I posted this in another thread but thought it might awaken some custom builders to the advantage they have over commercial rod manufacturers, if they choose to take advantage of it. The same customers who might not pay for decorative wraps, feather inlays, etc., are often more than happy to pay for a rod that fits them better. It's an avenue that some may wish to explore.

Thinking that a grip is just a “cylinder” is tantamount to thinking that a Shakespeare Ugly Stik is really just about as good as any higher-end rod. After all, they’re all just fishing poles…right? But the devil really is in the details.

In the introduction for my latest book, I mention a gentleman that was on the verge of having to give up fishing (he had already been forced to sell his dentistry practice) due to a condition called “Myasthenia Gravis.” It’s not exactly arthritis but falls along the same lines. He came to me as a last resort because no one else could build him a rod that he could use for any length of time. No surprise - those custom builders were simply buying off the shelf pre-formed cork grips which were not ergonomically correct for his particular situation.

I took measure and decided to move most of the effort from his fingers to his stronger palm muscles. By putting more “swell” in his palm I crafted a rod that he could effectively fish for hours without pain or fatigue. He was able to fish an additional 15 years that he otherwise could not have.

We had an aircraft at the soaring club that no one liked. Everybody commented on just how “heavy” on the controls it was. The first time I flew it I knew exactly what was wrong - the grip was an absolute abomination in terms of proper ergonomics for the task it was intended to perform. After several years of complaints, I got around to replacing it but said nothing to the other pilots. Suddenly pilots began remarking how nicely the aircraft was flying, although none could explain why. Imagine that!

The importance of fishing rod grip size and shape cannot be overestimated. And this is the one area where custom rod builders have it all over the commercial rod manufacturers. They have to build to an average while the custom builder can build to the individual. There is an opportunity here.

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I try very hard to not over complicate things. As such, I try to build my rods with a goal of maximizing the feel. I want to feel the nibble of so much as a baby bream. Every component of my build is thought out with tang in mind.

I respectfully submit that my comments were taken way out of context. They were meant to refer to a specific question on a desired fly grip that was described as “torpedo shaped.” Torpedo: “armament consisting of a long cylindrical self-propelled underwater projectile that detonates on contact with a target”

They were not intended to minimize the importance of the ergonomic work that has been done by anyone. And they were not meant to argue that a cylindrical shape is the best ergonomic shape. I never said that fishing grips were "just a cylinder."

But the fact is that most grips are very close, in the area of hand contact, to being cylindrical in shape. I just purchased a full wells fly grip, and the diameter in the area contacted by my hand varies less than 10 % from being a true cylinder. That does not mean that it is the best shape, only that it is its shape. The traditional pipe style spinning seat is basically a cylinder. The Tennessee spin handle design is basically a cylinder. The tubular carbon fiber rod grips are pure cylinders.

I fully understand the importance of ergonomics, and my spin designs don't resemble anything commercially available, their having been designed to suit the ergonomic desires of the users. I only buy commercial components when they satisfy our ergonomic requirements.