Scissortail Rod Company
I am Steve Griffin, owner of Scissortail Rod Company. Under the SRC banner, I build handcrafted bamboo fly rods for small to medium-sized river fishing.
Bamboo rods are at the heart of the fly fishing tradition. The craft of bamboo rod building has been written about for over a century, and anyone who has tried their hand at this meticulous craft will tell you that a seasoned mentor is critical. I am fortunate to study under and learn from an exacting bamboo builder, Mr. David Chin, who has shaped my understanding and guided my technique in the traditional methods of bamboo rod building.
After nearly two years of apprenticeship, I launched Scissortail Rod Company to bring this unique craft to Oklahoma and beyond. Regional customers can get a taste of this traditional experience on local waters like the Illinois, Blue, Arkansas, and Mountain Fork Rivers.
I love the excitement and anticipation of the transformation that a 12’ culm of grass, which started its journey years ago from a little region in China, will go through over the course of a few weeks until it is fully recreated and reshaped into a handmade tool that will bring someone countless life experiences to enjoy.
As a rodmaker, my goal is to bring as much craftsmanship and quality to the process as I can. The thought of someone enjoying a rod that I put hours of hard work, effort, and attention to detail into makes me smile every time. The excitement of a client hooking that first fish on a rod they trusted me to build for them or passing it down to their children as a cherished family heirloom is what makes this craft something I have fallen in love with.
Purpose Built
The SRC brand is focused on spending the time to get your build right so it performs for you and lasts generations. Once I have the right cane selected for your build, creating your SRC rod takes an average of 50-man hours depending on the level of customization required. As you can tell, this is a labor of love, and I get no better satisfaction than placing a newly finished rod into a hand-made rod sock and shipping it to a customer.
Every rod is built one at a time, and I have focused my work to perfect three main fly rod builds for small-to-medium rivers:
All rods are 2-piece and can be built with one or two tips.
The Materials
Every rod is built with Tokin cane. My Standard Series rods consist of uplocking reel seat hardware and nickel/silver CSE Super Swiss ferrules. Anglers can choose between walnut, maple, or burl real seat inserts. I typically use 10mm agate stripping guides and can select from an assortment of colors to match the wrapping threads. I use Snake Brand snake guides for the runners, winding checks to give a smooth transition from the blank to the grip, and consistently use high-grade cork with your choice of a cigar, full well, or half well grip.
The process I employ is tried and true, and my builds, from raw cane to finished rod, can take several weeks. As a Level 3 builder, we’ll work together to craft you an heirloom rod that you will cherish and will last generations.
Services
Scissortail Rod Company
See What Makes Scissortail Rods Unique
From splitting the raw cane to applying the last layers of finish and epoxy, I take great pride in doing my work here in the USA. I am passionate about this craft and building a fly fishing rod that can be handed down from generation to generation here in America.
I have meticulously poured over each piece of your Scissortail Fly Rod. I apply my years of learning to your rod.
Although my standards are exact, each rod has their own character. One of the most satisfying pieces of this craft is knowing there will never be another rod like the one that's been hand-crafted for you.
I know ordering a Custom Bamboo Rod is a very personal consideration. In working with clients my goal is to understand what they want to get out of their fishing experience and build a custom bamboo fly fishing rod that meets them where they are in their fly fishing journey.
I build rods to be handed down for generations. It's really special to work on something you believe will be around long after you are gone.
Start your bamboo fly rod journey of a lifetime now.
