Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

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Hellmtflies
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Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#1

Post by Hellmtflies »

"OK" It's Easter. A strange time for me as are most religious holidays. See, I am not a religious person, far from it. But, as usual, I digress. My question is for the rest of you is about the rod builder Mr. Russ Peak. We all know of him from his fiberglass rod making abilities. He was and, in my humble opinion, still is the maker of Stradivarius level fiberglass rods. Again I digress. Anyway, my question. Was Peak a minister of the gospel? If so, what religious discipline was he connected to? I've read some where that he was and was uncomfortable with the use of foul language. Is this fact or fiction. Please bring me up to speed on this. Inquiring minds want to know.
Mark

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kermit
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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#2

Post by kermit »

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Last edited by kermit on 04/11/20 19:41, edited 1 time in total.
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flyfishingpastor
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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#3

Post by flyfishingpastor »

Mark;

I've heard the same rumors about Mr. Peak but I haven't bothered to follow up on it. I'll be interested to hear from those who DO know. :)

Pat
P.S. I found a post on a/the Fiberglass forum from Russ Peak's grandson who was trying to get an appraisal of one of his rods. He went by the forum name of Idahohunter. Dunno if that helps or not?

I found what presumably was his obit? It doesn't mention a church affiliation, but that often doesn't mean he wasn't a man of faith. Here's the obit:

Daily News Obituary (Los Angeles, CA)
May 17, 2001
Keith Lair, Staff Writer

PASADENA'S PEAK REMEMBERED AS A FLY ROD ARTIST FORMER CAL TECH PAINT SUPERVISOR TURNED HOBBY INTO 53-YEAR BUSINESS AND BUILT RODS FOR TWO PRESIDENTS.

PASADENA - As an inquisitive 7-year-old, Seymour Singer wandered the two blocks from his Pasadena home into Russ Peak's fly-rod shop 30 years ago. What Singer found was a friend, mentor and avid fly angler and rod builder.

``I lived at that shop,'' Singer recalls. ``He was quite unusual in what he did and he was a perfectionist.''

Peak, considered by many the finest maker of fiberglass fly rods, died Sunday in Bigfork, Mont., his home the past 2 1/2 years. He was 88.

``We likened his rods to the Stradivarius,'' said longtime friend Will Trefry of San Marino.

Peak custom-built rods for the world's best fly anglers, including Lefty Kreh and David Whitlock, and for numerous world leaders. He made a gold-fitting five-star rod for former President Dwight Eisenhower and was praised for his work by former President Jimmy Carter.

Peak operated a small shop at 21 N. Allen for 53 years. It was open only on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. When it closed because of his failing health in 1990, he had enough orders for at least seven years of work. He sold the business in 1993 to Kerry Burkheimer, who manufactures rods the way Peak did.

``It was not an economical deal for him,'' Singer said of the six months it took to fill an order. ``His rods were perfect, flawless. There was nothing wrong with them. It was a matter of perfection.''

``I thought it was his style,'' Trefry said of the wait. ``People just wanted his rods.''

While a paint supervisor at Cal Tech, Peak began making fiberglass rods - his Zenith model - out of his Pasadena home in 1939. He was receiving so many guests at the house, located at 182 S. Berkeley, he opened the shop, which Don Sturzenacker said was smaller than the study of his South Pasadena home. He first built bamboo rods but switched to fiberglass. Each was individually designed and forged in Santa Ana.

``He was very specialized for what you wanted to do,'' Sturzenacker recalled. ``He was the No. 1 guy with a lot of people.''

When graphite rods became the choice of rod makers in the 1970s, Peak, an honorary member of the Pasadena Casting Club, switched to the new material, but he could not personalize them.

Steve Posner of Pasadena, who grew up with Singer hanging around Peak's store, said his fiberglass rods were just as good as the high-end graphite rods.

Peak and his wife, Edna, lived at their Berkeley home for 57 years. He was born on June 13, 1912 in Kaysville, Utah, and moved to Pasadena in 1928. Edna died in 1998 after they had moved to Montana.

They are survived by daughters Virginia Reed of Bigfork, Deanna Martin of Mansfield, Texas, Cheryl Taylor of Sacramento, son David Peak of Bigfork, 15 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren.

Virginia Reed remembers one of the family's annual summer fishing trips to Montana, a time Peak said he would ``test'' his rods.

``We were going upstream on the Madison and I thought I had a snag,'' she recalled. ``It kept snagging. I'd reel it in and it would snag. He helped me. It turned out to be a fish. It was not big, but it was big for me.''

Peak was remembered for his in-store gruffness, as well as his kindheartedness and devotion to his family and church.

``You'd go into his shop and he would act like he was too busy to talk to you,'' Trefry said. ``But then he'd talk to you and talk your ear off about fly fishing.

``He was a very dedicated family man and made a lot of sacrifices for his family.''

Singer, who now lives in Los Angeles but remains a board member of the Pasadena Casting Club, says he patterned his life after Peak.

``His work ethic and perfection; it is a trait I learned from him,'' the accountant said.

Singer could never afford to buy a custom-built rod, which cost about $200 in the 1970s. By the time he was able to order one, Peak no longer could fulfill the order. He has since acquired two rods.

``I missed having one made for me, but on the flip side, I spent so much time with him that the (rods) I have now are almost as good.''

A graveside service will be held Monday at 1 p.m. at Live Oak Memorial Park in Duarte.

adrien schnee
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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#4

Post by adrien schnee »

Mark, if you don’t get an answer here or on the glass forum I’m pretty sure if you contacted Kerry Burkheimer that he’d know.

Hope you and Martha are enjoying the streams near your house if they’re not too muddied up yet.

3creeks
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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#5

Post by 3creeks »

Russ Peak was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

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Jaimec
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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#6

Post by Jaimec »

3creeks wrote:Russ Peak was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Correct, he was Mormon. My best friend, Jim, is one Russ' grandsons, if you can believe that. Jim said that in his later years, Russ had developed fairly serious dementia.

I actually own the web domain of russpeakflyrods.com that I got for Jim, hoping he would be interested in creating a site about the Peak legacy, but to date, Jim hasn't been interested. Oddly enough the first email I read today was from my webhost wanting information on the domain, then I read this. Not often you hear Russ Peaks name twice in one day from totally different sources!

I have fished a few of his rods, mostly carbon, but they are amazing. I will own one of his glass, someday.

Jaime

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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#7

Post by wb4tjh »

Bit off subject, but I have a mint Russ Peak made Bamboo spinning rod. It is a real treasure, since I know he only spent a brief time with bamboo.

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Hellmtflies
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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#8

Post by Hellmtflies »

Excellent information. Thanx guys. I have been a huge fan of Peak's work over the years. In fact I have two of his fiberglass rods. A 7'9" 2/2 5wt. Zenith that I fish often and a dead mint 7'6" 2/2 5wt. Zenith. The mint rod was made for a prominent figure in out angling community. I won't disclose his name at this time but it is destine for a museum down the road. It has never been fished even by the original owner. I just got lucky and happened to have crossed paths with the individual a few years back while he was looking to move it along.
Note too as above. Peak did build a few cane rods. I knew of the spinning rods but there has been rumor over the years that he built a couple of cane fly rods too. I have never seen one. If anyone out there has one or knows of one we would love to see it.
Thanx again folks. I appreciate the input.
Mark

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nativebrownie
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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#9

Post by nativebrownie »

Amazing and absolute spot in our rod making tradition.
Lucky enough to own a glass 7' ,2 1/8ths oz. model. The one often talked about - including Schwiebert's "Trout."
I do know of a very,very special angler here in the East who held his Peak rod (6 1/2', I believe) with all the reverence he could muster. Always...
One of the few shops that I would love to time travel and step in one afternoon...
Last edited by nativebrownie on 10/25/23 07:01, edited 1 time in total.

Shemar526
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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#10

Post by Shemar526 »

Hi,
Russ Peak is actually my great grandfather making me his great granddaughter. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His children grew up in the church and so have their kids meaning my dad and his siblings. We are still members of the church and proudly say so. Hope this can clear some things up. My great grandfather was an incredible man and so kind and generous. I’m so glad when I see that people enjoy his legacy and products of his work.

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Hellmtflies
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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#11

Post by Hellmtflies »

Hello Shemar526,
Thank you for confirming the above and contributing to this thread. Your grandfather's work is held in high regard and will be for a very long time. He was fifty years ahead of the rest of us in the world of rod making. Top shelf.
Mark

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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#12

Post by Russpeakgranddaughte »

My name is Wendy Miller and Russ Peak was my grandfather. Yes, Grandpa and Grandma Peak were Mormon Here's the deal... For anyone who is interested in him at all, one of my sisters is in the process of publishing a book she wrote based on my Grandma Edna Peak's extensive diaries. It is a MUST READ! Trust me on this. I know I'm "biased". But my Grandparent's story is extraordinary in way more ways than anyone but his closest family knows. Truly. I will update information about the book as it progresses through the publication process. I can't begin to express how much it means to me that Grandpa's legacy lives on. He was so very kind and HUMBLE and I'm honored to be his granddaughter!

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Hellmtflies
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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#13

Post by Hellmtflies »

Russpeakgranddaughte wrote:
03/26/21 11:35
My name is Wendy Miller and Russ Peak was my grandfather. Yes, Grandpa and Grandma Peak were Mormon Here's the deal... For anyone who is interested in him at all, one of my sisters is in the process of publishing a book she wrote based on my Grandma Edna Peak's extensive diaries. It is a MUST READ! Trust me on this. I know I'm "biased". But my Grandparent's story is extraordinary in way more ways than anyone but his closest family knows. Truly. I will update information about the book as it progresses through the publication process. I can't begin to express how much it means to me that Grandpa's legacy lives on. He was so very kind and HUMBLE and I'm honored to be his granddaughter!
Excellent! Please keep us posted on the publication date. Thank you.

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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#14

Post by MKA »

Thank you Wendy for sharing information about your grandfather.

I take a Russ Peak rod out to the stream at least once a year to show my respect for the master rod builder...it's always a fun day of playing with trout with one of his rods. I look forward to the book being published...can't wait to read it!

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PYochim
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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#15

Post by PYochim »

It sounds like Mr. Peak was a nice guy. The type of guy I'd enjoy spending a day on a trout stream with and having a beer afterward.

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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. [emoji3]

#16

Post by Ear4 »

A book about Russ would be wonderful! Thanks to all who are putting in the time, talent and effort into such a process.

Count me in for a copy or two when it is completed.

I don’t have one of his rods but people I respect do, and hold them in the highest regard. Which of course means that I am on the look out for one.


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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#17

Post by PYochim »

Did he make any graphite rods?

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Hellmtflies
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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#18

Post by Hellmtflies »

PYochim wrote:
03/28/21 16:49
Did he make any graphite rods?
Yes.

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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#19

Post by lestrout1 »

Russ did at least one boron stick - I have a 7 1/2' 4wt delightful piece. When my daughter went to CalTech, I would go just off campus to Russ's tiny shop on Hill Ave. while I waited for her to get out of class. My cane consultant had a number of Peaks and had some rods at the shop for repairs, and I would find them in the long rows of waiting rods and move them up the line a bit. Russ was fairly forgetful by then, but I had wonderful times listening to his great stories.

tl
les

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oldschoolcane
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Re: Russ Peak Easter Question. :)

#20

Post by oldschoolcane »

Some good stories about Russ Peak, very interesting. To my knowledge he never built a bamboo rod from bamboo strip to blank but did restore various bamboo rods early on, any thoughts?

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