Email from JP (RainShadow XST1562-3):

As promised, here is a picture of my 1st steelhead landed on “Excalibur”. The rod handles like a dream, facilitates great drifts with the centerpin & plays the fish with authority. I'm very glad I had it built!!!

Thank you and take care,

JP
 

Email from Daniel Kroncke (Project "Faithful Service"):

Dj-
 

     The rod arrived yesterday which ironically was the same day that my father's retirement papers were finalized with the town. All I can say is WOW!!!! This rod turned out absolutely beautiful. You truly are a master craftsman! My father still has a few days of work left but I could hardly contain showing him the rod. The rod was presented to him tonight by me and my wife. To tell you that he was absolutely floored would be an understatement. This gift was the nicest thing I was ever able to give him and I truly thank you for your dedication (it shows through in your results). Fishing has been our bond throughout my entire life and throughout my father's entire life with his father/brother. Between the two of us we probably own close to 50 fishing rods. None of them compare to this one! It is difficult to put into words how much receiving this rod meant to my father. I'm sorry there were no pictures taken, but the present will always have a place in our history as fishing partners. Many thanks on a job well done!

Daniel Kroncke

P.S....you can expect to hear from me at some point this year for another build!

"I just recently had the opportunity to use the rod and it was great!  My son Dan sent you a picture of the first fish of many to come.  The rod not only looks great, but I love the way it performs. Thanks again for a great build!" -Bob Kroncke
 

Email from Jim Britt (Project "The SAW Initiative"):

Domenic,
 
     Well as you are fully aware, the "S.A.W." (The S.A.W. Initiative, Steelhead Assault Weapon) finally got put to the test!  After a couple of double digit days on the Mighty Chagrin, I can now say that this rod is simply awesome. Be it skippers or lunkers, the backbone of this rod is exactly what I would have wished for when putting the brakes on Great Lake's Steelhead.
 
     The length of the handle is perfect for my style of fighting fish.....I can tuck it under my forearm and against my side and minimize the fatigue that I was accustomed with the factory float rods I previously used.  It allows me to position it perfectly when the fish make their runs or attempt to grab a break in the current seams.  The custom grip is beautiful and fits my hand like a glove.  The ergonomic shape that you custom made to fit my hand positions the rod and float reel in exactly the correct spot to exert force against the fish's fight.   The Matrix XL and The S.A.W. balances out so well that I can fish many tireless hours without even a little fatigue from holding the rod and reel.
 
Thanks for taking the time to determine what my preferences were when building this unique custom rod. Every time I fish with it, I'm reminded why you asked me so many questions regarding my likes and dislikes before the build began.. I know you take "making sure" that your clients get exactly what they wish for very seriously, and this rod is a prime example of your meticulous pre-work and building pride.
 

     This was an awesome "gift" that is very much appreciated and I look forward to many more fishing excursions with you in the future.
 
Thanks Buddy !
 
Jim (Floatman) Britt
 
P.S.: Is it too early to start discussing a rod for small trout pinning on our PA trips ? I've started saving up for it!
 

Email From:  Jeff Yencha

Dj-

The rod is everything I had hoped for and more.  Fantastic job!  I absolutely love it.  Please consider me a life-long reference!  I'll send you pix of steel after this weekend.

Sincerely,

Jeff

Email from Piotr Rembas:

I really appreciate the amazing work and craftsmanship that you did on my 2 rods.  I couldn't be happier!  I'm very satisfied with the whole experience.  When I catch some Brooklyn fish, I will send you pictures.

Thanks Again,

Peter

Review by Amanda Buchanan (Project Pink Princess):

Domenic,
 
What an amazing rod!!! When Kodey and I started talking to you about this project, I was really excited to get one built for myself.  After seeing how beautiful the rod you built him, I knew mine would be just as good, if not better!
I totally love the pink concept, the wraps and the extra steps you took in making the rod (i.e. the glitter LOL) special for me.  Thank you very much for the perfect rod. I can put it all together and it feels great to fish, but I still need Kodey to put the spawn on!!!

Thank you very much-
Amanda Buchanan

Email From: Steve Harvie

            "I just wanted to thank Domenic for a beautiful cork grip for my new float rod.  He is truly first class and a pleasure to do business with. When I first decided to build myself a new float rod I knew that I wanted a unique grip, something a little different from my other rods but not too flashy.  Since I don't have a lathe I started sourcing out my options and that is when I came across Infinity Rod Creations.  A simple email to Domenic started the whole process into motion.

        Domenic was very helpful with suggestions and tips and after several email conversations back and forth he sent me a picture mock up of a grip to ensure my satisfaction.  He was diligent to verify my preferences for shaping and sizing the grip, both length and diameter.  His vast fishing experience and knowledge was quite evident. His workmanship is excellent and the grip was shipped up here to me in a matter of days. I was also very thankful for some words of advice to consider when assembling the grip onto the blank. I am by no means a veteran rod builder and it would have been a real shame for me to improperly assemble this fine piece of cork.

        I could not be more pleased with the finished product and the service received from Domenic.

Hopefully I can send you some action shots for your gallery just as soon as these SW Ontario rivers free up of ice."

Thanks!

Steve Harvie  -  SW Ontario

Review by Kodey Buchanan:

Hey Domenic,
 
WOW!!!

I hope, by our conversation last night, you know how very pleased I am.  I’ll admit, I knew nothing about the components of a rod. You took the time to work with me and take me through the process step by step.  I won’t be able to get out to see it perform for awhile due to the weather….But man, it sure is a beautiful piece of work! You definitely have talent!  Now that I have it, I will never figure out why someone would go out and purchase an assembly line factory rod from the big name companies for $600 and up!

When I first started this adventure, I searched around and was quoted $1000 for a custom rod.  I’m glad I chose to commission a build with you, as I was steered in the correct direction given my needs and admiration for Raven products.  Your services were competitive and  I appreciate the way my order and transaction was handled with extreme care and interest in my ultimate satisfaction..  To put it bluntly, I’ll never buy factory again!  Everybody thought I was crazy for spending what I did but I’ll tell you Domenic it is worth every penny! It'll be a true honor to fish and show this rod off and tell them who made it for me. I will send EVERYONE to you if I’m asked! I’m 200% satisfied!!!

Find me some pink thread so I can get you started on a build for my fiancé this fall/winter!

Thanks again,

Kodey Buchanan

Review by Eric T. (SFFR I & DC FT 1003-4):

         "The guide we were using loved the feel of the rod and complimented your workmanship. He fishes the Loomis 12'4" spinning rods for his clients but loved the flex in the Rainshadow blank. Here's a shot of a buck that put up a great fight this weekend on the Muskegon, and a couple other shots of other fish.  It was super cold, but the fish must have been acclimated because a couple of them even cleared the water! Thanks again for the great rod, it was the perfect big water rod I was looking for."  ~ET

 Review by Kevin Sweeney:

        "Domenic, I just want to compliment you on the custom floatrod that you built for me. It's such a nice looking rod that I thought about just hanging it up in my rec room, like a piece of art. I asked for an Irish theme and you came though with flying colors! The first time I took it out I hooked ten steelhead, and I really didn't even know what I was doing. The second time out I landed 17 trout. I'm hooking three times the amount of fish since I started using this floatrod.

Again, thank you, Kevin Sweeney"  

Review by Jon Geier:

        "After some shopping around for a high-end float rod, I discovered that there was always something I didn't like about each of the choices. I started some discussion with Infinity Rod Creations about fishing style and location of water this rod would be used on. I had a basic "concept" of what I was looking for and expressed these idea's to Domenic and we had a few brainstorming sessions on different layouts and looks. My basic thoughts were to have a rod built with some excellent details but with little flash. Domenic highly recommended the Rainshadow 1562F in matte grey for the fishing I was looking to do. Well this rod has had some serious fishing behind it and is still performing exactly as it did when first built. I always get excellent comments on my rod when I'm on the water and highly recommend IRC for a "true custom" experience." ~J. Geier

Email From Mark Bateman:

          "Hey Domenic, I received the rod yesterday. Sir, you are a master. My dad about fell over. I will be sure to get a pic of me enjoying it. My dad loves your site and thinks that it is very informative. I will work on dropping a post in a blog that will point to the site. I ordered the reel you recommended. Do you have a recommendation on where I should get a nice tube for it?" ~Mark  

Email From: Mike Borger  

          "First off, once again awesome bombproof packaging! There's absolutely no way it could have possibly been damaged in transit. I must say, the handle itself looks much better in person! The pictures Dom sent me didn't do it justice at all. Initially I have to admit I was a little leery of having the entire handle built with synthetic cork, as pretty much all of my handles over the years have been built with fluoro grade cork, but it's a really neat look, with a decidedly different feel that I don't mind at all. Overall the craftsmanship is impeccable, and Domenic was a pleasure to deal with from start to finish. He's obviously got an artistic eye and many of his suggestions for the handle design were excellent.

Over the years I've had a lot of custom work done by some pretty highly regarded builders, John Collina, Witzke and Phil Ptak among others. Domenic's work compares very favorably with any of those guys with the added plus of much faster service!

I would most definitely recommend Domenic to anyone considering a custom rod, he does fine work!"

Regards,  Mike Borger  

Review by Randy Bitner:

     "I would like to thank you for taking the time to build my fly rod for me.  I have been nothing but impressed with the way that the entire transaction was handled; from talking about the specs, letting me “test drive” the rod you own with similar specs, to coming over on your time to make adjustments to balance the rod with the reel that I had chosen (props to Sean at F&FF.com for use of his reel), down to getting the customized decal on the blank.  I can’t imagine how many times your eyes crossed wrapping the neon chart around the guides – you can see me coming down the path in the dark……..  I about dropped when I set the hook on the first steelhead with that rod, man what a backbone!  I can’t believe the power that the rod has – tossing a tandem rig 50 ft + with hardly any effort, and being able to roll-cast a brick at 35 feet is a major plus.  Great work, and a rod I will treasure and probably take with me when I go... Thanks again Dom."

Thank you, Randy T. Bitner (AKA Da Soulman)

Review by Sau-Chun Lam Project "CHOP, CUT, REBUILD":

Hey there, RodMeister!

The rod was at my doorstep when I got back from work today.  I am VERY impressed by your work! I did not notice the marks where the old guides were. The tip top looks great! The whole setup now looks like a trout ass-kickin' machine! 

THANKS Domenic! I am glad I sent you that float wallet because the work you have done has been worth every penny of it.

I got to thinking, How long before Fall steelhead season opens? One month, two months, three months? LOL!

See you on the stream, somewhere. :-)

SC Lam

Review by Jon Northrop:

I am so impressed! When I decided to purchase this slightly used Forecast 11'6" custom spey rod and you described  it as a little scuffed up, it  was nowhere near my idea of "scuffed up".   I am impressed! This is the best looking rod I have in my arsenal. You've definitely got artistic talent, my friend. I can't wait to use it just so I can send some photos for inclusion on your website..

Thanks for the great rod D!
-Jon
 

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