About this podcast
Discover the art and craft of rod building with host Bill Falconer. Get insider tips from experienced rod builders, industry insiders, and experienced anglers on building custom fishing rods with the latest trends. Learn how to match technique-specific fishing rods with different fishing conditions and how to maintain and repair them.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 95 episodes
- Meet Jack Baron: From Collegiate Bass Fishing to the Rod Bench · 1 h 11 min · Season 1 Episode 95In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with Jack Baron of Anglers Resource about his background in competitive bass fishing, his time with the…
- Rod Recipes For Beach Fishing In The Northeast · 1 h 11 min · Season 1 Episode 94In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with Bob Hryszko of Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park, New Jersey, about his path into custom rod…
- FUJI New Products: Ways to Reduce Weight Within Your Rod Build · 41 min · Season 1 Episode 93In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with longtime rod builder and RodMaker Magazine publisher Tom Kirkman about how reducing unnecessary…
- Jim Crowley Outdoors: Why More Serious Anglers Are Building Their Own Fishing Rods · 1 h 6 min · Season 1 Episode 92In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with longtime angler, outdoor media personality, and rod builder Jim Crowley about how decades of…
- The Business of Rodbuilding - How To Price Custom Rods · 52 min · Season 1 Episode 91In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with longtime rod builder and RodMaker Magazine publisher Tom Kirkman about one of the most common…
- What 40 Years of Building Rail Rods Teaches You About Fishing with Bill Havens AKA Salty Dawg · 1 h 5 min · Season 1 Episode 90In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with longtime West Coast rod builder Bill “Salty Dawg” Havens about his decades in the craft, the…
- Build It Your Way: Andy Dear on Rod Building, Ego, and Experience · 1 h 58 min · Season 1 Episode 89In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with longtime rod builder and product developer Andy Dear about craftsmanship, creativity, and…
- Tiger Wrap Tips And Tricks With Doc Ski · 1 h 24 min · Season 1 Episode 88In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with legendary custom rod builder James "Doc Ski" Labanowski about his lifetime in rod building and the…
- Rod Recipes – Salmon/Steelhead Rods with Lamiglas · 1 h 4 min · Season 1 Episode 87In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with Roger Hinchcliff of Lamiglas and the Steelhead Manifesto about steelhead fishing, Lamiglas rods…
- Rodfathers: Mark Crouse and the Rise of 3D Printing in Rodbuilding · 1 h 10 min · Season 1 Episode 86In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with longtime custom rod builder Mark Crouse, also known as the Munich Rod Man, about 52 years of rod…
- Rodfathers: Inside the Brain of Steve Rajeff - Rod Design at the Highest Level · 1 h 19 min · Season 1 Episode 85In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with legendary caster and rod designer Steve Rajeff about world-class casting, rod design, and the…
- A Consultation on Trout Rods with Carlitos 395 Custom Rods · 1 h 1 min · Season 1 Episode 84In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with Carlos “Carlitos” Sanchez of Carlitos 395 Custom Rods about California’s ultralight trout scene…
- Why Antique Fishing Rods (and Lures) Are Trending — and What They Teach Modern Builders · 1 h 36 min · Season 1 Episode 83In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with Jim Schottenham of the American Museum of Fly Fishing, along with returning guest Bernie Schultz…
- Is Air Carbon Mesh Changing Rod Building Forever? Feat. Aleks Maslov · 1 h 37 minIn this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with Aleks Maslov of Composite Ventures, North Fork Composites, Edge Rods, and Striker Rods about one…
- Rod Recipes - Fiberglass Fishing Rods with Mike McFarland · 1 h 15 min · Season 1 Episode 81In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with Mike McFarland of McFarland Rod Company about how he got started in fly fishing and rod building…
- What We Learned at The Oyster Bamboo Rodbuilding Class · 49 minIn this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with Bill Oyster of Oyster Bamboo about his experience taking the Oyster Bamboo Rodbuilding Class in…
- Matching A Reel To A Rod | Shimano's Advice For Rodbuilders · 59 minIn this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with Captain John Irwin of Fly Right Charters about matching rods, reels, line, and technique into a…
- Rod Recipes – Surf Casting Rods with Tommy Farmer · 1 h 20 minIn this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with Tommy Farmer of Carolina Cast Pro about building true long-distance surf casting setups for big…
- Building Tradition: The Art Of Bamboo Rods With Bill Oyster · 1 h 22 minIn this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with master bamboo rod builder and engraver Bill Oyster of Oyster Bamboo Fly Rods about bamboo…
- New Era, Same Passion: Meet David Boyle, the New Owner of ICRBE · 18 minIn this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with David Boyle of ThreadCentral about what’s new at ICRBE 2026 under new ownership and why the EXPO…
