Zach Dalton works at St. Croix Rod is one of the largest rod manufacturers in the country.

And today you're going to hear how fly rods really get designed, what makes the cut, what doesn't,

and why some rods last decades while others don't. This is the Webfly Swing podcast where I show you

the best places to travel to for fly fishing, how to find the best resources and tools to prepare for that big trip, and what you can do to give back to the fish species

we all love. We've got Zach Dalton on the podcast today from St. Croix, and you're going to

discover why not every rod should be fast. We're going to get into some different actions they've had

some for many years. We're going to find out what

durability really means for anglers who fish hard and also about rod action how that affects

fishing and some casting and then we're going to get into a little bit on the conventional as well

today towards the end so stay tuned on this one we're going to get a nice update from st

croix here all the good stuff we have going, Zach breaks down how they choose the right rod for the perfect fishing situation. We're going to talk about corks, cork handles, and actions. And I hope you enjoy this one. Let's get into it. Here he is, Zach Dalton. You can find him at St. Croixrods.com. How's it going, Zach? I'm doing well, Dave. Thanks for having me on the show. Yeah, yeah. I'm excited to talk about this one. I didn't even look back in the catalog. I know we had at St. Croix at least one episode in the past out there. We'll put a link in the show notes to that one. I always love telling the story because,

you know, when back in the day, the old shop, we used to carry St. Croix. And I think for a lot of it, they were blanks because my dad was a big custom rod maker. And we used to make, and to this day, I've got one right sitting here next to me. I got a St. Croix rod that I made, you know, and my my I wasn't as good as my dad but I love it because St. Croix was a cool brand.

They were out there and you guys are still out there.

So I think we're going to get updated on. I made, you know, and I wasn't as good as my dad, but I love it because St. Croix was a cool brand.

They were out there, and you guys are still out there. So I think we're going to get updated on

what's new with St. Croix and all of that. But yeah, maybe first just take us back to your background. I know you worked with Farbank before. What's your first memory in fly fishing? Oh, Dave, I'm a lifer in this business so far.

So I started at Rio in 1997. Oh, Dave, I'm a lifer in this business so far.

So I started at Rio in 1997 when that brand was really in its infancy and was part of the team that put together the flyline manufacturing equipment and helped get it off the ground.

Believe it or not, I actually predate Simon in that business.

Oh, you do.

So was that before, because we had Mark Bill on, I can't remember now with the dates,

but was that before Farbank came to be?

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