Lamson Center Axis

Not too long ago, I heard some rumblings about some new rod and reel combo that Lamson Waterworks was displaying at the recent IFTD (International Fly Tackle Dealer) show in Orlando, Florida.  The rumor was that Lamson had a new way to integrate their reel into a rod that would even out the balance and change the center of gravity.  I was interested in seeing what this combo looked like, but upon a simple Google search, I couldn't find what I was looking for.  Heck, you can't even find any info on it on the Lamson website.  That right there told me that this must be a REALLY new product and that whatever Lamson was doing had not hit the mainstream yet.  There were a couple of other red flags that shot up as well.

For one, Lamson (up until now) had never ventured into the rod manufacturing business.  The Lamson name (at least where I come from) has always been synonymous with high quality fly reels and that was about it.  The fact that Lamson was tweaking the center of gravity in a fly rod AND getting into the rod business at the same time seemed...odd to me.  It seemed like Lamson was trying to reinvent the wheel and discover an element for the periodic table to build said wheel out of.  It seemed and still seems a little risky and VERY ambitious.  But hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained right?

Secondly, what was Lamson's big idea on how to change the balance of a fly rod?  The last time I checked, a fly reel and all of the line was located at the back of the rod, which (and I am no physicist) would mean that an imbalance would occur especially when the rod is tapered to a point of LESS mass on the tip (obviously).  We have probably all felt it before.  By the end of a long day on the water, the rear of the rod feels a little heavier, fatigue sets in, and casting suffers as a result.  The only thing that I could think of was "Did Lamson actually put their reel in the middle of a rod?"  I know, it sounds stupid but what else were they going to do?

So now it is time for the big reveal.  Lamson has developed the Lamson Waterworks Fly Rod and Reel Combo.  Here's some pictures to answer some of the questions from above and undoubtedly some questions that you have of your own.

After seeing some pictures and watching the videos below, everything was starting to make sense.  Lamson (to my surprise) didn't move the reel up the rod horizontally, but rather vertically.  This new set up looks like it will undoubtedly take the "clunky" or "bulky" feel out of a fly rod  and as one of the videos mentions, it will make it feel like the reel is not there at all.  While I have had some suspicions and doubts up to this point, it actually makes sense.  But will this revolutionary design turn into market success?

Chris Hunt of Trout Unlimited has some similar questions.  In his post, which can be found using the link below, Chris ponders whether this is a flash in the pan idea or something that is going to become more common in the future.  In his post, he mentions the need for other rod manufacturers to get on board with the idea and that makes sense.

Link: http://www.tu.org/blog-posts/new-gear-waterworks-lamson-center-axis-rod-and-reel

This is not a combo that is interchangeable with other parts.  You can't slap the reel on another rod and thus, you can't take an existing reel and attach it to the rod (at least it doesn't look like you can).  The only problem with Chris's big business logic is that Sage already went down this very road (sort of) a number of years ago.  I stumbled upon these links and was surprised at what I saw.

Link: http://www.southeastflyfishingforum.com/forum/sage-spl-1-weight-center-axis-t22402.html?s=9d3ee25e8565df42f84c439ddb23c98a&

Link: http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/forum/threads/rare-sage-center-axis-8-0-weight-3-piece-mint.106557/

You don't see a lot of these bad boys on the water today do you?  So does that mean that Sage wants to give the idea another go to tend to unfinished business (pun totally intended) or have they had enough and are scared off by the thought after limited success?  Are any of the other big boys like Orvis willing to get in the ring and take a gamble ?  Only time will tell, but being a skeptical guy by nature, I am going to wait and see how this thing plays out before I place my order.  Maybe it will feel amazing and there will be back-orders for this puppy.  Or maybe folks just aren't ready for this idea and aren't willing to change what they have been accustomed to for so long.  Good luck Lamson, I'm rooting for you and your somewhat risky endeavor.