John Smigaj, one of the founders of Trxstle, walks us through the story of starting a gear carrier products company. John and his partner, Morgan, are on a mission to solve gear transportation problems with proper engineering and a whole lot of passion. We find out the benefits of having a fly rod carrier – how it makes your fishing trip so much easier and better. We also talk about their new Geryon Universal Bike Packing – how they’ve been developing the prototype for 5 years and finally going to be available on the market this year!
Click below and listen to the Podcast about Fly Rod Carrier with John Smigaj:
Find the show: Apple | Spotify | Overcast
(Read the Full Transcript at the bottom of this Blog Post)
Sponsors and Podcast Updates
Fly Rod Carrier Show Notes with John Smigaj
04:16 – John moved about 35 times, never spending more than 1 Christmas at any house and state
06:12 – John used to pursue law enforcement, then later on decided to jump into engineering – he was raised in a military family
11:26 – John tells the story of how he met his business partner, Morgan at a company that later shut down causing its employees to lose their jobs and not be paid
13:03 – John and Morgan looked for engineering jobs then at the last minute decided to start their own engineering firm – they also started designing outdoor products
15:27 – Trxstle is an outdoor product company that focuses on carry products
16:44 – John explains how they came up with the brand name, Trxstle
19:06 – John talks about the CRC System – how it makes your fishing trip so much easier and protects your gear
21:09 – This telescopic fly rod carrier can be as short as 44 inches and telescopes out up to 10-foot 6-inch
24:14 – Trxstle is also known for its waterproof cases – they’re going to release a new one by the end of 2022
26:13 – The NRS ClampIt holds your case on the boat
26:49 – The Slip Mount mounts your case wherever you want
27:51 – The River locker is smaller than the Big Water Case Fly Box
28:20 – Trxstle works with Scott Wilday from LidRig – Scott was on the podcast at WFS 250
28:42 – Trxstle’s got full apparel line
29:11 – The Geryon Universal Bike Packing System – Trxstle now accepts preorders and will start shipping by the end of March 2022
35:02 – Anything below an 8wt rod fits the CRC system – anything above that, you should measure first
40:11 – The Geryon Universal Bike Packing System is 5 years in the making – John talks about its features
45:06 – Trxstle will be at the IFTD this year
51:21 – John used to skate board and roller blades – he used to join roller blading competitions
You can find Trxstle on Instagram @trxstle
Website at Trxstle.com
Videos Noted in the Show
Related Podcast Episodes
WFS 250 – Goto Fly Fishing Accessories with Scott Wilday from LidRig
Read the Full Podcast Transcript Below
Fly Rod Carrier Conclusion with John Smigaj and Trxstle
Trxstle is truly a game changer. John also mentioned that they’re developing 20 products and will be releasing a new product by the end of this year so we definitely should be excited about it! We are very grateful to have Trxstle as a sponsor because they’re doing great things for the outdoor community, making our outdoor experience better than ever! Thank you John and the Trxstle crew!
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