Little River Rods is situated on the banks of the West Branch of the Delaware River in Hancock, New York, where Dennis Menscer crafts some of the finest bamboo rods in the world.
Dennis crafts rods that complement a relaxed casting style. His typical rod features a two-piece design with two tips made from flamed bamboo. It includes hand-filed and pressed nodes, maroon wraps with black tipping, and comes with a handmade sock, an aluminum tube, and a brass cap. As a highly skilled machinist, Dennis is among the few makers today who fabricate his fittings. Customers can expect handcrafted ferrules, reel seat fittings, winding checks, and brass fittings for the rod tube. He also specializes in hollow-built construction for rods between 7 ½ and 9 feet long, reducing weight and enhancing his top-of-the-line rods’ action.
Dennis’s interest in bamboo began in 1990 when he acquired a broken F.E. Thomas rod. He took on the challenge of making replacement sections but was dissatisfied with the color of the new parts, which led him to dive deeper into rod-making. Since then, he has created hundreds of rods that have been fished around the globe and has also repaired and restored many fine rods crafted by renowned makers of the 19th and 20th centuries.
In 2003, Dennis relocated his shop to the West Branch of the Delaware River, where he enjoys observing the hatches through the shop’s windows. He invites his customers to test Little River rods on the elusive wild brown trout that feed on the famous hatches.
Share this!
011925