Focus on a unique concept: rodbuidling training on the road

While some are truly self-taught and have an adventurous temperament, many need a mentor to enable them to launch into a new discipline with a sense of security. Despite the diversity of information sources, the quantity of tutorials available and the many remote tutoring possibilities, some people find it difficult to take the rodbuilding plunge, convinced that it will take a long time to learn and that the first results won't be as good as they'd hoped. And yet they'll all say afterwards that these thoughts are wrong and that it's child's play.

In 2024, Rodhouse created a series of travelling training sessions throughout France, the success of which can be summed up in a number of ways: to enable everyone to dare to tie their first rods and to start assembling their very first rod without any material investment and under the guidance of an experienced person.

The concept

The concept behind Rodhouse's itinerant training courses is extremely simple: you put together a group of 10 people, either from your friends or family, or through a club or association. In the latter case, many AAPPMAs reserve training sessions for their members.

Once the group has been set up, you'll need a venue that's large enough for all the participants, and well lit and heated for everyone's comfort. Ideally, you'll need a room with 10 work areas (table and chairs), and easy circulation between them.

Rodhouse then manages all the logistics and equipment, and travels to the training site anywhere in France to assemble each participant's first fishing rod from A to Z. The icing on the cake is that each participant leaves with the rod he or she has assembled during the day!

Reasons for success

The training courses were announced in January 2024, and within a few weeks, or should I say days, all sessions were booked for the current year. If this phenomenon reflects a real craze among anglers for rodbuidling and a real desire to embark on the adventure, it is also based on a concept designed to be accessible to all in terms of time, skills and budget. The main points of this training course are

• Mobility: The first advantage for participants and future rodbuilders is that Rodhouse training courses are mobile. No need to find a tutor close to home, an experienced rodbuilder will come to you, anywhere in France, for a day to teach you the basics.
• Training days: The second secret to the success of these courses is that they are offered at weekends and are accessible to all. Beyond the fact that there's no need to take a day off, this makes it much easier to organize the group and choose a common date.
• Duration: The fundamental idea behind the concept, which was at the heart of the design and implementation process, was to be able to assemble a rod, from finding the thorn to drying the varnish, in a single day. It's a daring gamble, but one that has paid off: after almost a season of training, all the participants were able to assemble their rods within the allotted time.
• No material requirements: When you're just starting out in rodbuilding, you need a minimum of equipment. With Rodhouse training courses, you don't need to bring anything with you, because the company has equipped itself with a truck dedicated solely to training courses, in which all the equipment needed for the 10 participants is stored, from glue and varnish to mounting benches and all the accessories.
• An affordable price: let's face it, at 75 euros per person to develop skills, spend a convivial day and treat yourself to a fishing rod assembled by your own hands, it's hard to beat the price. If there's no equivalent service in the world, there are simply very few fishing rods at this price...

An emblematic trainer

To develop your first rodbuilder skills, Rodhouse leaves you in the hands not of an experienced trainer, but undoubtedly in those of the oldest and most qualified rodbuilder in France: Goulven DOLLE, founder of the Rodhouse company and importer of rodbuilding to France over a decade ago!

So, while the day is devoted to learning the basics, it's also an opportunity for discussion, and Goulven will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about the various concepts involved in setting up a fishing rod.

A rod at the end of the day

We have rightly mentioned the particularly accessible and advantageous price of these training courses, and it's important to stress that each participant, over and above the skills developed during the day, goes home in the evening with his or her own fishing rod.

The blank and accessories selected have been designed to create a functional and versatile tool that you can use regularly in the practice of our common passion, fishing! The SB604 blank from North Fork Composite measures 1m82 and delivers 5-25gr of power. Once assembled, you'll have a rod that will enable you to stalk predators with a wide range of lures and in a variety of environments.

Customer feedback

While the concept met with almost unhoped-for success when it was first announced, after a year of training courses the feedback has been glowing, demonstrating that they meet a real expectation on the part of anglers. Indeed, David, president of an Aappma in Brittany, who set up a training course for his association's members, confirmed the strengths and advantages of the course, emphasizing that "all the participants, who ranged in age from 12 to 70, were able to assemble their own fishing rods in a single day" and that "some had already invested in assembly equipment to assemble new references". What's more, "all the anglers present were delighted with the course, and now see rodbuilding in a different light, as an easy activity accessible to all".

How to register

Given its success in 2024, it's obvious that in 2025 the Rodhouse truck will continue to criss-cross the roads of France. All you have to do is form your group of 10 participants and go to the following page to book your session : https://formations.rodhouse.fr/