Bob Clouser and I were talking on the phone about Troutfest last year.  He told me he was going to work with Rick Pope who owns Temple Fork.  Bob’s best friend Lefty Kreh has had a great working relationship with TFO.  I knew it would be a positive and beneficial addition to the Temple Fork staff and I told Bob that Rick is one of my close friends.  Rick is one of the few people in our industry who I call for advice.

Rick, Lefty, Bob, Kent, Jim and Rhonda from Temple Fork all came here for Troutfest.  Without Temple Fork, Troutfest would not have been anywhere near what it was.  They and a couple of other big sponsors really stepped up to the plate. 

I spent some time with Bob and he had been telling me about his new rod series, the Clouser Rods.  Evidently he and even Lefty had been working on designs.  These rods are made to cast heavily weighted flies and sinking fly lines.  This rod is built similar to the Temple Fork TICRX series.  They come in sizes 5 though 9.  And they are all 8’ 9” long.  The tip is softer than the TICRX.  By design they do not cast a tight loop.  You don’t want a tight loop when you are casting a heavy fly.

Although not car door or tailgate proof, the TiCr coating in the finish helps protect the rod from collisions with hooks from weighted flies.  The attractive blue blank is easy on the eyes as are the three burled cork rings included on the grips; which has the added benefit of preventing wear from many hours of use. Hook keepers have been added and Lefty’s color coded alignment dot system allows for easy line size recognition.  The four-piece design makes transportation easy.

The rods are multi-species not just for bass fishing which Bob first became famous for.  They are perfect for saltwater and freshwater fishing. 

We just received the first two at the shop.  We got a 6 and 7 weight.  Daniel and I stepped outside to cast the 7 weight.  I really liked it.  I’m not a big fan of fast rods and this one didn’t feel fast because of the light tip.  But they have plenty of muscle for casting and fighting big gamefish. These rods are going to be popular among bass and larger gamefish anglers.

Something else you will like about the new Clouser Rods from Temple Fork. They are beautiful. And they have both Bob and Lefty's signature which is a statement about their friendship.

True to the Temple Fork brand these rods don’t cost an arm and a leg.  The 5 weight sells for $224.95 and the others are $249.95.  Rod tubes are $19.95 extra.  They have a lifetime warranty against breakage no matter the cause.  Send the rod to them and $25 for handling and shipping.  They will either replace the broken piece or send a new rod to you at their discretion.

Temple Fork has made great strides this year and you will see more new products this fall. They are a great company to do business with and they take care of their customers. I like that. You like that. You can see the Clouser Fly Rods on our Online Catalog by CLICKING HERE or call 877-448-3474 to order one.   

Byron Begley