Name: Scott Belisle

Name of Business: The Lehigh Fishing Co.

Website: www.lehighfishing.com

Social Media: The Lehigh Fishing Co. on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Can you share a bit about yourself and your background? How did you come to be involved in the fishing product industry?

I have been an avid fisherman all my life. Growing up in a family of avid saltwater anglers and growing up in the Poconos of Pa, I had endless fishing opportunities. I came up with a new idea for constructing carbon fiber, carbon/fiberglass and all fiberglass rods while working in the civil engineering field. Granted fishing rod construction is more mechanical engineering, I still had that engineering mindset. I got laid off from my job in January 2009 due to company dowsizing. I then decided to make a go at this. At the time I had little to no resin or composite experience, so I did a lot of research and made a lot of phone calls. There was a specific configuration of carbon fiber I was looking for, but didn’t know what it was called. I talked to a composite manufacturer in and he was able to give me the name of the material. I then designed 5 different rod models and sent the technical drawings to a mandrel manufacturer. Once I had the mandrels, I sent them to the composite manufacturer and they made the first prototype. It lasted all of 15 minutes once I got it before it broke. We did a few more tries with different configurations and nothing seemed to work. This was getting expensive, so I built a curing oven and brought the R&D in house. The oven is 9′ tall to facilitate 1 piece rods over 7′ long. I teamed up with a resin manufacturer and tried a number of different resin systems. I ended up taking a resin system they made and made a tweak to it to work with my application. I then teamed up with a carbon fiber manufacturer that made the types of carbon I was looking for. By June of 2011 I had 4 rod models on the market. Shortly thereafter I had 5. By 2016 I had 13 different rod models and now I have 22 and will be reintroducing an old rod model soon to make 23. Over the years I’ve made tweaks to my process to make my rods more durable, performance-based and cut down on the manufacturing time.

What’s the story behind the name of your company?

I live 1/4 mi. From the Lehigh River and do a fair amount of fly fishing in it year round. The Lehigh is often associated with whitewater rafting. I feel it should be better known for it’s fishery.

How long have you been involved in trout fishing personally? Is there a memorable story you’d like to share?

I grew up in a family of saltwater anglers, but growing up in the Poconos of Pa, I had many freshwater fishing opportunities around me. I’ve fished for trout since I was very young. I discovered fly fishing around age 11, 42 years ago. I saw 2 little old guys standing out in the middle of the Lehigh whipping their line back and forth. I had no idea what they were doing. I did some research and found out they were fly fishing. I took books out of the library and rented VHS cassettes about fly fishing. I started out practice casting in my yard with an old bamboo fly rod I found at my grandparents house and a $10 reel. Once I felt comfortable with false casting, I bought a Browning Silaflex 8′ 5-6wt rod and started hitting the water. Back then there wasn’t a siphon to empty a fish’s stomach contents to see what they were feeding on, so I kept some fish and gutted them to see what they were feeding on. I got a fly tying book, a vice and some tying materials and started tying my own flies.   

Why did you decide to focus on or include trout fishing products in your company’s lineup?

I’m a huge fly fisherman for trout and salmon. Most of my non-fishing friends (yes they do exist) just assumed that I only made fly rods when in fact, I manufacture a wide variety of rods for many different types of fishing.

How do you ensure that your products are suitable for trout fishing, specifically?

I do a lot of R&D of my rods that are applicable to trout in the Lehigh while fishing for trout. All of my 5wt’s and my 5′ UL spinning rod were tested there. My 3wt’s were tested in a nearby stream named Mud Run. My 7wt was tested on the Salmon River in NY while fishing for salmon and steelhead.

I don’t. I do my own thing here at LFC. Where a lot of companies are hell bent to produce the lightest rod imaginable, I focus on performance. Carbon fiber, for the most part, is a stiff and brittle material once resin is applied and cured in an oven. I developed the resin system I use in all of the LFC rod models. This resin system is more resilient than what others use, giving them a softer feel and not nearly as brittle as the other rods on the market. I also apply 2 coats of tinted clear coat to the blanks, adding a layer of protection while the weight gain is negligible. A rod should be 2 things, a useful tool and an extension of your body. I have developed a line of rods that are all very easy to cast, in that they do the work. They are very sensitive as well, in that you can feel everything that’s going on at the end of your line. My rod designs and builds follow more traditional methods, although I use modern materials. Another thing unique to LFC is that we offer custom builds factory direct. You can choose from a variety of blank and guide wrap colors, cork, wood or composite grips, guides, custom decals and can have your name added to the rod.

Out of all the products your company offers, which one is your personal favorite for trout fishing and why?

Lately it’s been the 9’6” 5wt model F9654 “The West Branch” for fishing on the Lehigh. I’m not a spring chicken anymore and the added 1′ length compared to my other 5wt’s means I don’t have to work as hard to get to a rising trout on the other side of the river. It’s also good for Euro nymphing. For small streams the 7′ 3wt model F7033 “The Mud Run” is an absolute blast to fish with. It’s full flex design and 2.4 oz. total weight make an 8” wild brookie feel like a much bigger fish. I have a number of customers that like the 5′ UL spinning rod “The Nescopeck” for trout.

Can you share a story or experience where this product made a significant difference in a fishing trip?

All my rods are very user friendly. I’ve had my right shoulder rebuilt twice, so I can’t use a rod that I have to do all the work. The configuration of carbon fiber used in the blank construction transfers energy better than any rod on the market. You feel everything that’s going on at the end of your line, right in your hand. My rods apply to all skill levels from beginner to experienced angler.

What feedback have you received from customers regarding this product?

Ease of casting and exceptional feel are comments that I mostly get. Some folks that are well versed in fishing rods will comment on the high quality components that I use on my rods. I don’t skimp on the price of my rod components to lower the cost of my rods like so many manufacturers do. Everyone seems to like my unconditional 20-year warranty. If for what ever reason the rod fails, return it to us and it will be repaired or replaced, no questions asked. You only pay for return shipping.

Where is your all-time favorite location to fish for trout? Why?

I would have to say the Lehigh. There is a good population of wild and holdover fish found throughout the river. It’s also nice being that I’m only 1/4 mi. from it too.

Describe your most memorable trout catch.

Hard to tell. I’ve had many. I guess the one time a few years back I was fishing a stretch of the Lehigh by myself that isn’t stocked and caught an 18” rainbow. Even by myself I was yelling with excitement over the size of the fish. A guy about 100 or so yards below me heard me yelling and came up to investigate. I got him to take a pic of me and the fish.

What type of bait or lures have you found to be the most effective in that favorite spot?

Fall, winter and spring I’m mostly sub-surface with nymphs and streamers. Late spring through early fall I mostly fish dry bugs or emergers.

What’s one trout fishing mistake you see beginners make frequently, and how can they avoid it?

Not doing their homework. Most of what I know about fishing I learned through trial and error and spending time on the water. Nowadays I see beginners and even experienced anglers neeeding to be spoon fed information, whether it be good or bad info. We live in the information age where anglers will view social media pages and base their gear on what they find on the internet. There’s no substitute for experience.

Can you share a lesser-known trout fishing tip that has consistently worked for you?

Do your homework. Spend time on the water. Use a variety of different flies or baits and figure out which is more productive. Having a little knowledge of entomology can help too.

What piece of advice would you give to someone trying to improve their trout fishing game?

Same answer as the previous question. Spend time on the water. Once again, there’s no substitute for experience.