In this episode of the Mastering Rod Building Podcast, Bill Falconer talks with longtime West Coast rod builder Bill “Salty Dawg” Havens about his decades in the craft, the development of rail rods, and the innovations that helped shape Southern California’s long-range fishing scene.
Bill shares how he began building rods in the 1960s, eventually turning rod building into a profession and developing the Salty Dawg rail grip after seeing traditional foregrips get destroyed while fighting large tuna from the rail. He explains how rail rods evolved, why durability matters, and how his grip design eventually became part of the Batson product lineup.
The conversation covers heavy-duty rod construction, guide wraps, thread size, epoxy and finish techniques, grip installation, and Bill’s approach to finding faster and more efficient ways to produce custom work. Bill also discusses developing photo wraps, experimenting with materials for decorative designs, and working alongside builders such as Jim Trelikes as techniques like dragon scales and other decorative styles evolved.
Bill and Bill also discuss the importance of sharing techniques, giving credit to the builders who developed them, and how younger rod builders continue adapting old ideas with new materials and technology. Bill reflects on thousands of rods built over his career, his work with Fisherman’s Landing and Batson, and why craftsmanship, efficiency, experimentation, and teaching others have remained central to his approach.
Mastering Rod Building is brought to you by Anglers Resource — your source for genuine Fuji Tackle components.
Where to buy genuine FUJI®️ rod components (Area Distributors)
Japan: FIRST Corporation — https://first-fuji.co.jp/ • mail@first-fuji.co.jp
American Continent (North & South America): Anglers Resource — https://anglersresource.net/ • info@anglersresource.net
Oceania: Frogleys Offshore — https://fujitackle.com.au • enquiries@frogleysoffshore.com.au
Spain/Czech/Finland/Sweden/Estonia/Latvia/Poland/Denmark/Belgium/Germany/Netherlands/Ireland/Luxembourg/France/Portugal/UK/Norway/Belarus/Ukraine/Russia:: CALICO S.A. (Kalikunnan) — https://kalikunnan.com/ • fuji@calico.es
Europe: MAJORA Intelligent Fishing (FUJI Tackle Italy) — https://www.fujitackle.it • info@fujitackle.it
Asia: KOWA Company, Ltd. — fujitackle@kowa.co.jp
