The 13th Annual R.W. (Bob) Summers fly rod raffle drawing took place on Sept 17, at the Conservation Celebration. A Grand Traverse Conservation District donor drew the winning ticket in front of a small crowd of hopeful ticket holders. The name was read and there was no immediate reaction from anyone present. That is because the winner was not there. In fact, the winner was not even in the state of Michigan. The winner was a couple thousand miles away in Butte, Montana. His name is Randall Shannon, a previous resident of Michigan who values conserving the rivers of Michigan as much as he does Bob Summers’ bamboo fly rods.

Bob Summers is world renowned for his split bamboo fly rods. In 1956, Bob began working for the legendary fly rod maker Paul H. Young. 53 years later Bob continues to refine his craft of building high quality bamboo fly rods here in Traverse City. This year’s fly rod was a Model 735 (7’3” #5 line) valued at $2,215. R.W. Summers bamboo fly rods are highly sought after by avid fly fisherman across the globe. And despite the fact that there is a 3 to 4 year waiting list, Bob has donated a fly rod to this annual fundraiser for the past 13 years. Visit www.rwsummers.com to find out more about Bob and the amazing fly rods that he crafts.

The money raised through this annual raffle is critical to enabling the GTCD to implement vital stewardship projects in the Boardman Watershed. The raffle will be held again next year and tickets are expected to go on sale in next spring. Individuals interested in purchasing tickets or learn more about what the money raised supports, can explore this website or call 231-941-0960.

Tags: boardman river, bob summers, donation, fly rod, r.w. summers, raffle winner