One summer day in 1937, the mother of Simon Schultz—his given name was Clarence, but no one called him that—sent him on the kind of errand most teenaged boys only dream about: catching a mess of trout for supper. Like a lot of families in Depression-era Wisconsin, the Schultzes, who lived in Washburn on the shores of Lake Superior, depended heavily on hunting, fishing, and foraging to keep the larder stocked and their bellies filled.

There were a lot of Schultz bellies to fill, too: Simon was one of 16 children.

Fly fishing is full of specialized rods. This can result not only in confusion about when and where these rods are best utilized but in the perception of certain rods as odd or impractical. Just a handful of years ago, many anglers would have regarded an 11’-foot 3-weight Euro-nymphing rod as a peculiar implement. These days, the industry embraces these rods as precision instruments; as tactical gear for the discerning angler. Yet to many anglers, ultralight rods— 1, 2 or even 0-weight rods — seem suspect or even silly.