From fishing to fly tying to rod making, Lance Kittel of Poncha Springs has spent the last six years crafting his own fiberglass fishing rods and establishing his own business called Pescavida.
Kittel currently runs the business out of his house at 460 Alabama St. behind Hoover Ranch Park. He said he hopes to establish a shop space in downtown Salida in the near future.
Kittel grew up in Broomfield and was first introduced to fly fishing when he was 10 years old. Front Range fishing was more laid back than in the mountains, he said, and he and his grandfather would go fishing together every day after school.
In the mountains more technique is needed, he explained, saying one needs to know more about the environment and what trout eat, which his biology studies in college helped with.
Kittel said he really got into fly fishing because his wife likes it, and when they first started dating he wanted to impress her. His wife, Skylar, has been his biggest supporter in establishing his business.
Kittel started making rods in 2016 during a particularly cold winter in Gunnison, where he went to college. Because he couldn’t go fishing, he set about teaching himself how to make rods, using online sources such as YouTube.
“My first rod was a valiant attempt at a fishing rod,” he said. “My biggest mistake was not quite realizing all the intricate details that make a fly rod usable.”
Kittel now pays special attention to details such as the cap sealing the rod up from water, or the thread wrap that pulls the guide onto the rod. These small details can also add to a rod’s aesthetic, and if he is basing the rod on a color theme, Kittel will try to match them.
“I honestly never thought I would start my own business,” Kittel said. His friends had requested that he make rods for them, and through word of mouth Kittel’s business expanded according to demand.
The name Pescavida arose from a couple of years he spent in Costa Rica fishing with friends, pesca meaning “fishing” and vida meaning “life” in Spanish.
Kittel said he thinks the best part of building rods is the ability to express creativity. “I think that not many people think of rod builders as artists, but it’s an art to me,” he said. Kittel is currently working on seven different rods, and usually spends 20-60 hours on each.
When he isn’t making rods, Kittel is either tying flies or fishing. “If I’m not doing either of those, call the hospital,” he joked.
Most of the time, he fishes the Arkansas River between Salida and Buena Vista, but for a short window in the summer he will go to creeks and alpine lakes.
“Fishing is the best free therapy you can get. I like the challenge of walking up to a new slice of water and trying to figure it out,” he said, likening fishing to solving a puzzle.
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