CrosbyGarret Fly Rods, custom built and powered by New Zealand technology
Fly Rods, custom built and powered by New Zealand technology
Supporting New Zealand made
It's taken several years to learn the skill and to gather in other suppliers for the complete package, but CrosbyGarret Fly Rods is commited to supporting New Zealand made quality products.
Crosbygarret Fly Rods is focused on having as much of the product locally made as possible. Fly rod bags are sourced from a boutique Main Street shop in Palmerston North. Meanwhile, the fly rod blanks he uses come from CTS in Auckland. His daughter Emma deals with the website and visual design.
A son-in-law, who is Spanish, sources the cork handles from Portugal. Finally, while a daughter-in-law writes the press releases.
Despite the plan of selling New Zealand-made fly rods in New Zealand, a third of those have gone overseas.
Crosbygarret fly rods were good enough for one competitor to take three to the world fly fishing championships with the New Zealand team and many sales are repeats.
CrosbyGarret New Zealand made flyfishing: our story
Our Fly Fishing Rod Range
- 7’6”#3
- 8’0”#3, #4, #5, #6
- 8’6”#4, #5, #6
- 9'0”#4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9
- 9’6”#5, #6, #7, #8, #9
- 10’0” #5, #6, #7
A new top-end fly rod is being made in Manawatu, New Zealand.
Richard Pratt was born by the Oroua River, as was his father before him, in the Manawatu. A descendant of a pioneering sheep farmer, he grew up on a farm, nestled under the heavy clouds of the Ruahine National Park Range. His two eldest children were born next to the Rangitikei river, in the hinterland of the North Island of New Zealand, heartland of some of the best fly fishing New Zealand has to offer.
It's from these places and these rivers, that our inspiration comes.
CrosbyGarret Fly Rods is a family affair.
Registered in 2001, CrosbyGarret, the name Mr Pratt has given the fly rods, is the name of the small northern English hamlet where his pioneering grandfather was born. Mr Pratt says grandfather Tom had a great influence on him and in using the name he's honouring him and including him in the family business. Meanwhile, the carbon helix core blanks he uses for his fly rods come from his son Stephen's manufactoring business CTS in Auckland, New Zealand. His artist daughter Emma deals with the website and visual design. A son-in-law, who is Spanish, sources the cork handles from Portugal. And a daughter-in-law writes his press releases.
Mr Pratt lives on the outskirts of Palmerston North, surrounded by 20 hectares of land dotted with grazing sheep and cattle. While also a farmer, it's the rod building that he sees himself doing long into his retirement - creating something beautiful people will treasure.
Grandfather Tom was also a livestock buyer and farmer and he amassed land all over the Manawatu. One of Mr Pratt's childhood memories is driving around Ongley Park in his grandfather's big old Ford to check the sheep that ran there at the time.
"He used to live in Argyle Avenue and where Manawatu Nissan is now, was his cow paddock."
But just as importantly, CrosbyGarret has a solid, traditional ring to it. It sounds like the quality fly rod he wants to make.
Rod-building is an outlet for Mr Pratt's creativity. He tried painting and pondered pottery, but it was rod-building that excited him most.
"This one just triggered me. It's hand-crafting, it's very satisfying and it's a pleasurable business."
Crosbygarret Fly Rods was born out of a business gamble son Stephen took some years ago. Stephen gained a technology degree from Massey University, and after working for a rod-building company decided to go out on his own. He set up a one-man operation in Auckland.
Using equipment bought over the internet he began producing his own line of carbon-fibre rod blanks under the company name of CTS (Composite Tube Systems).
Mr Pratt admired Stephen's courage in going for it.
Stephen uses extensive computer design techniques and his blanks are rated today as equal to the world's best.
He now employs a dozen people. They almost can't keep up with the orders and everything is exported - except those fly rod blanks that go to dad in Palmerston North.
It made sense for CTS to be associated with a boutique custom built fly rod company in New Zealand and they are linked on the CTS website. That meant CTS could offer a finished product at home as well. When his father offered to learn the rod-building skills, it all fell into place.
It's time for New Zealand anglers to discover that there's a new, high-quality Kiwi rod out there that they never knew about. A rod made in Manawatu, made in New Zealand.