Tour the Orvis Rod Shop, Where Fly Rods Are Still Handmade

Situated behind the brand’s flagship Manchester store, the current Orvis Rod Shop employs a team of 60 employees who produce nine different graphite, fiberglass, and bamboo fly rods, on location from start to finish. As we entered the production space, we took notice of a board displaying the team’s roster, organized by seniority. It’s easily apparent how many of those names fall within the 20-plus and 30-plus-year rankings.

Guided by plant manager Frank Hoard and Shawn Combs, director of product design and development, we began our tour in a room where two of their most well-known rods, the Recon and legendary Helios, begin their life cycles. Here, a computer-guided cutting plotter traces sections of woven graphite sheets with precision before gloved workers carefully organize each piece according to the corresponding model and taper section.

Source: https://fieldmag.herokuapp.com/articles/orvis-rod-factory-visit