I currently have at least six fly rods.  They are...
       Winston 9' 6wt
       Orvis 9' 4wt
       Unknown Bamboo Rod about 8' 6wt
       Fenwick 8.5' 7wt
       Custom Built 7.5' 3wt
       Bamboo 5.5' 1wt built by a guy who now lives in Nampa, ID and sells on eBay.

I have also fished a Sage 9' 4wt that I built while recovering from having my wisdom teeth removed.  I must have nicked the rod at some point because it snapped on the Missouri.  Still, I got 10 good years out of it so didn't feel too bad.  I have also built a St. Croix 3wt but never got to fish it.  My brother went to lawn cast it and the rod snapped.

Each of these rods have a story; a reason why it is important to me.  My father gave the Winston to me a few years ago.  It was a great surprise and not tied to any birthday or holiday.  It was given in his own style which is something I've come to recognize.  He brought it over to the house one day and handed it to me saying something like "what do you think of this rod?".  It is a three piece rod and I loved how it packed into such a short case.  I put it together and flipped it around as much as I could in our small living room.  I pronounced that it was a fine rod and slid it back into the case.  He left it with me that night without saying any more about it.  At some point I may have actually asked him if he wanted it back or if it was for me.  Not much later he decided I needed a reel to go with the Winston and handed over an old Hardy.  That reel is not my favorite as the drag is not that great and the spool rim is covered so I can't palm it.  Still, I find it hard to replace since my father chose it for me and the Winston.

The Orvis 4wt is just a nice mid-grade fly rod.  It is special for a couple reasons.  First, I just really love using a lighter rod on the Missouri.  It makes the fishing a bit more challenging.  At 9' it can still cast fairly well on the larger river unless the wind is up.  Although, I will admit to not using it much since I aquired the Winston.  The second thing the Orvis represents for me is what a fishing vacation should be.  I bought the Orvis in Helena after breaking my Sage 4wt the previous day.  I could have been pissed off over breaking a rod and had it ruin the week.  Instead, I decided not to worry about the money and just buy a new rod.  I figured that we weren't spending much on this trip as we drove, stayed at our own place and cooked most of our own meals.  So, why worry about spending a few dollars on a new fly rod?  It just wasn't worth getting angry over.  I mean really...we have a beautiful place right on the river, two coolers full of beer and a great BBQ that was getting used most every night.  Breaking a rod was just a minor inconvenience.

My larger bamboo rod represents a goal to obtain.  First, that SOB is heavy!  I have become so out of shape that casting that thing is a bit of a chore.  Secondly, bamboo requires you to develop a whole new cast; new timing.  I watch my brother cast his bamboo and I aspire to be as good.  Somewhere down the road I hope to build up my casting arm and work on perfecting a bamboo cast.  You really do have to slow down and "feel" your cast more.  The bamboo will tell you what your doing and you need to learn to listen.

The Fenwick was my first decent rod.  It is not sexy and is greatly overshadowed by my Winston and Orvis.  Still, it was my first decent rod and I'll keep it around.  Maybe it will be donated to the new place on the Missouri.  Maybe we'll start a library of rods for those folks who show up on the river without one.

I love the bamboo 1wt for what it is.  It is so tiny, light and unique that it gets comments whenever I pull it out.  I couldn't catch anything of any size in front of our Montana place last August.  So, instead of getting frustrated I pulled out the 1wt and battled the 8" trout for a while.  It is just good fun.

Now, for my favorite... the custom built 3wt.  I bought this from some guy on eBay after Z broke the 3wt I had built.  I think I only paid $76 for the thing and was greatly surprised when it arrived.  The rod was beautifully built and came with a nice travel case.  I bought a new spool for my small Battenkill reel and loaded it up with 3wt line.  I don't take the 3wt when floating the Missouri but use it as my rod when fishing in front of the house.  It is a little stiff and doesn't really start fishing well until you get enough line out to load the rod.  I have hooked a few nice fish on the 3wt and they are always a lot of fun.  However, none of that is why this rod is my favorite.  It is special to me because of the man who built it.  A man I never met.  The purchase of the 3wt was very quick & easy and a great deal.  Some time later I contacted the maker to see if I could commission him to build a rod for my nephew.  The rod maker was quick to respond and said he would be glad to build me another rod.  We exchanged a few emails and he told me how important it was for men to teach boys how to fish.  He thought that sort of thing was an important part of a child's growth and that people weren't taking the time anymore.  He was from Wyoming and I pictued him as an old man who spent his winters building rods in his workroom.  I imagined that he didn't get out much anymore and that he saw selling quality rods at low prices as a way to spread his gospel.  Then, before I had a chance to figure out what I wanted to do about the rod, I received a note from his wife saying he had died.  She was going through his customer list and letting everyone know.  The news saddened me quite a bit when you consider that I had never actually met the man.  I just liked the guys philosophy... the world would be a better place if you give a kid a fly rod and teach him/her to fish.  It is much better than ignoring them to the point where they end up in jail and someone else is teaching them how to cook meth and what "tea bagging" means.