“Fly rods built BY passionate flyfishers FOR passionate flyfishers”
Dan Delekta began building fly rods in 1975. For most of his career, Dan was the only builder of Beartooth Custom Fly Rods, but now, Dan has an apprentice, Marty Authement. Dan is enjoying passing on his rod building knowledge to Marty, a Redfish captain in Houma, Louisiana, and a custom rod builder in his own right — constructing “Mardi Gras weaves” on his Redfish fly rods.
Dan has the special focus of building fly rods
that fit a broad spectrum of individual needs and desires. This involves using unique components that result in a variety of rod lengths, pieces, weights, actions and materials. All Beartooth Custom Fly Rods are built in our lodge on the Madison River by Dan and Marty.
Recent years have produced many new fly fishermen and fly fisherwomen. The fly tackle industry has met this demand of increased production, but at what cost? In our profit-oriented world, quantity has been chosen, rather than quality. The high quality we once knew and expected has vanished, resulting in cheap production rods with inflated prices.
Beartooth Custom Built Fly Rods has always concentrated on quality. Dan feels that craftsmanship and tradition are the American way of life. Dan has experimented with many different rod blanks, components and finishes. He has then field tested his rods. The end product of this study has resulted in Beartooth Fly Rods. It is with great satisfaction that we offer our fly rods to the fly fishing public. We at Beartooth are striving to revive the quality and tradition of the American Way: Craftsmanship.
Dan on His Rodbuilding:
BT Rocket Launcher
Our lightest, strongest, fastest action flyfishing tool features a carbon fiber scrim combined with a new space age resin system. This combination, coupled with proprietary carbon reinforcement, translates into “state of the art performance.” There is no expense spared on the Rocket Launcher series. Highly figured wood spacers with Nickel/Silver hardware are available on freshwater models, while the finest double locking aluminum reel seats are featured on the saltwater models. Oversized Titanium guides and tip-tops paired with perfectly shaped Full-Wells or Reverse Half Wells cork grips add to the total custom aspect of this Beartooth Custom Built rod series. This Black Satin colored rod is one of Dan Delekta’s favorite tools for Trout, Steelhead and Saltwater Flyfishing. Available in 4 and 5 Piece Models. Made in Montana.
BT Brown Bear
This intermediate modulus/high strain graphite combination offers the ability to work 
short casts but with an abundance of reserve power. The Brown Bear is a faster action rod, yet is still the most forgiving high end rod. Featuring a warm Chestnut Brown color, highly figured wood spacers with Nickel/Silver hardware on freshwater models and the finest double locking aluminum reelseats on the saltwater models, there is no expense spared on the Brown Bear series. Oversized titanium guides and tip-tops paired with perfectly shaped Full-Wells or Reversed Half Wells cork grips add to the total custom aspect of this Beartooth Custom Built series. This is Nancy Delekta’s favorite tool for Trout, Steelhead and Saltwater…She has made Dan a true believer, too! Made in Montana. Available in 4 and 5 Piece Models. (Pictures shown are of the 4 Piece Models).
BT Stealth
The Stealth series feature a non-reflective matte Black finish throughout. These flyrods 
are forgiving and a joy to cast, with a medium fast action. There is no expense spared on this Montana built Stealth series. Highly figured wood spacers with double locking black on shiny gunsmoke aluminum hardware are available on freshwater models, while the finest double locking aluminum reel seats are available on the saltwater models. Oversized titanium guides and tip-tops paired with perfectly shaped Full-Wells or Reversed Half-Wells cork grips add to the total custom aspect of this Beartooth Custom Built series. A large range of lengths and line weights are available; from 7’6″ to 10′, 2 piece, 3 piece and 4 piece from 3 wt. to 9 wt. Dan Delekta fishes these in Trout, Steelhead and Saltwater sizes. It is a true pleasure to feel these rods load and unload while casting. Available in 3 and 4 Piece Models. (Pictures shown are of the 3 and 4 Piece Models).
BT Grizzly Bear
The Grizzly Bear punches out long casts into the wind. Smooth, fast, light weight and 
extremely affordable are all words that perfectly describe one of our “fastest action” Montana built fly rods. Highly figured wood spacers with Aluminum hardware are featured on freshwater models, while the finest double locking aluminum reelseats are featured on the saltwater models. Oversized titanium guides and tip-tops are paired with perfectly shaped Full-Wells or Reversed Half Wells cork grips add to the total custom aspect of this Beartooth Custom Built series. A stealthy matte/clear Black/Gray colored rod, Dan Delekta loves this one for Bahama bonefish and Montana trout. Available in 4 Piece Models.
BT Traditional.
The Traditional series are forgiving and a joy to cast, with a medium fast action. There is 
no expense spared on the Traditional series. Highly figured wood spacers with nickel/silver hardware or double locking black on shiny gunsmoke aluminum hardware compliment the freshwater models and the finest double locking aluminum can be found on the saltwater models. Custom components are priced accordingly. Oversized titanium guides and tip-tops paired with perfectly shaped Full-Wells or Reversed Half-Wells cork grips add to the total custom aspect of this Beartooth built series. A large range of lengths and line weights are available; from 7’6″ to 10′; 2-piece, 3-piece and 4 piece from 3wt. to 9wt. A beautiful forest green colored blank that is an extremely affordable Montana built flyrod. Dan Delekta fishes these in Trout, Steelhead and Saltwater sizes. It is a true pleasure to feel these blanks load and unload while casting. Available in 2, 3 and 4 Piece Models. (Picture shown is of the 4 Piece Model)
BT Maverick.
We just love this dark blue gloss colored Maverick series of flyrods. These rods are
lightweight and feature a moderately fast, powerful action. Built with woven graphite spacers and the finest single or double locking aluminum reel seats on the freshwater and saltwater models, Western or Full-Wells cork grips and chrome plated-stainless steel guides. Available in 2-piece, 3-piece, 4-piece and 5-piece, from 2wt. to 10wt. This Montana built flyrod is extremely afordable and user friendly. Dan Delekta owns and fishes many of these different actions from Trout, Steelhead to Saltwater. Especially the lighter, softer, trout rods from 2wt to 5wt. from 6′ 6″ to the 9′ lengths, SWEET!!! Available in 2, 3 ,4 and 5 Piece Models. (Picture shown is of the 4 Piece Model).
BT Golden Shadow, made from Diamondback blanks.
This legendary braided graphite woven designed blank with a golden shadow color, 
features a medium action, and incorporates a shock absorbing feature that enables light tippets and small flies to land extra large fish. Nickel silver reelseats are complimented by “one of a kind” wood spacers and titanium plated guides and tip tops just spell gorgeous. Made in Montana. Available in 4 Piece Models.
BT Master Glass
For those who love and must fish the sweet action of fiberglass, we offer 2 and 3 piece
Master Glass Fly Rods from 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 Foot Lengths in line weights ranging from 3 Wt. to 6 Wt. The two main blanks we build on are the honey colored lamiglas and the blue colored Dyna-Glass blanks by Diamonback. The rod actions are slow and pleasing, a sheer delight to cast. A variety of highly figured wood spacers compliment nickel/silver and aluminum hardware. This Montana built fly rod is extremely affordable and fiberglass friendly. Dan Delekta own and fishes many of these different actions for trout.
The top two series we make are specific casting machines, made to cast more line and made to fish for an all-around range of species. Whereas, when you get down into the other series — Stealth, Traditional and Maverick — I offer a lot more models and rods for small streams. The top two series include 8 ½-foot, 9-foot and 9 ½-foot rods only. They’re specific for trout, steelhead, bonefish, tarpon, a lot of different salt water species and all the fresh water species. When you get down into my other series, I make 6 ½-foot rods. They’re wonderful rods to fish small streams with. They have soft, sweet action for fishing small flies to smaller fish and they cover all the different applications that the top two series don’t. They’re made to be softer for 2-, 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-weight lines. We have the same models available in 9 ½- and 10-foot spey rods, and switch-spey rods. The series are huge, covering so many fishing situations — and they are very affordable. I think the blending of all the different series of rods that I make cover almost any fly fishing that you could do on the planet. I just don’t think that in only one or two series you can really say that. In the five series I can cover all the ranges of fly fishing and all the different tastes.
Everybody has a different taste — for food, for wine, for sport. The rods I offer resulted from my life in rod building since 1975. I cover a large range of rods with the graphite, and what I don’t cover with the graphite, I cover with the fiberglass and bamboo. And they’re all built the same way.
We build fiberglass rods — BT “S” Glass — in a very limited edition.
The Lamiglas “S” Glass fiberglass rod has actions that range from traditional to fast. These translucent honey colored rods are sweet to cast and admire. The upgraded reel seat and the cork grips along with titanium plated guides and tip top just add to this classic series.
I have a limited number of blanks in the S Glass Series made by Lamiglas. I bought these blanks 30 years ago.
I also have a new series of bamboo rods — The True Believer.
These blanks are made for us at Beartooth. They’re available in 7-foot, 7 ½-foot and 8-foot lengths.
I was building golf clubs when I started building rods in 1975. My golf club building migrated into my rod building. From that point, the epoxies I used to put on cork grips and reel seats and wood spacers were developed by the golf industry. At the time, these epoxies were made to hold wood heads on steel shafts and now it has migrated to titanium heads on graphite shafts, where these guys beat the clubs into the ground, whack balls and the epoxies that hold that stuff are unparalleled for use in fly rods. There are not many rod builders who put the materials into their rods that will give them that longevity. That’s where the art of rod building is when you can take whatever materials you are using and make a rod that is functional and aesthetically pleasing. I believe all those things are factored into what makes a fly rod really sweet to fish.
All of my rods have 18- and 20-inch markers in all the trout models, from the reel seat butt. That’s normally a dead area of the rod where the blank is showing, so it’s a place where I like a little decoration. It takes longer to put those wraps on there, but I feel they add to the beauty of the rod. When you put the rod down on the bank next to a fish, you can see how big the fish is. It’s a very functional thing that is very pretty. All the years that I’ve built fly rods goes into each rod that I build and each is a piece of art to me and no two rods that I build are exactly the same. Everything I do, I want to make each piece unique. I appreciate a rod that is built properly and is aesthetically beautiful — when you take it out of the case and the cloth and you put it together and it makes you feel a certain way.
Now I’ve brought Marty on to help me build fly rods and he has the same feelings I do about each piece and each rod he builds. He has been my apprentice and learned the way I feel a fly rod should be built and he is of the same mind as I am. That part has been great — to have somebody work with me who thinks the same way and feels so passionate about what he is doing. We’re having lots of fun building rods together.
Beartooth Quality
Each Beartooth Fly Rod is a masterpiece. Consistency is achieved by dedication to producing the ultimate fly fishing instrument. We do not concern ourselves with the length of time or the amount of effort involved. We stress craftsmanship — not profit margins. Give us a chance to prove our quality. Test a Beartooth casting machine that is enhanced by old-world workmanship. You be the judge. You will find a broad selection of Beartooth Custom Built Fly Rods at our Fly Shop on the Madison River.
- Graphite Blanks
- Bamboo Blanks
- Fiberglass Blanks
- Restored Antique Bamboo
- Craftsmanship
- Components
- Ferrules
- Finish
To order your custom-built fly rod, Call Beartooth at (406) 682-7525.
Prices are subject to change. Custom options will differ in price.
