 90's series of graphite rods that came out still fish as good as their modern day counterparts.

Todays generic blanks were yesterday's hot new must have rods,,,

The truth is 90% of todays flyrods are better rods than 90% of the anglers casting them!

I think the best rods ever built are on the market right now. 5 or 10 years ago I would agree with you, but the new Konic and Nano technology has made rods faster and lighter then they have ever been while still offering exceptional feel.

I don't think they will catch you any more fish but they will definitely out perform older rods.

I don't buy into the latest is greatest theory of must have. I have some very nice rods but all were purchased used or on closeout at half retail or less.

[EP2]

Amundson is Canadian.

If memory serves correct, their rods are rolled and wrapped in their own Chinese factory.

[EP2]

If this is directed at me, you have misunderstood my post. What I was trying to say is that companies that employ actual fly fisherman to design their rods and oversee the manufacturing process have produced some of the best rods in the world over the last few years overseas.

I have never even handled a Pieroway rod and was not directing an accusation towards them. I have no idea what they do or don't do.

Another example is Allen Fly Fishing that gets great reviews from their products manufactured abroad.

Sorry, did misunderstand.

Yes, there are companies that do source no-name generic blanks; could not tell you the name of any, but I know they exist out there.

[Flieguy]

If memory serves correct, their rods are rolled and wrapped in their own Chinese factory.

Canadian owned. As I said, same cheap blanks. most everything is outsourced these days. Sometimes it's not a bad thing, those korean hardys are pretty nice.

[Moefoe]

Pieroway are fine, especially there high end rods and there only $400-$500...bust a rod drive down to Ogden and get a replacement inside of a week, can't beat it!! I have Sage, Thomas &Thomas ect and I'm a clutz...3-4 months between repairs sux!

[EP2]

Canadian owned. As I said, same cheap blanks. most everything is outsourced these days. Sometimes it's not a bad thing, those korean hardys are pretty nice.

Please do not get me wrong, I mean not saying that as a bad (or good) thing. Just a fact.
I'd prefer them owning their own factory because then there is more accountability.
People can wrp rods anywhere. It comes down to owners/managers and quality control. Asia does not make an inferior product by geography.

I read the OP as asking for a canadian made rod, hence my comment.

[Lornce]

pieroway... Claim to be a canadian made company, yet they outsource the cheapest blanks possible.

You can dress a donkey up like a horse... but its still a donkey.

Well said

[Pikebreath]

I think the best rods ever built are on the market right now. 5 or 10 years ago I would agree with you, but the new Konic and Nano technology has made rods faster and lighter then they have ever been while still offering exceptional feel.

I don't think they will catch you any more fish but they will definitely out perform older rods.

I don't buy into the latest is greatest theory of must have. I have some very nice rods but all were purchased used or on closeout at half retail or less.

I have heard of Lamison konic fly reels but please pray tell what is konic technology as it applies to rod design?

I'll give you that some from of nano technology incorporated into the Orvis Helios, Loomis NRX, Sage One and Hardy Syntrix to name a few of the current sexy hot rods are lighter rods than any other rods in the equivalent rod weight,,,, but does that mean they are better performers?

As rod wall diameter thins, breakage becomes more common. I have heard numerous comments about these super fast rods despite being lighter overall feeling tip heavy, (that was my impression of the Orvis Helios), I suspect the lighter nano tube blanks present their own unique challenges when it comes to rod taper and weight distribution along the blank.

I have only wiggled the Sage Zero, but I have had opportunity to cast to tarpon and bonefish in the Florida Keys with the NRX, Helios and the Syntrix rods in the last couple years. All admittedly are nice rods, but the helios as mentioned earlier felt tip heavy,,, the NRX to my way of casting didn't fish any better than the cross current or the old IMX for that matter The Syntrix for me was definitely a sweet rod, perhaps the only one of those three I would consider buying.

However the bottomline is as you have already mentioned, I couldn't see how any of them would catch me more fish!!

And for the Pieroway bashers,,,, To reiterate, IM6, IMX and IM8 make very fishable and castable rod blanks that still perform well. Most of the major rod builders still use those materials in their rod stable. Pieroway rods will cast as good a loop as most anglers can throw. If Geoff Pieroway dresses up and personalizes an old technology blank (and they do look nice!!!) and sells it for under $500, what's so wrong about that?

[MK2750]

I have heard of Lamison konic fly reels but please pray tell what is konic technology as it applies to rod design?

I'll give you that some from of nano technology incorporated into the Orvis Helios, Loomis NRX, Sage One and Hardy Syntrix to name a few of the current sexy hot rods are lighter rods than any other rods in the equivalent rod weight,,,, but does that mean they are better performers?

As rod wall diameter thins, breakage becomes more common. I have heard numerous comments about these super fast rods despite being lighter overall feeling tip heavy, (that was my impression of the Orvis Helios), I suspect the lighter nano tube blanks present their own unique challenges when it comes to rod taper and weight distribution along the blank.

I have only wiggled the Sage Zero, but I have had opportunity to cast to tarpon and bonefish in the Florida Keys with the NRX, Helios and the Syntrix rods in the last couple years. All admittedly are nice rods, but the helios as mentioned earlier felt tip heavy,,, the NRX to my way of casting didn't fish any better than the cross current or the old IMX for that matter The Syntrix for me was definitely a sweet rod, perhaps the only one of those three I would consider buying.

However the bottomline is as you have already mentioned, I couldn't see how any of them would catch me more fish!!

And for the Pieroway bashers,,,, To reiterate, IM6, IMX and IM8 make very fishable and castable rod blanks that still perform well. Most of the major rod builders still use those materials in their rod stable. Pieroway rods will cast as good a loop as most anglers can throw. If Geoff Pieroway dresses up and personalizes an old technology blank (and they do look nice!!!) and sells it for under $500, what's so wrong about that?

My apologies, it is Konnetic technology incorporated in the Sage One.

For the record, the Sage One is not for me as I much prefer the G5 blanks of the Z-Axis and ZXL. The fast Orvis rods are not for me either and I have heard they are quite fragile.

The Hardy Zenith on the other hand is an amazing rod that fits me perfect. It is light and fast yet has incredible feel. If you Google search the rod breakage test on these rods you will be impressed.

I believe the Loop Opti series is very similar as are the NRX G Loomis rods.

The one rod that has really perked my interest is the new Scott Radian. I have not read a bad word about it from die hard fans of other brands. I may not be able to wait for a deal on that one.