Winter 2020
Last year was exciting for me from a rod design and build standpoint. I built rods ranging from a 8'3" two piece, two weight to a 8'3" piece three weight. This is my favorite rod for Michigan fishing from late spring through fall. It handles a variety of flies from brown drake spinners to tricos with finesse and directness. Light in the hand, very precise and accurate, it handles large browns quite easily. Little brookies feel pretty good too! Incredibly, these wonderful dry fly rods only weigh 2.75-2.80 ounces, complete in the three piece configuration
Last year was exciting for me from a rod design and build standpoint. I built rods ranging from a 8'3" two piece, two weight to a 8'3" piece three weight. This is my favorite rod for Michigan fishing from late spring through fall. It handles a variety of flies from brown drake spinners to tricos with finesse and directness. Light in the hand, very precise and accurate, it handles large browns quite easily. Little brookies feel pretty good too! Incredibly, these wonderful dry fly rods only weigh 2.75-2.80 ounces, complete in the three piece configuration
For the last of these rods, I had an idea to make a rod with more "feel." To do so, the taper was reduced by the grasp. The feel was dramatic, but not in a bad way. The line speed was still high with nice tight loops and good turn over with maintaining a lovely smooth casting character to fish those subtle risers in difficult conditions. I was extremely happy with how it turned out and will be making more rods with this taper in the future!
I finally produced some 8' and 8'3" two piece two weights. Some even had staggered ferrules! These have size reduced reel seats and diminutive grasps that are not dainty. Between the two different tips, one can fish anything from a 10 foot cast to crisp casts over 40 feet. These exquisite light fishing rods are tools, not toys! They really shine in the slow flowing rivers of late summer and fall. Under those conditions, precise presentation of small dry flies is essential for success. These rods make that feel not only possible, but pleasant!
I finally produced some 8' and 8'3" two piece two weights. Some even had staggered ferrules! These have size reduced reel seats and diminutive grasps that are not dainty. Between the two different tips, one can fish anything from a 10 foot cast to crisp casts over 40 feet. These exquisite light fishing rods are tools, not toys! They really shine in the slow flowing rivers of late summer and fall. Under those conditions, precise presentation of small dry flies is essential for success. These rods make that feel not only possible, but pleasant!
 36" jack cravelle off the beach on a 6-weight, 3-piece!
When winter arrived, it was time to enjoy a visit to Florida. I was ready to go fishing in the salt water with the warm sun on my back, the ocean breeze on my face, and a little white streamer on my shock tippet! I really enjoy walking the beach "hunting" for snook, jacks, and other great fighters. Perhaps the most exciting fish I ever landed was a 36" Jack Crevelle on Bonita Beach. I used an 8'6" 3 piece 7 weight rod. The fly was one of my hand tied 3" sea minnows. The fight lasted 20 minutes and covered half a mile of beach! It was a great rod, and a great fight, but I knew I could be better. |
So, I decided I could tweak that taper to 8'3" as the shorter rod could create more line speed. During the ensuing season, several of these rods were made and I actually got to keep one :). The highlights are that they weigh only 3.55-3.65 ounces, come with a detachable fighting butt and have two very different tips. The light tip is a great trout dry fly rod that excels in windy conditions. It feels like a 5 weight trout rod. The high line speed and line mass means the turnover is superior even with large dries like Pteronarcys. The other heavier tip handles large wind resistant flies, making it the ideal option for my beach fishing! These rods would be perfect for grilse, small salmon, steelhead and river smallmouth as well as light saltwater options as I've described above.
Presently "in the hopper" are some 8'6" three piece three weights. The first one is glued up and ready to finish. The cane for 8'6" and 9' two piece rods is tempered and split. 8'3" and 8'6" three piece sections have been rough beveled and nodes worked on, but not completed. As always, I'm having fun in the shop you you can have fun on the water. If you would like to discuss a future build, please feel free to contact me directly! |
Summer 2018 Update
The summer of 2018 is half over, and all but one of the 8'6", 3 pc, 4 and 5 weights have been delivered. Presently, the 9', 4 and 6 weights are in production. They weigh 3.1-3.3 oz and cast wonderfully. This rod is a perfect big-spring creek rod (i.e. Henry's Fork), but works really well on small meadow streams also. The first 5 wt. to come off the line was declined and a friend who cast it said "I have to have this rod", though he had no plans to own one. Light in the hand, not tip-heavy as many 9' rods are, and one that casts a tight loop both close and far best describes this rod. Very few 9' rods have these characteristics. One or two of these may be available in the early fall. I loved the 8', 3-wt, 3 piece that I built for myself so much, I am planning to build some more this fall and winter. The cane has been tempered and split for these. Several will be available later this year!
The summer of 2018 is half over, and all but one of the 8'6", 3 pc, 4 and 5 weights have been delivered. Presently, the 9', 4 and 6 weights are in production. They weigh 3.1-3.3 oz and cast wonderfully. This rod is a perfect big-spring creek rod (i.e. Henry's Fork), but works really well on small meadow streams also. The first 5 wt. to come off the line was declined and a friend who cast it said "I have to have this rod", though he had no plans to own one. Light in the hand, not tip-heavy as many 9' rods are, and one that casts a tight loop both close and far best describes this rod. Very few 9' rods have these characteristics. One or two of these may be available in the early fall. I loved the 8', 3-wt, 3 piece that I built for myself so much, I am planning to build some more this fall and winter. The cane has been tempered and split for these. Several will be available later this year!
Photo L. Hanson 2018
Then this happened... I finally decided to design-build a long 2 wt!!! I'd been thinking about it for several years and kept putting it off. Well, I finally started it and could hardly sleep until I got it done! 8'3", 2pc, 2 wt - 1.95 oz, reduced and refined - reel seal and grasp minimalist in all areas, this is as light as I can build a rod. You may ask, "how does this cast" - using a WF2F by SA, it's so precise at 10' and 25' that it is scary and still very capable at 35-40' as well. On its maiden voyage, it landed a 17" brown on a #14 brown drade spinner, so it's not designed for small fish and small flies! Some rods of this style will be available late winter or the following spring.
I hope you enjoy fishing your Hanson Rods as much as I enjoy designing and building them!
I hope you enjoy fishing your Hanson Rods as much as I enjoy designing and building them!
 Image provided by T.Banners 2017
During winter of 2017, the focus was on eight-foot rods of various line weights and configurations. Initial construction was two-piece, 3 and 4 weight rods. One of these morphed into an eight foot, 2-line weight, two-piece that weighed 2.50 oz. complete and finished. The 4 weight rods finished out at 2.75 oz. and the three weights were 2.60 oz.
Finally, I decided to make a three-piece, eight-foot 3 weight. Boy, am I glad I did! The eight-foot, 3 weight, two-piece has been my favorite Michigan rod for many years. The portability of the three-piece may have changed my favoritism! I carry it everywhere. Several years ago, I built an 8’4” 4-weight, four-piece. While that rod worked well, it did need some “tweaking.” The knowledge of those “tweaks” was used to make an eight foot, 5-weight, four-piece that is a nice close and great distance rod that weighs in at 3.0 oz. – what a great travel rod! |
 Photo T.Banners 2017
Last Christmas I was gifted a C. Henshaw 3-1/4” St. George-style reel. During the ensuing “Thank you” call, I promised the friends that I’d build a rod just for that reel. Well, it’s here – a nine foot, three-piece, 2 mids, 4 tips weighing in at 3.75-3.80 oz. The design is such that the heavy mid-tip handles a 7-line wonderfully for big flies, streamers, etc. and the light mid-tip combination handles 4-5 lines for delivering small dries at distance – a “perfect boat rod!” that’s easy to travel with.
The next rods to be worked on are previously designed, 8-1/2’, four or five-line, three-piece rods. There will be more discussions on these later this year. |