Little River Rods is located on the bank of the West Branch of the Delaware River in Hancock, New York, Dennis Menscer is making some of the finest bamboo rods in the world.
Dennis favors rods that match his own relaxed casting casting style. His typical rod will be 2 piece, two tips, flamed bamboo, with hand filed and pressed nodes, maroon wraps with black tipping and comes with a handmade sock, aluminum tube and brass cap. A highly skilled machinist, Dennis is one of the few makers today who machines his own fittings and a customer can expect to enjoy handmade ferrules, real seat fittings, winding check and rod tube brass fittings. He also specializes in hollow built construction in his rods between 7 ½ and 9 feet, which lightens the weight and makes the action of his top-of-the-line rods crisper.
Dennis’ interest in bamboo began in 1990 when he acquired an F.E. Thomas rod with a broken mid and tip. He challenged himself to make a replacement but wasn’t satisfied with the color of the two new sections and he has never looked back. Dennis has subsequently made hundreds of rods that have been fished around the world and has repaired and restored many fine rods by the great makers of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Dennis moved the shop to the West Branch of the Delaware in 2003 and keeps an eye on the hatches from the windows of the shop. He welcomes his customers to try Little River rods out on the finicky wild browns feeding on the famed hatches of the West Branch.