Kagerow Rod is a one-person studio near the Hino River in Tottori Prefecture's western mountains, where bamboo fly rod craftsman Hideto Ishida was born and raised. Growing up there, fishing for trout and char was natural — first as a pastime, eventually as a passion. His search for the perfect river fishing rod led him to become a craftsman himself. Today he receives orders from enthusiasts across Japan, with a one-year wait from the time of order.

Kagerow Rod's bamboo fly rods are high-end tools. They are remarkably light, extremely responsive, and with a slight shake will bend as desired, as if they were an extension of the holder's fingertips. The rods are made of Tonkin bamboo from China — said to be the strongest bamboo because of its dense fibers. After thorough drying, the bamboo is precisely cut into six triangular strips and glued together to form a long, thin, strong, and flexible hexagonal rod. The rod is coated with lacquer eight or more times to give it a glossy finish, and detailed with urushi lacquer.

Ishida learned to fish and to experiment with bamboo, branches, and other materials as a child, trying to catch fish in the mountain streams. Much like the original inventor of the bamboo fly rod — an Englishman in India who experimented with local bamboo — Ishida developed his craft through trial and error until his work reached a standard he could be proud of. He built the Kagerow Rod studio himself and has been making bamboo fly rods for more than thirty years.

The rods are made to order. Each is a tool for fishing, but also a fully handmade, functional work in its own right — built carefully, and built to last.