Inside Banana Rods

Now though, they’ve carved their way into the market thanks to one element: unmatched quality. Here we chat with company owner, Valentin de Ruffray, about the ethos behind the company and what the future holds…

The Big Questions

How did Banana Rods come about?
“Simple process actually: I was working in a different industry, quality driven, and as a keen carp angler I bought myself a set of custom rods. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. Everything on them was imperfect, from the threading to the varnish, and I quickly realised the whole rod could be improved. That’s when I started thinking about creating a rod that would match the quality standard I was thinking of. Banana Rods was born to set a new standard in the carp rod industry, with unmatched finish, state-of-the-art technology and outstanding performance.”

Banana Rods: it’s a very unique name for a carp fishing brand, so what’s the reason behind it?
“Aha, ha! Banana Rods is a strong brand, and one you won’t forget once you’ve heard it. Kind of a “Hello world” statement if you know what I mean. It can be perceived as bold, but we know the work and dedication we put into each
rod we make and so we assume the brand matches the rods perfectly.”

Along with very high-end components, your also best known for your unique handles: golf-club style, split cork. How popular are those?
“To put a long story short, I was playing golf with a few friends and quickly realised we could benefit from the same gripping performance on a carp rod. A better grip allows you to cast further, be more accurate, and the secure the rod better. So we went to see a leading golf handle manufacturer and asked for a custom product to go on our rods. The Easy Power Handle was born.

“A regular carp handle has three enemies: dirt, moisture and UV from the sun and the moon, so we worked hard together to develop a new material that would resist UV and moisture and look good even after a long stay in the mud.

“The Easy Power Handle looks splendid in real life but most of the pictures don’t do it justice so it took time for it to pick up, but I’m happy now that 80% of our carp rods leave the factory with an Easy Power on them!

“The split cork was also something we’ve been known for. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but for those who like cork, it’s a fantastic feeling. We teamed-up with a very small farm in Portugal whose cork is among the best in the world and we secured the very highest quality segment of their production to create our cork handles. The results are stunning: a cork that looks awesome and last forever. Just what you expect from Banana Rods.”

Banana Rods owner, Valentin de Ruffray

You offer a bespoke build service. How does that work and how popular is that?
“When you buy the rod of a lifetime, you want a part of your personality on it. That’s what makes our bespoke service so valuable. We spend quite a bit of time on the phone to the customer to understand what he/she loves and enjoys and then our studio comes up with a design that matches exactly what the customer had in his mind. That’s the beauty of it: every bespoke rod looks different, even after a few thousands, we are always amazed by how gorgeous a carp rod can be!

“Coupled with our simulator who helps you choose the right rod for your application, it guarantees that the set of rods you’ve ordered will be strong and reliable for all the fishing you’ll be doing in the years to come.”

Along with rods, landing nets and clothing, you also sell cleaning products, such as Polish for Whippings, is this something that could be used on all rods?
“Every product we make is designed to fit with our resin systems and with our cork, but many customers order these products and use them on other brands while waiting to treat themselves to a set of Banana Rods and there is no problem with that!”

One of the biggest concerns we hear from the UK customer is: “What if I have any problems/issues with the rods; how do I get it sorted?” What would you say to that?
“We took that into consideration before introducing ourselves into the UK market. It is legitimate concern, but not with us. As everything we do, quality comes first and customer experience is pinnacle for us. So we teamed up with UPS for all our shipment and created a tube which allowed our rods to travel the world with peace of mind.

“Basically, our UK customers receive the rods the very next day we ship from our factory in France, in a tube. Shall there be an issue, they simply put the rod back in the tube and a UPS delivery truck picks up from their preferred location. It’s then delivered to us the next morning and we start work on whatever the issue on the rod maybe.”

The new, state-of -the-art Banana Rods factory

What does the future look like for Banana Rods?
“Bright! We are going to celebrate our 10th anniversary and we have been very fortunate to offer a product that many anglers dream about. We work hard on a daily basis to find and test all the new tech when it comes to carbon fibres and components. We moved to our new state-of-the-art factory a year ago and the quality of our work has again improved dramatically.

“Our goals for the future is to improve our existing products with fancy new technology, making the rods lighter and cast further with even more bend on the fish.

“Surprisingly, we consider that the value of our product is unmatched because the quality, fibres, and craftsmanship we put into our product is unique, yet all this technology and time spent on each rod comes at a price. So we are always working hard on refining and improving our manufacturing process to allow more anglers to dream of owning a set of Banana Rods. That would be satisfying!”