I’ve recently been given a tremendous opportunity to fish my very own custom float rod tied by John Strenk of The Reel Tech. I would like to dedicate this post to revealing many of John’s artisan rod works for you all to see. Make sure to also watch for the NWK Fishing team who will be fishing RT Customs as well this winter.
Reel Tech Custom Rods are unique. That is to say all rod makers have their own styles and signatures and John is no exception. He has an exceptional record of satisfied customers, many with extravagant requests….and he caters to a wide variety of anglers, rod specs and styles, methods etc.
This particular rod is tied over a St. Croix blank from the SC II Series. It’s a med/lite power with a moderate/fast action. The line rating is an 8 to 14 with an optimum casting weight of 1/8 to 1/2oz. The length is 10’6″. An absolute gem of a stick for my favorite fishery….winter steelhead.
Let’s take a look at some amazing pictures of this rod and a photo show of many other custom pieces John has tied…ALL PHOTOS BY Diane Wittenberg of www.dianewphoto.com
This is one of my favorites. Those rods are amazing. Pieces of art. Strenk, I’m telling you, flat out amazing!!
killer rod! are you going to hit a river this weekend to try and christen your new stick! that is one tricked out rod! me and my daughter are going to check out a river tommorow that should have a good number of steelhead in it. thought it would be blown last weekend but it was low and clear with all the rain. smaller rivers seem to clear up faster than the big ones. tight lines and screaming drags!
Thanks so much Chris for featuring some of my rod work in this great slide show. I am very passionate about my work and am a lucky man to be able to do something that I not only love to do, but also to bring peoples imaginations, requests, and ideas to life. I have had my hands involved in the fishing industry in one way or another for over 23 years now and I am very fortunate for that. Like so many of us, fishing is not just a random hobby, it is a way of life, a fire that will burn as long as I am still breathing.
I owe a deep appreciation to my growing family of return customers, whether they are custom rod customers, or fishing reel repair/maintenance customers, or most often, they are both of the above. To all of you, a heartfelt THANK YOU for your trust and confidence in the services and custom work I provide. Your best interests have been, and will always be The Reel Tech’s #1 priority.
Tight Lines and BENDO Customs to all 🙂
Having wrapped a couple of rods, I have a feel for the care and craftsmanship that it takes to put out rods like these. They are absolutely gorgeous and I can see that any owner of one would be beaming with pride. Very nice work. Sal
John, you can sure build a rod. You do such beautiful work. You love what you do and it shows.