The first Tufts & Batson workshop was the perfect location for research and development. Born on the banks of an Oregon river, Tufts & Batson rods were tested on a trout and steelhead stream that was literally our backyard. Our design ethos solidified to one of performance—balancing power with suppleness. This is not a rod that only casts great on the lawn and then falls apart on the water. Nor is it a stiff rod that proves unwieldy in a genuine fishing scenario.