Review of Victor R. Johnson's Fiberglass Fly Rods, 20th Anniversary Edition

Last week I received a copy of a highly anticipated book in the mail from my friend Vic Johnson, the fiberglass fly rod guru. It was his 20th Anniversary edition of Fiberglass Fly Rods: The Evolution of the Modern Fly Rod from Bamboo to Graphite (EP Press, 2016: 8.5” x 11” Black-and-White illustrations, 105 Pages, $29.95).



The original edition was coauthored with his father, Vic Johnson Sr., and was an absolute revelation. As someone who grew up with fiberglass, it spurred me to start seeking out some of the great makers and to start collecting glass fly rods. His book coincided with (and helped spur) a resurgence in glass fly rods, a movement that is still going strong today.

This isn’t a rewrite as much as it is a supplement, or a companion volume, to the original (which is also available from the author). Much new information is contained in its pages; this includes profiles of many modern makers of glass fly rods from Tycoon Tackle to Larry Kenney, as well as profiles of some great names in the field including Gadabout Gaddis and Dr. Arthur Howald.



As someone who has his own glass fly rod book in the works, I appreciate all of Vic’s attention to detail. Vic has done the collecting world a great service in updating his book, and this volume will take its place alongside the original as “must haves” for anyone interested in fly fishing, fly rods, of fishing history. It’s really a fantastic book and well worth adding to your library.

The book can be ordered directly from the author by emailing him at vrjvallejo@gmail.com.

You can visit his web site by Clicking Here.

— Dr. Todd

THURSDAY REVIEW: Victor R. Johnson, Jr.'s Eight Points of Light

Many of you know Victor R. Johnson, Jr. as one of the seminal figures in the fiberglass fly rod renaissance. The author of a number of books on glass rods and their history -- including a history of Fenwick and the history of the glass fly rod those in the know call "the Bible" -- he is also interested in other aspects of fly fishing history. His latest book bears this out. It's entitled Eight Points of Light and it is a series of portraits of important figures in fly fishing history.

The eight figures covered are Theo Bakelaar, Art Nuemann, Tom Whiting, Jim Green, Hal Janssen, Myron Gregory, Dick Posey, and Pudge Kleinkauf. Between them, they span the breadth of post-World War II fly fishing, covering such subjects as bead heads, advanced fishing techniques, tournament casting, and yes, fiberglass fly rods.

Without digging in to the individual chapters (each is like its own separate gem filled with delightful bits of information on nearly every page), I will say this is a book anyone interested in fly fishing will want to own. My particular favorites were the chapters on Neumann, Green, and Janssen, as they were important figures in the history of fly rod design. All of the characters, however, are well deserving of the royal treatment that Johnson gives them.

I had a chance to hear Victor Johnson Jr. give a talk on his book at the First International Glass Rod Expo and was greatly impressed with the depth of knowledge that he possesses, and the passion he has for fly fishing history. It was (and is) inspirational. This book is no different. Anyone with even a passing interest in the subject owes it to themselves to get a copy. Plus, it comes with a DVD containing rare materials/interviews/clips of the people profiled in the book. That alone is worth the price.

The book is not yet up on the publisher's web site, but I suspect it will be soon. You can contact the author through the previous link for more information.

-- Dr. Todd

Thursday Review: Victor R. Johnson, Jr.'s America's Fishing Waders

A Review of Victor R. Johnson, Jr.'s America's Fishing Waders

America's Fishing Waders: The Evolution of Modern Fishing Waders, 1838-Present by Victor R. Johnson, Jr. is the fourth in a series of fly fishing histories authored (or co-authored) by Johnson. Previous works include histories of fly lines, fiberglass fly rods, and the Fenwick Corporation.


Like his earlier works, Johnson sets out to tell a story virtually ignored by the fishing community. Few people have given much thought to waders, but when one stops to think about it, they are an integral part of the fly fisherman's kit. Few dedicated fly anglers don't own at least one pair of waders and a pair of hip boots, but almost no one has written about their history. Johnson is digging in virtually virgin territory here.

The title of the book might be slightly misleading; basically, this book is a history of the Hodgman Rubber Company, without question the most famous wader brand in history. The foreword was written by Ron Foster, former owner of Hodgman, and most of the historical information comes in the form of a linear history of this firm.

This should not in any way be taken as serious criticism. Founded in 1838 and likely making waders as early as the 1850s, Hodgman serves as fertile territory to tell the changing history of waders. From the dawn of the rubber revolution, through the halcyon years of fly angling, to the post-World War II era all the way up to the present, Johnson hits on many of the technological changes in waders and hip boots. Even the neoprene and breathable wader revolutions of the 1990s are covered.

The majority of information is Hodgman (and by proxy Converse, as the two companies were intertwined for much of their history), but Johnson makes an attempt to cover other firms in his research. Red Ball, Servus, LaCrosse, and Marathon all get brief histories. A few notable makers, such as Hood's Ike Walton line of waders, popular in the late 1940s, and W.B. Jarvis of Michigan, makers of rubber fishing gear ca. 1900, are missing from the discussion. Additionally, some interesting debates in the pages of sporting journals ca. 1900 over the safety of waders is not covered. In a week or two I'll reprint one of these entertaining articles in the Voices from the Past column.

With over 150 images (black-and-white) and lively text, the book certainly is informative. At 131 pages, it is also a fairly quick read. The majority of information covers the later (post-1960) improvements in material and construction of waders, which of course is both a subject and a time period rarely written about from a historical standpoint when it comes to fishing history.

If you've read any of Johnson's previous work, you'll know what to expect from this book: solid research, interesting material, pleasant format, reasonable price. While it is not a definitive history of the wader in America, it is the only history we have, and for this reason (and others) should belong in any worthwhile fly fishing library.

The book is available directly from the author by Clicking Here.

-- Dr. Todd