Chet Kiekhafer’s business requires the accuracy of an engineer, the steady hands of a surgeon, the creativity of an artist, and the mastery of an avid angler. Kiekhafer of Hutchinson incorporates each ...

Neil Faulkner used to watch his father assemble fishing rods using baby food jars and a dictionary. The old man would put thread in the jars and feed it through the big book of words toward the rod, ...

Wintertime can be frustrating for many anglers as they wait for spring. For other anglers, it is time to get gear repaired and prepped for the next season. Garry Land is a long-time rod builder who ...

CHISHOLM — If there’s ever a tornado warning for this Iron Range town, Mike Lesch will likely be safe. That’s because he already spends a lot of time in his basement shop, where he turns drab sticks ...

Building fishing rods is a productive way to spend winter evenings. A few hours of work will result in a rod better than anything you can buy off the rack. Of course it will take you a few rods of ...

Mel Dickie, of Rochester, is a longtime, well-respected craftsman of custom fishing rods. The retired insurance agent and World War II veteran spends his weekdays at Wild Goose Sports on North ...

REEDSPORT — In a small, cramped storefront, lined wall to wall with fishing rods, Ken Silva glues a new tip onto a 45-year-old fishing rod. As the owner of Rod & Reel Repair, Silva opened his repair ...

POP Projects is a collection of new and classic projects from more than a century of Popular Mechanics. Master skills, get tool recommendations, and, most importantly, build something of your very own ...

The best fishing rods are durable and flexible, with excellent sensitivity that makes catching your target easier. Regardless of your style of fishing, everything else—from reels to lines and bait to ...