For those of you who have followed the blog, or pay some sort of attention to our Instagram feed, you will no doubt be aware that I have been a big supporter of Ben’s Fly Rods exquisitely crafted glass fly rods. Firstly, let me start out by saying that this is not a paid blurb, no under the table handshakes or dodgy back room deals were entered into by myself and the either of the Bens. As much as I tried to scrape a few bucks out of them in a ‘cash for comments’ scam, both Benno and Ben wouldn’t come to the party. Those Dutch can be so square sometimes!

So, with that aside, here’s a little story to set the mood. I found myself on Nariel Creek about a year back fishing with Scott from Indulgence Flyfishing, it was late Spring and whilst the weather was warming up, the creek was humping after good rain, so we were throwing some fairly heavy stuff to get our nymphs down. This didn’t bode too well for the 4 weight I was using which went from a four piece to a five piece not one hundred meters from the car. There was a tree branch involved, followed by some swearing and vicious laughter for the aforementioned company. Well, later that evening a drunken sob story and a photo of the now retired and very broken rod were sent through to Mr Benno Bron at Ben’s Fly Rods. After some discussion about the general abuse I subject upon fly rods, and some canter revolving around Miss Kylie Minogue, for some reason, the journey to build a new rod was begun. And now, it is with great pleasure that I have recently taken possession of the Troutlore Special III.

 

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There were all manner of delays in the build process, most of them revolving around my inability to actually make a decision on colour and specification. But, what resulted was an 8 foot, 4 weight rod that is just a delight to cast. Ultimately I ended up with a simpler colour scheme on this guy, just so Benno could stop staring at a pile of parts that were getting in the way. Yet, even with the simpler colour option, the quality of the wraps are still second to none and absolutely what I would expect for the Dutch Denim Master. Perfectly clean wraps, hidden tag ends and flawless top coating are what were delivered. It’s what one can expect from the care that a very special pair of manicured hands puts into these rod builds. And, the perfect Agate stripping guide that matches the colour combination in the rod and reel seat is just a lovely addition that brings some further class to this rod.

 

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Of course, it isn’t all about the finish and look. This is after all a tool, albeit a very striking one. So, it was brilliant to be able to get out on the water this week and give the Troutlore Special III a good field test. I put it through the paces, with dry flies, nymph droppers, double nymph rigs and even some hefty tungsten sculpins just to see how she handled herself. As a small stream rod, this may be a little long for many people’s liking, but it was at my request that this one be built with an 8 foot black. I was looking for a rod with a little extra reach for short line fishing and something that would give me that little reach extra under the willows this summer when the grubs are happening. So, it was a treat to plonk a nymph rig just ahead of my position in some fairly tight water. It had enough backbone to control the weight with very little fly line beyond the guides, so it certainly did the job there. But, it still bent with ease when a fish decided to go deep and took all the strain off the tippet.

In the more open water, this rod is just special. I was laying dry flies out over distance with a delicacy and finesse that even I don’t usually have in my casting. Even side casts under large structure were delivered with ease and accuracy. Then, when the heavy stuff came out, it was so nice to just give it time and let the rod load. Then… wow! It’s a little cannon. Capable of moving double nymphs and streamers some proper distance with very little effort. I could cast this rod all day and still want more. In fact, I did. I can certainly see the Troutlore Special III becoming my got-to rod now. It can certainly cover a wide range of situations and feels great handling fish of any size. My other rods from Benno will certainly be playing a supporting role to this one this season. And, all the others, especially my graphite rods, will most likely be gathering dust for a while.

For those of you interested in a custom made rod that is beautifully crafted and lovingly made in the Netherlands, go somewhere else. I don’t want Benno kept too busy by your needs, I would prefer it if his time was available for my next rod request, which, I already have in mind. Benno, expect my call 😉