TC Rod Engineer/Rod Builder
Pro Team Member: TC3006


Joe is our Pro Team member for Team Caddis in the engineering and building of our fly rods as well as operates Black Dog Tackle & Custom Rods providing professional rod building services including the design and building of custom fishing rods for individuals or groups; the manufacture of private label rods for other entities or retail outlets; the repair and restoration of fishing rods; and, appraisal and value estimates for vintage fishing rods. Joe has been building rods for a total of 11 years, 8 of those as a professional. In addition, Black Dog Tackle & Custom Rods sells a complete line of components and rod blanks for the hobby or professional rod builder.

Joe is also an active sponsor of rod building online discussion forums, rod building educational opportunities and is the head of an organization called Rod Builders International (www.rodbuildersinternational.com). The latter serving to educate the fishing public on the merits, pleasure and value of owning and using a custom designed and custom crafted fishing rod.

Fly rods are the mainstay specialty of Joe’s rod building, but he designs and builds all types of rods. For example, in just the past year he has crafted spinning rods for carp, steelhead, salmon, bass and trout; as well as casting rods for bass, sturgeon, steelhead and salmon; plus spey rods for steelhead and salmon; and restored a few offshore and vintage rods.

Joe retired in 2004 from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he served as Chief Information Officer and Director of the Information & Media Technologies division of the University. His career spanned 18 years in higher education and 23 years in the private sector primarily engaged in Information Technology. Joe has been a full time custom rod builder for the past 5 years which makes his retirement more of a complete career change than an actual going out to pasture retirement.

At the age of 6 he received his first fly rod and has amassed 59 years of fly fishing experience and knowledge that increases every time he goes fishing, designs a new rod or gets involved in a rod build. Joe still has the 7 foot solid fiberglass fly rod he started with as a boy, although it doesn’t see much use these days with the advent of lighter weight, more responsive technology. His preference these days is to use a vintage split bamboo rod in the morning and a nice lightweight graphite rod after lunch.

Joe is a member of the Federation of Fly Fishers, the Kelly Creek Flycasters, the Grangemont Fly Fishers, and a former member of the Milwaukee Lake and Stream Fly Fishers. Grangemont Fly Fishers is a new organization (2009) composed of members of the rural community where Joe lives. Their goal is to promote fly fishing in the community and enjoy the wilderness opportunities in the surrounding mountains. Joe serves as the casting instructor and fishing mentor for the group, as well assist with the formation of organizing Team Caddis products throughout the international markets.

www.blackdogtackle.com
joe@blackdogtackle.com, (208) 476-5708