About JP Ross and JP Ross Fly Rods & Co.
Hi, I'm JP. I have a strong love for the Adirondacks, brook trout, smallmouth bass on a popper, and snook in the mangroves. If I could, I'd build a cabin in the woods and do nothing but build custom canoes and fly rods for the rest of my life and spend my evenings casting to magic circles on a mirror still pond.
The idea for JP Ross was conceived in 1994. It was a long time dream of mine to own a fly shop. I realized that dream at age 20 when I opened Rising Trout Outfitter fly shop. One year into that dream JP Ross Fly rods was established.
My mission was to create a brand of fly rod that was an expression of the Adirondack Mountains and focus on the attributes that make a fly rod a piece of working art. The attributes of focus being the reel seat, the handle, the case and the thread wraps. I always had an appreciation for detail and I felt that the custom fly rod was a great way to make a tool that was an expression of the user that was unique and useful.
The attributes of focus being the reel seat, the handle, the case and the thread wraps.
Customers could see first hand how we made our rods at the Rising Trout Fly Shop. Over 8 years getting to know my customers up close and personal helped me make a better product. In the Fall of 2006 we decided to focus on the custom attributes our customers tell us makes us special. We now build our custom rods in a quaint cabin in Whitesboro NY. I also invested in a wood lathe to do more custom work and created a new feature on our web site where our customers can virtually build their custom fly rod online. In the past we offered many stock fly rods for a fixed price, but today we only build our rods custom and use our customers' personality to create a fly rod that's an expression of themselves. A slightly off round guide, a wood reel seat with an irregular grain, a custom shaped handle that cannot be duplicated, are all attributes you will find on our rods.
For my day job nearly every month I am traveling around the world. I travel often to Europe, Japan, China, Singapore, and all over the US. Of course my 5 piece fly rod often accompanies me. It is for this reason that I usually contact my customers via email and then return calls when in my home office or on the road.
I am blessed with 5 great teammates that help me maintain my business. Mitch, Beck, Smitty, Brian and Montana my black lab. Each having their own special place in the company and all who share the same goal as me; working to support our fly fishing addiction.
Many executives and political figures recognize the JP difference.
ESPN outdoor games, Orvis fly casting schools, and recently Field and Stream and Outdoor Life have asked us to be involved with some of their programs. Many executives and political figures recognize the JP difference. It amazes me that we've made over 5000 fly rods.
Our modest size allows us to stay close to our customers and stay true to what matters most. The desire to maintain our status as one of the highest quality fly rod companies in the world is evident. It is our mission to listen to our customers needs, get to know them and create a fishing rod for them they'll cherish forever. Thank you cards from our customers is a sign we are doing things right.
Please enjoy your journey through the JP Ross web site. Email us, call us, and tell a friend about us. Your satisfaction is guaranteed. I personally look forward to meeting you on the river some day, thanks for stopping by. Tight lines.
ADK Trout Bumtm and Adirondack Trout Bumtm are trademarks of JP Ross Fly Rods.
JP Ross, Custom Fly Rod Quality
Shown here is Beck Dangler looking over a batch of Corporate fly rods before we epoxy the rods and apply alignment dots. Careful detail is needed to make sure each rod is tweaked and given its own character. Each guide may be a little different; each handle may be off by a few thousandths of an inch. All these things must be compensated for as a custom rod builder.
Contemplating the details
Here is Beck in the rod shop, probably contemplating which feather to inlay on the rod. Montana my black lab is seated by his side for re-assurance.
Beck has added his own signatures to the rods he builds. He does not use a lot of jungle cock like JP and he does not use loud colors like Mitch. One of his signature moves is surrounding the inscription in feathers. If you have a rod like this, you know that Beck has done the inlay. Again proof that there is a bit of artist and poetic license so to speak to every custom fly rod we build at JP Ross. That’s what makes us different.
