Ricigliano Custom Fly Rods

I went out for a casual day of fly fishing last season with my good friend and Patagonian guide, Fernando; and as we were piecing together our rods and bantering about fly choices for the Caleufu, Fernando offered a close inspection of his pride and joy: a Ricigliano Custom Fly Rod. My first impression was that it was a standard Sage rod with an artist’s touch to make it beautiful; I was dead wrong…  

Custom fly rods have always been a bit of a mystery to me, in particular because of the vast selection of fine rods offered by so many manufacturers. Why would anyone want a “custom” rod that’s essentially just assembled from a factory blank? For the same reason that every golfer (forgive the reference), eventually moves to custom modified clubs as their game progresses; because mass manufactured clubs and Fly Rods are made to fit the largest average group of consumers; but every person’s cast is unique. In the case of Willy Ricigliano, he takes a fine blank, and tunes it to the individual fisherman; enhancing the characteristics that meet the individual’s needs, and molding it into the ultimate expression of personal style. 

I ventured to San Carlos de Bariloche in Patagonia Argentina to see for myself just what kind of magic went into the creation of a Ricigliano Custom Fly Rod. Willy Ricigliano works out of a secluded fly shop, known locally as “The Cave”. It’s the kind of place frequented by legendary guides and world-class fishermen who come to socialize and share the secrets that we mere mortals dream about. I’ve decided that my success in the journalistic side of this business will be measured in the future entirely by how many men in The Cave greet me by name when I enter. Attached to the fly shop, is Willy’s custom rod shop, where he labors over each creation with infinite patience. It’s filled with handmade tools, exotic materials, and multi-angled lighting equipment. Willy’s preference is to work with Sage or Winston blanks, in large part due to their outstanding customer service, but he accepts customer supplied blanks if you’d like something different.  

There are two principle parts of the creation process; first, is matching the rod to the customer. Your casting style, size and build, and intended use of the rod (streamers, dries, salt or fresh water, presentation needs, etc.) will all play a factor. Each blank as it comes from the manufacturer will contain an inherent “seam” or axis, which may not be visible to the untrained eye. The placement of the guides either along this axis, or not on the axis will make a significant change in the rod’s performance both in casting and fish-fighting power. The spacing of the guides along the length of the shaft will have corresponding effect on the manner in which the rod loads and releases energy, and also in the way it transmits information back to the angler. Another interesting aspect of even “high quality” guides, is that they also are a mass manufactured component, and frequently have sharp residual “spurs” on the under-face from the molding process. These spurs, unless polished by hand before being mounted, will be ever-so-slowly grinding away at your expensive rod’s core with every cast. Willy also tends to reduce weight in the rod by avoiding excess epoxy in the build, unlike a machine assembled fly rod. Experience is the key component in using these variables to create the perfect combination of Action, Flexion, and Weight to match the individual caster’s needs.  

The second part of the process in a Ricigliano Custom Fly Rod, is the artistry. I had the privilege of watching Willy at work, as he selected the tiniest of feather components to adorn a customer’s rod, and place each hair-wide strand in its perfect place. I felt like I was playing witness to the painting of a masterpiece. Every single rod is a unique work of art, in addition to being a highly tuned magic wand. Willy uses a variety of threads, trims, and feather and color combinations to bring personality to the fly rod. Each section may also contain uniquely matching artistic combinations that mirror each other and serve as inspiring alignment guides. Naturally, Willy also includes hand painting the owner’s name on the face of each rod. The price of these customs will frequently depend upon the level of artistic finish work that you desire; but you will find these rods astonishingly affordable for the level of performance and personal expression.  

So, now I’ll return to my opening anecdote. Later in the afternoon, Fernando and I approached a deep trough in the Caleufu river with a beautiful cut bank and over-hanging trees on the opposite shore. Fernando knew this hole, and knew what lurked under the tree branches. He graciously allowed me the first cast, which I promptly blew by hanging up in the trees and breaking off my weighted streamer. And before I could utter a single profanity, he slipped his Ricigliano Custom Fly Rod into my feeble hands, and said, “Try it again, quickly”. I pulled the rod into a strong back cast, gave it a mild haul to the front, and delivered the most beautifully targeted cast of my life. My usual awkward back cast and timing problems had vanished; with the Ricigliano rod in my hands, I was a fly fishing God. Fernando and I are roughly the same size and build, and had been using similar weight lines and set-ups, so perhaps that helped a bit; but I could feel everything this rod was doing. It loaded up smoothly, consistently, and when it reached its natural return point in the backcast, it "told" me it was time. I don’t have the vocabulary to accurately describe what the “perfect” cast feels like, only to say that, I know it when I feel it. With this rod in my hands; I felt it. 

My only dilemma now is how to smuggle one of these (preferably in emerald green with bright red trim) into my rod room and bury it beneath the others to hide it from my wife. Nope, that won’t work; I think she inventories my gear. The only answer is to get one for her too; and wouldn’t it be neat if hers also fit my needs for a dry fly set up? 

Willy builds rods for clients around the world, and if you visit his shop in San Carlos de Bariolche you will also find a collection of some the best tied flies available in Patagonia. You can contact him directly to discuss your own rod from his website: Ricigliano Fly Fishing. Tell him Memo sent you.

Memo Stephens