The L.H. Design bamboo fly rods programme that was started some thirty years ago originated in a childhood interest. In a part of Holland where lakes and canals abound and where a young boy is fortunate enough to be able to go fishing after school almost every day it is easy to see how this interest was roused.

Every person who loves fishing is bound to come under the spell of tackle and methods sooner or later, and so did I. How I longed in those childhood days to become the owner of a real fly rod and reel!

My interest became a passion, and before the actual L.H. Design rod-building programme started many years of experimenting with bamboo poles, greenheart and glassfibre went by. Building bamboo fly rods is a complicated affair in which finding the appropriate background literature, tools, planing forms and of course, the right materials takes years.

To become a rod builder one has to go through a long process of trial and error, building up experience. With that accumulated experience a good rod builder doesn't only construct rods, he also develops new ones; always looking for greater perfection.

My passion for fly fishing does not only involve rod building, but also the designing and building of fly reels. After some experiments with different designs and materials a number of models in titanium were developed. These models are still being produced in their original form today. Working with titanium is a wonderful experience; with every reel one marvels at the beautifully clear and perfect finish of the material.

The L.H. Design programme is based on two principles. On the one hand there is the firm belief that "a thing of beauty is a joy forever", and L.H. Design fly rods and fly reels are trying to prove that saying true. On the other hand it goes without saying that the functional aspects of the design should certainly not be forgotten. Every craftsman knows that perfection is always one step away, yet the L.H. Design program is certainly striving for perfection. Now, and in the future, L.H. Design will be a guarantee for balanced design and craftsmanship.


Leen Huisman