Burkheimer

C.F.Burkheimer

Fly Rod Company

CF Burkheimer design and make simply perfect graphite fly rods. Each rod is designed to perform flawlessly on the water and is handcrafted to look equally flawless in the hand. CF Burkheimer is essentially a custom rod manufacturer and rods are not normally held as stock and will usually be made to order. 

Burkheimer fly rods are designed to cover a wide variety of conditions. They are light in hand, and heavy in performance. They are delicate, so short, precise casts are controlled and accurate and cast with good turnover. These are rods you’ll be proud to fish.  

Kerry (CF Burkheimer Fly Rods)

About C.F. Burkheimer fly rods by C.F. Burkheimer

“Our goal is simple: to design and manufacture the finest fly rods in the world.

At CF Burkheimer we have learned via decades in the rod making business that no two anglers are identical in casting style and preference. We also thus understand that mass producing rods is no solution to this natural diversity. We have designed our business to be nimble and flexible, allowing us to build top quality rods on a “one at a time, one of a kind” basis. Inventing new tapers as well as continually tweaking designs and variations on already existing tapers is the norm at CF Burkheimer, not the exception.

Quality is a compulsion with us. We offer one line of fly rods, with no compromise, no “value” or “intro” series. Only the best materials are used for our blanks and our ridiculously high standards force us into exacting manufacturing processes that we believe nobody else can match. While other rod companies machine sand their blanks smooth, ours are rough sanded by machine then hand finished because we realize even a few thousandth of an inch variation in the depth of rod’s finish can change it’s action dramatically. Our cork handles are hand turned from the finest grade of cork we can buy. What we might reject is what others might use on their best production models.

While we offer a wide range of standard models, we are always open to a new challenge from our customers. Because we make rods from start to finish, not just put handles and guides on somebody else’s blanks, we are truly a custom rod shop. If you want a specific rod for a specific task, if we don’t already make it, we can and will.”

About Kerry Burkheimer

It has been almost a genetic inevitability that Kerry Burkheimer ended up in the rod making business. Catching his first fish at the ripe old age of 2 lit a flame that still burns exceptionally brightly. Always a passionate angler and a tinkerer, Burkheimer spent years learning the rod design and manufacturing business, including years at Loomis Composites as well as nearly a decade under the watchful eye of his mentor, legendary rod maker Russ Peak. Largely now overlooked by today’s generation of anglers, Peak was the rod designer that all others of his era, from Fenwick to Orvis, looked up to and consulted with. Eventually, Burkheimer purchased Peak’s business and inventory, which morphed into the CF Burkheimer Rod Company of today.

We build stunningly beautiful rods with superb performance, because that’s what the situation demands.

Burkheimer on their Single-Handed Trout Rods

“Our trout rods are very close to our heart. They are designed to cover a wide variety of conditions, are light in hand, and heavy in performance. They are delicate so short, precise casts are controlled and accurate and If they don’t cast 80 feet with good turnover right after they dropped a fly on a quarter at 25 , they’re not Burkheimer’s. We want to build you a rod that you’re proud to fish with, we don’t have a “FastX3″ series, or a “Power Enhancement Taper”, that’s not the Burkheimer way. We build stunningly beautiful rods with superb performance, because that’s what the situation demands.

The *Deep Action Load (DAL) series of trout and steelhead rods were built to satisfy the caster that prefers a fuller flexing single hander. These rods love a paced, relaxed, smooth stroke, and reward it with distance, laser-tight loops, accuracy and feel.”

Alternative Tackle lists C.F.Burkheimer single handed DAL & Trout rods in 4-piece configuration in 3 finish levels; Classic Presentation and Vintage. 

 
Burkheimer on their Two-Handed 4 & 5-piece Rods

“There’s no denying the amazing utility of these rods in a wide variety of fishing situations. Steelhead and Spey flies on the Thompson? Madison river browns and big sculpin patterns?  Stripers eating Clousers in the surf? You bet. Two-handers aren’t just for Atlantic salmon anymore, and our rods will do it all. And do it well. We design rods with wide grain windows, forgiving actions and loads of feel. Feel might seem like an esoteric thing, but it’s the tactile expression of the soul of a rod. Rods with feel enhance a caster’s performance and enjoyment, and those things aren’t just the domain of guides or instructors. Talk to us about these rods and you may hear us describe them as having “grunt”, or “whump” or “hooahh”. That’s the Burkie feel, and you’ll feel it too.”

Alternative Tackle lists C.F.Burkheimer Two-Handed rods in 4 and 5-piece configuration. Rods are available in 3 finish levels; Classic Presentation and Vintage. 

C.F.Burkheimer

Rods - Available Now

CF Burkheimer is essentially a custom rod manufacturer.  Their full range is available to order and we try to hold a select stock of rods available for immediate delivery.

If you’d like find out more about our stock rods or any of Burkheimer’s rods simply get in touch