Future of Sweetgrass

This board is for discussing concerns of fishing bamboo fly rods. Examples would be, lines, actions, classic and modern makers actions and the like.

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Hellmtflies
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#41

Post by Hellmtflies »

ibookje wrote:
09/13/20 01:34
narcodog wrote:I was listening to the Catskill Rod Makers pod cast today and Jerry was on there..
Where can we find this podcast?
What da heck is a "Pod Cast" ?

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taylor16
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#42

Post by taylor16 »

As the OP, I never expected this discussion to veer off in this way. My post was meant to discuss the potential future of a company/man’s vision that I have come to appreciate and admire. As someone who lives in Montana, I take great pride in knowing that my few Sweetgrass rods were “born” in this great state and it would make me very happy to hear to know that this great tradition would continue.

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Loogie
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#43

Post by Loogie »

Last conversation with Jerry I had primarily focused on him getting a place in Mexico adjacent to Belize. He was having issues with the title of his home in Mexico. He was just planning on having a place there to chase Bones, however the Mexican laws were not good to his plan...I think he walked away. He did mention to me that he would still make Sweetgrass rods from his new place in Maryland. I think he mentioned traveling to Montana to do some of the work. He had a project he was working on, an 8wt for salt, not sure where that ended up though. I believe the future of sweetgrass is steady.
Realistically when a new guy walks into a fly shop he will see all the graphite, and maybe one token "expensive" bamboo rod. Odds are the bamboo will not even be addressed. Bamboo will never be a huge market, and the only folks that know there are affordable wood sticks are those that are involved in the hobby.

narcodog
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#44

Post by narcodog »

ibookje wrote:
09/13/20 01:34
narcodog wrote:I was listening to the Catskill Rod Makers pod cast today and Jerry was on there..
Where can we find this podcast?
You'll have to contact the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum for that info. It was a Zoom broadcast.

cutthroatkid
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#45

Post by cutthroatkid »

A post above referred to the average fisherman as using a worm and bobber, with the question posed as to what an above average fisherman uses. I thought it was obvious that the answer is "a beadhead and a bobber".

I'd just like to put out a few thoughts. First, referable to cost - a lot of folks will spend quite a bit of money on their hobbies. An example I would point to would be mountain bikers, hardly regarded as an affluent group. Most are pretty young and have limited incomes. Many of them still shell out several thousand dollars for a quality dual suspension bike. A lower-end hardtail bike bike will cost what a pretty fancy graphite rod will cost whereas the basic model dual suspension bikes often start at around 2 grand and can cost two or three times that - and there's currently a waiting list to get one. A lot of fishermen will buy cheaper stuff that adequately does the job, but some are willing to fork out a lot of money for equipment and will still buy graphite. I'm not all that sure that means is as determining a factor as we think. Nor do I think that using expensive gear reliably means the user is "above average" in ability.

I've fished with some folks I would consider way above average. When I first moved to Montana thirty years ago I thought I was an adequate fly fisherman, but spent some time on the streams with people who made me realize I was in the bush leagues. It wasn't the equipment that distinguished them. They were using the same flies and rods I was. But they could sense strikes on nymphs and get hookups FAR more often than I did, and could get long drag-free drifts on dries, getting a lot more strikes than I could. They had a better sense of where fish were located. Most important, they maintained enormous focus. Where I would miss strikes because I was seeing cedar waxwings hawk for insects or watching dragonflies defending their territories instead of paying attention to my fly, they were like herons during the hunt, totally focused. I'm still not sure who had the best experience - they caught more fish but missed the waxwings and dragonflies.

Bamboo will probably always have a following by a relatively small number of anglers. People still shoot black powder rifles and use recurves and longbows even though this technology is way out of date, succeeded by equipment which is far more functional. I personally think it is more fun to fish small streams with bamboo and appreciate the handwork and craftsmanship. I don't think that makes me an elite fisherman or even above average and suspect the elitism some bamboo afficianados display could put some people off. I also think, unlike Norman Maclean, there's a pretty stark difference between fly-fishing and religion. Fishing is not supposed to be that serious and some fishermen should lighten up. Sweetgrass as a company will do fine until the folks running it retire. Then others will assume control or form their own companies. Just my opinions.

GBU31v1
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#46

Post by GBU31v1 »

The use of average earlier in this thread was not a reference to ability. It was used to refer to the middle of the road fisherman - someone who commits middling time, energy, and finances to the pursuit. That’s all. Some of them may be very good at it and some bad.

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henkverhaar
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#47

Post by henkverhaar »

SO it's actually more of a median or modal fisherman than an average (mean) fisherman...

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cdmoore
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#48

Post by cdmoore »

taylor16,

Why don't you just call Glenn? Super nice and very open.

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ibookje
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#49

Post by ibookje »

narcodog wrote:
ibookje wrote:
09/13/20 01:34
narcodog wrote:I was listening to the Catskill Rod Makers pod cast today and Jerry was on there..
Where can we find this podcast?
You'll have to contact the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum for that info. It was a Zoom broadcast.
I contacted the museum. They have no idea of a podcast?...

narcodog
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#50

Post by narcodog »

ibookje wrote:
09/16/20 10:46
narcodog wrote:
ibookje wrote:
09/13/20 01:34
narcodog wrote:I was listening to the Catskill Rod Makers pod cast today and Jerry was on there..
Where can we find this podcast?
You'll have to contact the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum for that info. It was a Zoom broadcast.
I contacted the museum. They have no idea of a podcast?...
It was a Zoom from the Catskill Rod Makers. Contact Tom Smithwick he should be able to give you info.

tackleman
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#51

Post by tackleman »

I'm fairly sure that Glenn and Jerry will make decisions for the future that are right for them.
They're both retired, in some sense, in that they do what they want because they want to.
Building rods will have much to do with the reward it provides them for the effort it takes. Pick either of their brains and you'll likely find a half dozen or more ideas of new rods they'd like to build.
I'll miss the company when its gone, and definitely the two of them because they are such fine gentlemen.
I'll still be able to shake hands with the hands that built the rods!

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scarlet>fire
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#52

Post by scarlet>fire »

Just so nobody is mislead with this thread, Sweetgrass is still taking orders. I placed one in the past couple weeks. Cheers, Chris

perfesser
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#53

Post by perfesser »

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Last edited by perfesser on 01/25/21 17:51, edited 1 time in total.

Booman2
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#54

Post by Booman2 »

"New Leadership" may be a few years premature. I visited with Glenn last week when he was between whacking Big Hole trout and rod building. We transacted some good bamboo business and I had no indication that anything with Sweetgrass will change in any meaningful way. IMO, Glenn will be at the bench until the end. His father lived to be almost 100, so it's likely that he will be building great rods longer than I am around to buy them.

mikec
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#55

Post by mikec »

jerry gave a Fantastic talk for the virtual Catskill Gathering. his talk was titled, lessons learned from tom morgan and glenn brackett. great hour plus, and another on the Q&A that was also recorded and is still available to those who registered for the gathering. we are adding a few more clips as we get them. please consider making a donation to the catskill fly fishing center to view jerry's program and the others.
mike

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firehole
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#56

Post by firehole »

Received my monthly newsletter from Sweetgrass today announcing a new partner David Serafin. David has been building bamboo rods for several years plus buying and distributing tonkin cane culms throughout the US & Canada.
Dennis

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canerodscom
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#57

Post by canerodscom »

Wow, that’s nice to hear. Besides being our premier bamboo supplier David Serafin is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet


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BigTJ
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#58

Post by BigTJ »

Twelve thumbs up for that news.

John

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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#59

Post by Bamboo River »

I have my 4th Sweetgrass on order and expected completion date sometime in the middle of 2021.

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Flyman615
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Re: Future of Sweetgrass

#60

Post by Flyman615 »

canerodscom wrote:
09/30/20 17:42
Wow, that’s nice to hear. Besides being our premier bamboo supplier David Serafin is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet
Ditto!

Scott
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"An undisturbed river is as perfect as we will ever know, every refractive slide of cold water a glimpse of eternity" - Thomas McGuane

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