C1 DESIGN GROUP: THE ROOTS OF THE WATERWORKS-LAMSON
The Waterworks-Lamson is not a typical fly fishing company. We are C1 Design Group, and our core expertise is in product design. We innovate, invent, design and engineer. Our roots trace back to the bicycle industry, where we designed one of the very first (and very best) clipless pedal systems. In the early 90's, we tackled the hardest challenge in mountain bike design: creating suspension systems that would perform at the cutting edge in all conditions and on all terrains. We then helped Kestrel, a top quality manufacturer of carbon fiber road bikes, to introduce a dual-suspension mountain bike. We designed the Kestrel Rubicon mountain bike which received immediate high praise and enthusiasm despite its $3,800 price tag. The Rubicon Comp won the prestigious Mountain Bike Magazine 'Best Downhill Bike' award in '97. Our design contribution to the Kestrel Rubicon was total: the Rubicon utilized our patented dual-rate rear suspension system, and embodied our complete frame design.
C1 Design Group enters fly fishing as the Waterworks: 1995 to 1998
We began to develop product ideas and explore the fly fishing market in 1995. After a long weekend with dead fish in the bathtub, designer Mark Farris emerged with a tool capable of reducing fish mortality by eliminating netting and handling. We called this the Ketchum Release, a play on the name of our home town of Ketchum, Idaho. It was an immediate success.
Following the Ketchum Release and several other accessory ideas, we quickly turned our attention to fly reels. We could see that fly reels were poorly designed. Reels were too complicated; they were using too many parts; drag systems and other running parts were exposed to the elements; reels were too heavy. We began with a blank sheet of paper, and undertook a total re-think of the fly reel.
DESIGN OBJECTIVES
• Reduce physical weight
• Achieve mechanical simplicity
• Maximise large arbour benefit
• Utilize superior materials
• Create the world's best drag system |
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