R.B. Meiser Fly Rods is located in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon. We have been building and designing two handed fly rods since 1986. We are a very small shop now made up of 4 crafts-people. We build single and two handed fly rods, and build them all one at a time.
We generally build 400 to 450 rods a year, and all are custom built to client callouts. We use only our own in-shop designed blanks for our rods, and can do specifically designed tapers to meet exact individual angler needs.
Although our rod building production is very small, we are proud of our involvement and influence within the worlds' two handed fly rod community.
Both the Switch Rod and Grain Window concepts were originated in our shop. Both have now become generic terms within the two-handed community.
We also do start-to-finish design consultation for several well recognized rod blank manufacturers from North America, Europe, and Asia. Over the years we have developed several hundred successful two handed fly rod tapers that are enjoyed by anglers from around the world. In the big picture of the fly fishing industry, these are very humble claims. But they are very important to us, as they have always been vehicles allowing us to interact with our anglers one-on-one within real fishing environments.
We do fish, and we do understand the tools of our sport extremely well, as we design them all ourselves. Our anglers have always found our shop to be a reliable source of accurate information concerning two handed rods. We discuss the needs of our anglers on a personal basis every day. Our goal has always been to offer sound advice and supply quality tools that are intelligently selected to best meet our angler's specific fishing environments.
Because of this: Our anglers have come to trust us over the past 15 years.
Rods
Switchtop
The ultra lite switch rods can utilize traditional single hand double haul, and single hand Spey deliveries as efficiently as they will to present classic two handed anchor point Spey deliveries
The very premise behind the development of the switch rod series was to meet the needs and request made to serious fly fishers. I am fortunate in that I am able to custom design fly rods for anglers that may open their fly fishing season in the Yukon, mid-season in the Gaspe, and end it in the Seychelles. I also feel that I am just as fortunate to meet the fly rod requirements of those anglers who may never feel the need to leave their own home waters such as I enjoy here in Southern Oregon. The one common truth that I have found within this brotherhood, whether they be far-flung adventurers, or home water week-enders is that they all share an equal and universal passion for their sport. As a fly fisher my self for over 50 years, and a rod builder/designer for over 30, I appreciate and thoroughly enjoy being asked to be so deeply involved in their chosen sport. It is this intimate involvement that has led me to the development of the switch rod series.
When married to the correct line systems, they will be effective for both two handed overhead and anchor point Spey deliveries. The ultra lite switch rods can utilize traditional single hand double haul, and single hand Spey deliveries as efficiently as they will to present classic two handed anchor point Spey deliveries.
Our philosophy on switch rods:
- All fly rods fall into two families: They are either single handed fly rods, or they are two handed fly rods.
- Switch rods are not a family of fly rods separate from single or two handed fly rods.
- Two handed fly rods offer the caster a two handed grip assembly. This grip configuration does allow the use of the upper hand, and the additional assistance of the lower hand; Single handed fly rods do not allow this.
- Bottom line: Switch rods are short two handed fly rods.