Rod Building Photo Competition

Win a Rod Building Kit

Thank you to everyone that has supported Fortitude Rod Co over the last year. To show how much we appreciate your support, we’re giving everyone that has built a rod from one of our kits or using one of our blanks the chance to win a complete rod kit of your choice in our rod building photo competition!

Full T&C’s at the bottom of the page

We’re looking forward to seeing the entries, and good luck to everyone taking part!

Custom Union Nymph 10' 2#

Entry 1

Ben Brooks
Fortitude Rod Co 10’ 2# Union ESN Rod

Ben’s FRC Union 10’ 2# Nymphing Rod Spec

  • 10’ 2# Union blank in raw carbon

  • Fortitude RC carbon reverse half wells handle

  • Fortitude bespoke EVA fighting butt

  • Fortitude bespoke ebony handle insert from recycled vintage walking stick and down-locking hardware

  • REC light wire single leg titanium recoil guides (except for the last runner which is a REC recoil snake 1/0)

  • Snake Brand Black Nickle tip top

  • Cercoil stripper

  • kimono black silk

  • Fuji red metallic trim

  • Gen 4 epoxy

Entry 2

Andy Banting
Fortitude Rod Co Homewaters 9’ 4# Rod

Andy Banting Rod Comp Entry

Andy’s FRC Homewaters 9’ 4# Spec

  • Homewaters 9’ 4# blank in dark moss

  • Fortitude RC Custom reverse half wells grip with matching fighting butt

  • Fortitude RC Black Reel Seat Hardware with Maple Burr Insert

  • Black Single Foot Guide Set

Mark Dimeck Competition Entry

Mark Dimeck

Fortitude Rod Co Ogawa 7’ 3# Rod

Entry 3

Mark’s FRC Ogawa Spec

  • Ogawa s-glass 7' #3 Olive kit with upgrades

  • Green Cork Burl Mini Snub Nose Handle

  • Uplocking reel seat hardware with figured wild olivewood insert

  • Black snake guides

  • Black PacBay thread

  • FRC finishing kit

Entry 4

Adam Payne Ogawa 7' 3

Adam Payne
Fortitude Rod Co Ogawa 7’3# Rod

Adam Payne Ogawa 7' 3#

Adam’s FRC Ogawa Spec

  • 7' 3# Ogawa blank - Translucent Orange

  • Half wells handle made from recycled champagne corks 

  • Recycled reel seat from a broken rod with a walnut spacer 

  • Recycled guides taken from broken rods

  • White silk thread, clear finish

Entry 5

Adam Payne Fortitude Rod Co N-Tech X 9’ 6# Rod

Adam N-TECH X
Adam NTECH X 2

Adam’s N-TECH X Spec

  • 9' 6# FRC N-TECH X - Raw Carbon

  • Full wells handle made from recycled champagne corks

  • Fighting butt made from recycled champagne cork

  • Recycled reel seat from a broken Greys rod

  • Recycled guides taken from broken rods

  • Green thread

Entry 6

Elliot Bennett

Fortitude Rod Co Ogawa 7’6” 4# Rod

Elliot’s FRC Ogawa Spec

  • 7'6" 4# Ogawa blank - Translucent Orange

  • Custom burl reverse half wells grip

  • Black snake guides and detailing

  • Orange guide whippings 

  • Black reel seat with carbon spacer

Entry 7

James Waine

Fortitude Rod Co 10’ 2 Union ESN Rod

James’s FRC Union ESN Spec

  • 10’ #2 Union Nymph blank in raw carbon

  • ‘Stone River’ cork burl reverse half wells grip

  • Black downlocking hardware with Staghorn Sumac insert

  • black guides

  • Measurement rings at 40cm & 50cm

Pictured here with a grayling that weighed in just shy of 2.5lb.

Entry 8

Bart Rod Build

Bartosz Krawczyk

Fortitude Rod Co 10’ 2 Union ESN Rod

Bart's ESN Build

Bart’s FRC Union ESN Spec

  • 10’ #2 Union Nymph blank in raw carbon

  • Black downlocking hardware with stabilised spalted cork oak insert

  • Custom cork reverse half wells grip with matching mini fighting butt

  • Gunmetal single foot guides

  • PacBay cherry red thread

Bart Says

The rod, a 10ft 2wt, superb quality of the blank and fishing is a pleasure

Entry 9

Carl B

Fortitude Rod Co 10’ 3# Union Nymph Rod

Carl B Union 10' 3 # ESN
Carl B euro nymphing rod

Carl B’s FRC Union Nymph Spec

  • 10’ #2 Union Nymph blank in root beer

  • Uplocking reel seat

  • Single foot guides

  • Benecchi 8/0 orange tying silk

  • Trimmed with silver and black bandings to align with hardware

Carl Says

Top sections were spined to ensure optimum turnover of delicate nymphs into the occasional breeze. The rod fishes well and has the backbone to persuade the feistiest of trout to the net.

The rod tube, made by myself, is quarter sawn spalted London plane with burr elm and maple caps.

Terms and Conditions

Photos must be submitted in the highest quality and resolution possible along with any relevant text, information regarding the building of the rod, or subsequent fishing with a maximum of 250 characters. Please note that any reference to other rod building suppliers will be removed and will not show up in any text on the Fortitude Rod Co website or Facebook page.

  1. All photos and corresponding text must be received by 18.00 hrs 31/10/2022

  2. The competition goes live on Saturday 5th November 2022 and closes on Monday 14th November 2022, at 19.00 GMT.

  3. The winner of the competition will be the image with the highest number of Facebook likes after the competition run time period. The judge's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into on this matter.

  4. Should the results end in a draw, Fortitude Rod Co will decide the overall winner based on a combination of likes and shares of the Facebook photos.

  5. Entrants will be listed on the Fortitude Rod Co website and Facebook page in the order that they are received.

  6. The winner will receive a complete rod building kit, either one of our ready to wrap kits or made up from the winner’s choice of blank and components listed on the Fortitude Rod Co website at the time of the competition start date.

  7. By submitting your image and text, you are giving Fortitude Rod Co permission to use it, in its original or an edited form, in future marketing material, and on our website and our social media pages.

  8. Photos must be submitted with the full permission of both the photographer and anyone that can be identified from the image.

  9. Should there be any suspicion of fraudulent voting, such as paid for likes and/or comments, we reserve the right to disqualify that entry and will not enter into any correspondence relating to it.

  10. Fortitude Rod Co will store your data securely, for purposes of competition administration only. You will not be contacted by us for any other purpose unless you have expressly requested that we do so and we will not share your data with any third party. You may request your data to be deleted at any time.