Sometimes the best rod builds start from the simplest places — like sharing a cold beer. That’s exactly how this custom rod came to life.
I was introduced to a friend of a friend over a few drinks, and before long we were swapping hunting and fishing stories and talking gear. He turned out to be a big fan of Prolite Rods and began telling me about how, the season before, he had blown up his wife’s rod while fighting a fish. With her birthday just around the corner, he wanted to surprise her with something truly special to replace it.
His requests were refreshingly simple: he wanted the rod to be 8’6”, to have a little bit of backbone, and to be purple — her favorite color. From there, he left the rest up to me.
Back at the shop, I started pulling pieces together. This rod needed to be as tough as it was beautiful — something that could handle aggressive strikes and still look absolutely killer in the sun. I chose a blank that offered a perfect moderate-fast action with medium heavy power, giving it enough backbone to control fish but keeping the tip lively enough for great action.
The handle became the star of the show with bright purple fish scale grips that catch your eye instantly. The wraps and accent details carry that purple theme all the way through, paired with a sleek black carbon blank that lets the purple pop without being overwhelming. A matching anodized purple butt cap finishes it off, adding just the right amount of flash when the rod is resting on the deck or leaning on the rail.
This build was a perfect reminder of why I love crafting custom rods — every one tells a story. This one started from a beer, grew out of a memory of a rod lost in battle, and turned into a birthday gift that’s not only going to look incredible but is ready to write new stories on the water.
Here’s hoping her next birthday story is about the one that didn’t get away.